Why We Probably Won’t Find Aliens Anytime Soon
Odds are that we’re not truly alone in the cosmos. But practically speaking, we might as well be
Why We Probably Won’t Find Aliens Anytime Soon
Odds are that we’re not truly alone in the cosmos. But practically speaking, we might as well be
The Arecibo Message, Earth’s First Interstellar Transmission, Turns 50
In 1974 we beamed a radio transmission into space that changed the way we think about our place in the cosmos
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Reflecting on the Arecibo Message, Our First Attempt to Speak with the Stars
On the 50th anniversary of the “Arecibo message,” we present a reflection on humankind’s first attempt to send a transmission to intelligent life in the cosmos.
NASA’s Europa Clipper Spacecraft Aims for Jupiter’s Most Intriguing Moon
For the first time, we are sending a spacecraft to explore an alien ocean world—a moon that might host life today
What Really Happened at the Pentagon’s Once-Hidden UFO Office?
An office in the Pentagon investigated UFOs—and the paranormal—over a decade ago, segueing into a long saga leading to Congressional hearings and breathless news stories today. But the real story looks more like former defense officials pushing their personal mythology, rather than any cover-up of aliens
Was Life on Earth Inevitable or Incredible?
We can’t yet tell how life got its start on Earth. That’s one great reason to keep looking for life elsewhere
How the Search for Aliens Is Redefining Life in the Golden Age of Astrobiology
The search for extraterrestrial life has profound physical, mental and spiritual implications, says Nathalie Cabrol in The Secret Life of the Universe—and it belongs to everyone
The Wow! Signal Might Not Have Been Aliens—But a Weird Cosmic Outburst
A new explanation for the Wow! signal suggests it was a chance detection of a furious flare crashing into a hydrogen cloud. But some researchers doubt that this idea has truly cracked the case
This Is the Most Exciting Rock Ever Found on Mars
Mysterious “leopard spots” on a Martian rock could be evidence of extraterrestrial life—or of mere lifeless chemistry. Finding out the truth may require bringing the rock back to Earth
Nope—It’s Never Aliens
Claims of alien starships visiting Earth always fall short, but people still fall for them
Artificial Intelligence Will Let Humanity Talk to Alien Civilizations
Large language models may enable real-time communication with extraterrestrial civilizations despite the vast distances between stars. We need to start thinking about what to tell them about us
Why We Can’t Rule Out Alien Spaceships in Earth’s Atmosphere (Yet)
We can and should look harder for evidence of alien visitors to our solar system