“There is a silence in the night sky that has bothered me for as long as I can remember.” That observation, attributed to American physicist Richard Feynman, captures a tension many people feel when ...

A civilization capable of interstellar travel may also be one that has moved beyond conquest, excess and ecological self-destruction — and it therefore may not want to talk to us.

Becoming an interstellar species sounds like the ultimate human achievement: leaving Earth behind, reaching new suns, and ...

If so, why haven’t they said hello? The humble residents of this pale blue dot have been on a quest to find an alien civilisation for more than a century. First, it was the “canals” of Mars. Then ...

“There is a silence in the night sky that has bothered me for as long as I can remember.” Richard Feynman’s reflection lingers because it feels personal. The stars look crowded. Common sense whispers ...

The history of astronomical discovery shows that many of the most detectable phenomena, especially detection firsts, are not ...