While many UK astronomers remain either sceptical or even fearful over attempts to contact extra-terrestrial life, this has not stopped them from setting up the UK SETI Research Network (UKSRN) which now has the Astronomer Royal himself, Martin Rees, installed as its patron.
The formation of the new body which is broadly equivalent to the US SETI (Search fo Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) organisation, was announced at the Royal Astronomical Society’s annual conference being held in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Consisting of 11 academic institutions, companies, and organisations, the UKSRN will coordinate research into using radio-astronomy to receive and transmit signals from and to other civilisations in outer space.
