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BOB HIRSHON (host):
Stepping up the search for ET. I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.
Right now, hundreds of thousands of people are looking for extraterrestrials with their personal computers. The project’s called SETI at Home, and it uses a free screensaver to sift through radio waves from space for signs of alien intelligence. Now, chief scientist Dan Werthimer wants a million more recruits – thanks to a major upgrade in the giant radio telescope in Arecibo, Puerto Rico that collects the signals.
DAN WERTHIMER (University of California, Berkeley): It has a very good receiver, much more sensitive than the one we had before, and that’s why we’re asking more volunteers to help us analyze this data.
HIRSHON:
The new receiver also covers more of the sky and more radio bandwidth than ever. By spring, the researchers expect to be processing 500 times more data than they used to – provided they get enough help. Find the link to sign up at: scienceupdate.com. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.