Life in the Universe Could humans be the only intelligent beings
in all the vastness of the universe? Or are we just one humble
race, a member of a vast intergalactic fraternity of advanced
civilizations? SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial
Intelligence, is the scientific quest to answer these great
unknowns. As of now all we have are questions, but we know the
answers, when they come, could transform our world. Since the
day it was formed in 1980, The Planetary Society has been there
to support the search. And what about other life? Is there -- or
was there ever -- anything else alive in our solar system? Did
microbes once spring to life in oases on early Mars, or around
the undersea volcanic vents of Europa or Enceladus? Could life
have originated on Mars and been transported to Earth? We've
never detected evidence for anything living elsewhere than our
own fragile planet. Are we alone? The Planetary Society Optical
SETI Telescope in Harvard, Massachusetts just got a major
upgrade of its electronics. The