Jodie Foster Helps Revive SETI Search for Aliens

E.T., the phone line is open and SETI is waiting for your call. And apparently Jodie Foster, too.

news.yahoo.com...

The nonprofit Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute, which was forced earlier this year to shutter its Allen Telescope Array, used to listen for alien signals, due to budget issues, has raised enough money to resume the search for life beyond planet Earth.

The institute reached its goal last week of raising $200,000 to operate the telescope through the end of this year. The funds came from over 2,000 private donors, including the actress Jodie Foster, who played fictional SETI scientist Ellie Arroway in the 1997 movie "Contact."

I don't really agree with the government funding projects like this but I love to see private endeavors and it's great to see people like Jodie Foster take interest in something outside the scope of normal things.

Good job for her and the others who donated to keep this project going.

it's good to hear that there is still a big interest in this, and that the SETI project is still alive and well. what's funny, though...is the people that think this is a waste of time and money, are more than likely the same ones that sit on their fat, lazy asses playing their PS3 or Nintendo crap, for days on end.

reply to post by moonweed


Well I believe it's a waste of money myself but if people feel it's worth donating too then that's great. I donate money to things others probably think is stupid too.

Seems like a waste, but if people want to cut the checks out of their own pockets more power to them.

Originally posted by moonweed
what's funny, though...is the people that think this is a waste of time and money, are more than likely the same ones that sit on their fat, lazy asses playing their PS3 or Nintendo crap, for days on end.

Or reacting to UFO sightings, investigating them long after the fact (60 years in the case of Roswell), or just sitting around, reading UFO books while they rail against SETI.

reply to post by kro32

I don't really agree with the government funding projects like this

So you agree with the gov't using bombs and guns to kill people in the name of freedom and capitalism? But spending a tiny tiny fraction of our overall budget to listen for the most important discovery in human existence... you don't agree with? Hmmm...

So why not JOIN your ATS SETI team and help as well? Doesn't cost a thing, it's fun and interesting, and you are able to participate in the actual search in a small, but significant way.

ATS SETI Team

I don't have the money Jodi Foster has, but I do have a PC that sits idle from time to time. How about you?

Go Team ATS!

reply to post by Scramjet76


If there is more than a snowball’s chance in H-E-Double Hockeysticks chance that it will succeed, then yes.

Good for jodie!
But... Just $200.000!!!!!????
How many SETI's could you fund with the cost of ONE apache people-killing stuff? (not the server)
How many space probes could be developed with the cost of ONE aircraft carrier?
It really pisses me off that people rant about puny 200.000 dollars when their govt's are spending infinite amounts of their money in making the world hate them...
At least there still are people that, by god, look up...

Jodie is the best.

And SETI is more relevant today than ever with all that planet hunting going on.
So many new targets to point some ears at...

Cool

What is her opinion on the Arecibo Chilbolton crop circle? claudescommentary.com...

Actually, while I think the project itself will never get the results they desire (in fact, it might get results of an unwelcome kind), it also could be a way that alien races finally decide to reveal themselves to us. It's an obvious and clear "we want to meet you" display. That could possibly be the catalyst that might spark interaction. You never know.

reply to post by kwakakev


It's a hoax. A really cool hoax but a hoax nonetheless.

We've been blasting coherent (non natural) radio transmissions into space since 1901 and television signals since the mid 1930's. So any alien in a 110 light year radius from earth will "hear" us if they are listening.

Maybe it's because Earth is so noisy that UFOs come here, maybe they just want to know what happened to Lucy and Ricky Ricardo

Seriously, SETI, IMO, has to broaden it's search from just a few bands of the radio frequencies and look at other frequencies including light (lasers). With more powerful computers we will be able to analyze millions of channels at once.

My guess is that we will not pick up a message directed at us, but rather intercept communication signals between "them". I'm also a little worried about giving away our presence willy-nilly.

Originally posted by Nicolas Flamel
Seriously, SETI, IMO, has to broaden it's search from just a few bands of the radio frequencies and look at other frequencies including light (lasers). With more powerful computers we will be able to analyze millions of channels at once.

They already do.

reply to post by WingedBull

It's a hoax. A really cool hoax but a hoax nonetheless.

Is that your conclusion or Jodie Foster's? Do you have any source material to confirm this was a hoax?

reply to post by Nicolas Flamel

So any alien in a 110 light year radius from earth will "hear" us if they are listening.

That doesn't amount to much! An infinitesimal number of candidate neighbor stars are within that radius. The fact is, 99.999...% of the stars in the Milky Way Galaxy would have no idea we were out here in the celestial boondocks even if they WERE listening! And the other "billions" of galaxies beyond? Let's not even go there... (or better yet , Let's GO!)

I think there may be more to this story than we are led to believe.... ???? Perhaps we need Seti more than ever.

SETI is a waste of time. And it so happened Stanton. Friedman said the same and I had this opinion before seeing his... MUFON or other organizations, SETI have detected something once, so this does not even imply it was ET, especially if no ETs were around, While if they are around, SETI is far behind in finding the truth

Ms. Foster is looking in the wrong place. SETI is simply another smokescreen to divert attention away from UFO sightings reports.