By Emma WoollacottBusiness reporter
The research facility known as the Very Large Array in New Mexico is actively engaged in the quest for signs of extraterrestrial life.
Bill Diamond reveals that there are an estimated 10 to 50 billion potentially habitable planets within our galaxy, presenting a significant challenge in his line of work.
As the CEO of the Seti Institute based in the United States, Mr. Diamond oversees the organization dedicated to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, abbreviated as Seti. Describing Seti’s mission, he emphasizes the pursuit of scientific advancements and technological discoveries beyond our solar system to uncover traces of life and intelligence. He characterizes this pursuit as akin to finding a needle in a haystack due to the rarity and elusive nature of the target.
Highlighting the evolving landscape of the search, Mr. Diamond acknowledges the pivotal role of artificial intelligence (AI) in revolutionizing the exploration for alien intelligence. A notable collaboration between the Seti Institute and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in New Mexico underscores this transformative shift. This federal facility leverages radio frequencies to explore various celestial bodies such as planets, stars, and asteroids.
The Seti Institute is actively developing an AI-powered software system in conjunction with the observatory’s primary installation, the Very Large Array. Comprising 28 expansive dish antennas with a diameter of 25 meters each spread across a desert expanse, the VLA resembles oversized satellite dishes commonly seen on residential properties.
Once operational, the AI system will process an astounding two terabytes (TB) of data per second, surpassing the storage capacity of modern laptops by a significant margin.
Mr. Diamond underscores the invaluable role of AI in the ongoing pursuit of alien life.
Mr. Diamond extols the growing significance of AI in the quest for extraterrestrial life, emphasizing its indispensable nature within his institute’s endeavors. He elaborates on how AI facilitates the exploration of novel radio signal types originating from extraterrestrial sources. Traditionally, Seti focused on identifying narrowband signals akin to those utilized by humans, yet the emergence of AI has broadened the scope to include wideband radio signals that were previously overlooked.
The CEO elaborates on the potential of AI to process extensive datasets, enabling the analysis of myriad snapshots of radio signals over time to unveil distinctive patterns previously undetectable through conventional methods.
Another collaborative initiative, Breakthrough Listen, supported by substantial private funding, embarks on scanning a million stars and 100 galaxies across diverse radio and optical spectrums to detect traces of technological life forms.
One notable contribution to this field comes from Peter Ma, a University of Toronto student affiliated with the project. Ma spearheaded the development of an AI system adept at discerning authentic alien signals from interference by meticulously simulating various noise sources and training the AI to differentiate between them.
The project’s AI capabilities have already identified eight potential alien signals that eluded conventional analysis methods, although Ma remains cautious, suggesting these signals may be false positives until further observations validate their authenticity.
AI’s applications extend to the exploration of more rudimentary forms of life, including endeavors closer to home. Nasa’s Perseverance rover, currently collecting samples from Mars’s Jezero Crater, has already detected organic compounds that fluoresce under ultraviolet light. Despite these findings, the origins of these compounds remain uncertain, necessitating further analysis to ascertain their potential link to past life on the red planet.
Nasa’s Perseverance rover in the process of collecting rock samples on the Martian surface.
Recent developments from the Carnegie Institution for Science showcase the utilization of AI to scrutinize rock samples for indications of current or past life. The research team’s AI system exhibits an impressive accuracy rate of nearly 90% in distinguishing between organic remnants of living organisms and inanimate material.
Joint lead researcher Dr. Robert Hazen lauds this innovative approach, leveraging machine learning to sift through extensive data sets generated by analytical methods, enabling the identification of subtle molecular patterns indicative of biological activity.
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As the AI-driven research progresses, the team plans to extend its analysis to ancient Earth samples and Martian meteorites. Dr. Hazen envisions the potential deployment of these AI tools in diverse environments, including Saturn’s moon Enceladus, to deepen the search for extraterrestrial life forms.
While the journey towards detecting alien life forms remains ongoing, Mr. Diamond underscores that the true measure of progress lies in the collective efforts invested rather than immediate outcomes.
