Abstract:
The nature of the universe, the place of humans in it, and the question of life elsewhere have captured the interest and stimulated the imaginations of men and women since Homo sapiens first contemplated the cosmos. Today, the question of whether life, even intelligent life, exists beyond Earth remains one of the most intriguing questions confronting hunmankind. While ours is not the first generation to contemplate life beyond earth, we are the first to develop and apply the technical means required to conduct a scientific investigation of the question.