SETIcon

This weekend in California's Silicon Valley, the SETI Institute hosts SETIcon, a public event modeled on science fiction conventions, to mark fifty years of searching for extraterrestrial intelligence. SETIcon will feature not only scientists and engineers who have helped make SETI a respected scientific endeavor, but actors and sci-fi authors as well-- those who have dealt with aliens in the realm of human imagination.

Of course, SETI has so far failed in its search, though there have been a few interesting incidents. The truth is, however, that for most of that fifty years SETI searches were weak and sporadic. Now, there is a radio telescope array primarily used for SETI, searches have become more robust with better technology, search strategies have become more sophisticated, and researchers are moving beyond radio to include optical searches for lasers, for example.

After a few decades to establish itself and lay the foundation of its field, SETI seems to be growing into itself, finally becoming able to pursue its goal systemically.