British Scientists Join Hunt for Alien Life and Intelligence

The possibility of intelligent, alien life has always intrigued astronomers. Now, British scientists are making a concerted effort to search for it by listening for distant signals on radio telescopes. In theory, these telescopes will be able to pick up any broadcasts from other planets.

This hunt hasn't yet begun, though. Currently, scientists have just put forth the idea, asking for seven major telescopes to spend time searching for potential alien signals. If the plan goes through, though, it would make Britain the second largest center for alien hunting in the world after the U.S., according to The Guardian.

"If we had one part in 200--half a percent of the money that goes into astronomy at the moment--we could make an amazing difference. We would become comparable with the American effort," said Alan Penny, UK Seti Research Network (UKSRN) coordinator, in an interview with BBC News. "I don't know whether [aliens] are out there, but I'm desperate to find out. It's quite possible that we're alone in the Universe. And think about the implications of that: if we're alone in the Universe then the whole purpose in the Universe is in us. If we're not alone, that's interesting in a very different way."

Hunting for alien life doesn't come cheap, though. Currently, the researchers are asking for about $1.5 million from funding agencies in order to support listening time on the radio telescopes. The funds would also be used to pay for data analysis, according to BBC News. Yet actually procuring these funds may be difficult. In the existing climate of government science cuts and fiscal problems, it's difficult to see why the Science and Technology Facilities Council would back such a project, according to Fox News.

Yet the researchers remain hopeful. They plan to push for the funding to scan the skies and possibly find evidence of distant life--something that would be historic.

"Ask astronomers do they think ET exists and most will tell you yes," said Tim O'Brien, deputy director of Jodrell Bank, in an interview with The Guardian. "We don't know what the nature of life would be, or whether it wants to communicate with us, but since we're collecting all this data anyway, it seems rather remiss not to search for ET signals."

Whether or not the researchers receive the funding they need is up for debate. Yet if they do gain support, it's possible that Britain may soon be scanning the skies for aliens.