"We're just leaking radio waves like crazy" — Dr. Jim Green explains how NASA is looking for extraterrestrial life through radio signals

Former NASA Chief Scientist Dr. Jim Green recently explained how NASA is looking for extraterrestrial life through radio signals. In the March 8 episode of This Week in Space podcast, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik had an interview with Dr. Jim Green.

When asked about the technosignatures that might indicate the existence of alien life forms, he said they have developed radio signals to gather data on the same. Now, the scientists just gather the data and look through it to see if other civilizations are doing that.

For the unphased, any quantifiable characteristic or outcome that offers scientific proof of previous or current technology is referred to as a technosignature or technomarker.

Talking about the technology, he said:

“The key to that is to have them on, look out and gather that data and see if we can find a civilization that's doing that. Because we do that, you know, know, when we created tv and radio and all those radio waves leave earth…”

He added:

“So we're, we're, you know, we're just leaking radio waves like crazy. So it's a good idea, uh, and and started in the 90s and NASA started working in that direction and then got correct congressional direction to get out of it..”

For context, SETI stands for Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. It's an astronomical field that involves searching for signs of alien life by looking for unusual radio signals and other types of electromagnetic radiation.

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NASA’s SETI also received funding to carry on with their project of looking for aliens

During the same interview, former NASA scientist Dr. Green discussed how people can search for technosignatures that might indicate advanced civilizations in other star systems. The interview continued as Green went on talking about looking for extraterrestrial life through radio signals. He claimed:

"That meant that SETI search for extraterrestrial intelligence was going to be done via radio signals by the private sector with private funding…. What was happening is there was a big push in Congress.. to help fund SETI, to really get NASA more involved, bring NASA back into the search for extraterrestrial intelligence….”

Talking about the same, he further said:

“And so I was chief scientist at the time when Jim Bridenstine called me and said come down to my office I'm talking to Lamar Smith and his staffers..."

He further stated:

"We started talking about the money they want to give NASA to look for intelligence, extraterrestrial intelligence, and I suggested we do a workshop. Now it's not just radio, it's looking for structures, megastructures…”

Here, he was talking about the fact that the SETI Institute received $200 million to look for signs of extraterrestrial life. The estate of Franklin Antonnio, the late tech entrepreneur and Qualcomm co-founder, contributed the sizable money. Prior to his death on May 13, 2022, Antonnio worked with SETI for 12 years.

As per Space’s November 14, 2023, report, Andrew Siemion, director of SETI Research at the University of Oxford, said in a statement:

"Not only was Franklin the primary benefactor of SETI research at the Allen Telescope Array (ATA), but he was an integral part of the technical team. His extraordinary knowledge of communications technology was invaluable in upgrading the ATA to the world-class radio telescope instrument it is today..”

According to the source, the extra funds will help SETI merge ongoing projects that search for intelligent life using data analytics, machine learning, and advanced signal detection.

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Meanwhile, other than Dr. Jim Green, no other NASA scientist said anything about it as of yet.