How to Build a SETI Supercomputer

The Search for Intelligent Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) needs powerful supercomputers to analyze radio telescope data. Low funding prevents SETI from buying powerful computers. Berkley researchers found an innovative solution with volunteer computing that pools the resources of PCs toward a common goal of analyzing radio data to prove the existence of extraterrestrial life.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Download the Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC) software from the Berkley website. There are versions for Windows, Mac and Linux. Third party programmers provided versions for other operating systems.
2. Install BOINC into your PC. BOINC connects to the SETI website and assigns a user name. The SETI volunteer computing project is responsible for 2.5 MHz of data.
3. Download a data packet for processing from the Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico. The 0.25 MB packet is a "work-unit." Additional information increases the packet size to 340 kilobytes. The stationary Arecibo telescope stops tracking stars while gathering SETI data.
4. Use your computer normally. Whenever your screen saver activates, BOINC gets to work. It analyzes the data during your PC idle moments. BIONC listens for extraterrestrial radio signals. Earth radio signals keep the same intensity during data capture. An extraterrestrial signal will rise and fall during Arecibo's 12- second data capture. After the "work-unit" has been analyzed, BOINC asks your permission to transmit the results to SETI.
5. Return the "work-unit" to Berkley's database. The computer labels the unit "done" and returns a new unit to your PC for analysis.

Tips & Warnings

• Only run this software on your personal PC, or one where you have the owner's written permission.

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