Technosignature

Okay, what's the first target?

The first one is undeniably the most provocative, the search for technosignatures.

Technosignatures?

Yes.

Which is the academic way of saying we are hunting for aliens.

The implications extend beyond deliberate messaging to encompass any activity that makes Earth more detectable.

Technosignatures, the observable indicators of a technologically active civilization, include not just radio emissions, but also atmospheric chemical signatures, artificial light visible from space, megastructures that alter a star's light curve, and even the gravitational effects of large-scale engineering projects.

As humanity's technological footprint grows, the number and strength of our technosignatures increase.

The James Webb Space Telescope is already capable of analysing the atmospheric composition of exoplanets, searching for gases like oxygen, methane and dimethyl sulphide that might indicate biological or technological activity.