Announcing the Milner Hawking Global Science Initiative
Russian Billionaire Yuri Milner Funds SETI Initiative With $100 Million
“Joined by an all-star cast of scientists that included Stephen Hawking, Martin Rees, Frank Drake, Geoff Marcy and Ann Druyan, Russian billionaire Yuri Milner announced that he was personally funding a series of new initiatives to kickstart the search for life in the universe called Breakthrough Initiatives.”
Yuri Milner and Stephen Hawking Announce $100 Million Breakthrough Initiative to Dramatically Accelerate Search for Intelligent Life in the Universe, Breakthrough Initiatives
“The first of two initiatives announced today, Breakthrough Listen, will be the most powerful, comprehensive and intensive scientific search ever undertaken for signs of intelligent life beyond Earth. The second, Breakthrough Message, will fund an international competition to generate messages representing humanity and planet Earth, which might one day be sent to other civilizations.”
Marc’s note: $100 million over 10 years is a significant investment in SETI and includes an all-star team. One member of the all-star team mentioned above is former NASA Ames Director Pete Worden as the Chairman of the Breakthrough Prize Foundation.
Billionaire Milner pledges $100 million to find intelligent life in space, Reuters
“Wondering if we are alone in the universe has engaged minds through the ages. Add to the list Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, who announced on Monday that he plans to spend $100 million to explore the idea.
Using some of the world’s largest radio telescopes, a team of scientists handpicked by Milner will oversee an initiative he calls Breakthrough Listen, a 10-year search for radio signals that could indicate the existence of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe.”
“Mr. Milner has recruited a small coterie of scientists to run the project. Among them are the Astronomer Royal, Lord Martin Rees, of Cambridge University, who will lead an advisory group; Peter Worden, former director of the NASA Ames Research Laboratory, home of the Kepler effort; Geoffrey Marcy of the University of California, Berkeley, a renowned exoplanet hunter; Dr. Werthimer; Andrew Siemion, also of Berkeley; and Ann Druyan, a co-author of both “Cosmos” television series and widow of the astronomer Carl Sagan.”
– Internet investor Yuri Milner joins with Berkeley in $100 million search for extraterrestrial intelligence
Not to be a party popper, but shouldn’t we focus on finding cures or research on space travel. Even if let’s say we find such a message, the galactic center is at 25.000 light years away. In order for us to communicate with them they need to be at most 200 light years away to even consider, or 5-10 to have a significant impact. And I’m pretty sure we won’t find intelligent life at that range
Luhter, It’s Milner’s money. With all respect, he can spend it how he wishes.
I totally agree he can spend how he likes, never said he shouldn’t. Just pointing a thing out ..
I just finished Robinson’s latest called ‘Aurora’. He has a lot to say about the practical realities of interstellar communicating.
Wait until Putin puts sanctions against any charitable gifts by Russian billionaire oligarchs… That 100 million would go a long way to pay off the corruption in building they’re new cosmodrome.
Well Milner left Russia some time ago WITH his money. So I don’t think Russia will be able to get their hands on any of it. 😉
Good to know, Go Milner!
Excellent news. I’ve been waiting for some more super-rich folks to put some money into space-related research.
I do not think there is a strong enough signal for any receiver to pick up. Voyagers signal is getting weaker. At some point it will not be able to be picked up. Any signal from anywhere will dissipate before it gets here. If they could pick up a lightning stroke from an alien planet, that would be a good first step.
I remember Carl Sagan saying that the dish at Arecibo was large enough to communicate with a similar-sized dish on the other side of the galaxy.