It was August 15, 1960, that mankind first tried to contact alien life when astronomer Frank Drake pointed a radio telescope at two nearby stars and then listened for an artificial signal that would signify life.
The signal never came, but the search for alien life was on.
Now, 50 years later, at a convention of Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) members, Frank Drake, who also turned 80 earlier this year, was honored for his efforts. Now, even though no artificial, life signifying radio signals have been picked up in the 50 years since Drake first started his search at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, SETI members, and Drake, are still optimistic.
Speaking at the event, Drake said that finding alien life would be “the most important discovery for any civilization.”
The fact that SETI is important in the fact that it continues at all. In 1992, the government, which had funded STI research in the past, pulled the plug. However, people all around the world were not willing to let SETI die and started contributing private funds to keep the project going. In 2010, SETI continues to operate with private money.
Drake, now 80, has no intention of retiring, as he is still active in SETI projects and in creating new ideas. Drake is already world-famous for his equation, known as the Drake Equation, which is used by space scientists as a formula with which to calculate the number of probable alien civilizations. While unanswerable in the traditional sense, the Drake Equation provides much food for thought.
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