All the computers at JREF are now active in a UC Berkeley program known as "SETI@home". It's a really cool system whereby anyone with a PC can contribute to the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI), a program that is now privately funded, federal money having been withdrawn some time ago.

I'll quote briefly from the SETI folks, after which I hope you'll refer to their site: http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu for details on how you can be part of this exciting operation.

Say the SETI people:

"With your help and the help of hundreds of thousands of other computer users like you, we increase the odds of detecting signs of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. "SETI@home actually consists of two parts: an "application" and a "screensaver". The application does all the work: it downloads blocks of data through the Internet, performs the number crunching on that data (looking for orderly patterns that might be artificial), returns the results, and gets another block of data. The application is represented by a green radio telescope icon in the System Tray (normally at the lower right of your screen). You can open the application window by double-clicking on this icon.

"The screensaver program runs when you haven't used your keyboard or mouse for a while. It displays color pictures showing the data analysis process. Normally the application processes data only when the screensaver is running. Optionally, you can have the application process data all the time."

The screensaver is an impressive, active, fascinating, display that shows the data your computer is actually "scrunching' for SETI at the moment. I've sat in a semi-trance waiting for something to come up that will indicate a little green guy from way off somewhere is trying to get through, but I've little chance of seeing that, I'm sure. This is a definite way that you can become involved in what we at JREF believe is a positive means of manning the lighthouse, so to speak, and getting ready to welcome the ETs if they're really out there and care to get in touch.

So please take a look, and let us know if you have chosen to get into the project as we have. Your computer sits idle so much of the time, and that down-time can now be put to positive use. No, It won't mean an invasion of ETs in the near future. But if it's possible, with our present technology, to spot them out there, I think it would be really cool to be able to say that we were a small part of it.

Let us know what you think, please.

Now, go to http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu