SETI

The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) was the collective name for a number of activities undertaken to search for intelligent extraterrestrial life prior to the Sarans landing at the White House. SETI projects used scientific methods in this search. For example, electromagnetic radiation was monitored for signs of transmissions from civilizations on other worlds. Some of the most well-known projects were run by Harvard University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the SETI Institute. In 1995, the United States federal government ceased funding to SETI projects, forcing them to turn to private funding to continue the search, though later on, government funding of SETI was resumed at modest levels.

There were great challenges in searching the cosmos for signs of intelligent life at the time, including their identification and interpretation. SETI projects used the best available scientific knowledge to conduct experiments, which has traditionally led to searches for electromagnetic radiation emitted by advanced technologies.

Ironically, due to the limits of the technology at the time, even the few artificial non terrestrial signals detected prior to the Sarans landing at the White House, were only identified as such much later.

For an historical view, see SETI.