As a result, the new instruments at Arecibo collect a whopping 300 gigabytes of data each day, or 100 terabytes per year. To dig through all that data for signals SETI researchers have also had to dramatically upgrade the software of SETI@home, the groundbreaking distributed computing system that uses the home computers of volunteers. "We've improved quite a bit since the original SETI@home eight years ago," said Korpela. More homes with always-on broadband connections and more powerful desktop computers have helped simplify and beef up the distributed computing, he said, though more volunteer computers are still needed. Regardless of how soon the upgraded SETI technology detects the first signs of galactic neighbors, however, astronomers are reaping other benefits from spin-offs of SETI technology. One example is research on how the Milky Way powers its star-making regions. "(SETI technology) allows us to look at galaxies fuel themselves by gobbling up gas," said astronomer Mary Putnam of the University of Michigan. In particular, her work involves identifying large clouds of gas from the Milky Way's smaller companion galaxies, the Magellanic Clouds, as they are being pulled away and dropping like tear drops into the Milky Way. Related Links: Larry O'Hanlon's blog: Earth Impacts |
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