Grant recipients at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Harvard College Observatory received money from NASA to search for intelligent life in outer space. Exoplanetary research has increased in the past five years with new discoveries of planets in the habitable zone. Knowing where to look is a game changer that has led to new research possibilities. The grant money will be used to scan for “technosignatures,” or technology signs, starting with solar panels and pollutants in the atmosphere. These will indicate a civilization that has the intelligence to produce energy. Recent research indicates that there may be 30 intelligent civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy alone. The grant total of almost $287,000 will last two years.
