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Fermi paradox
the Fermi paradox "if the universe is so old and vast, where is everybody" is a question that people have been trying to answer for decades. -
The Arecibo Message
it was the first time we tried to send a message into space. This message was sent from a radio telescope and was aimed at the Messier 13 star cluster, about 25,000 light-years away. -
The movie E.T. comes out
the movie E.T. shows our hopes for the aliens race, that they will be kind and un-hostile. -
Dark forest theory
the dark forest theory proposes that alien life is out there but it remains hidden to avoid a potentially hostile species. This was first proposed in David Brin's exploration of the Fermi Paradox and related ideas. -
SETI is founded
SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence), is an institution that researches and looks for extraterrestrial life. -
Movie Aliens comes out
The movie Aliens had a huge impact on how pop-culture viewed extraterrestrial life. his movie reflected our fears of alien life and how they might be hostile. -
NASA starts searching for aliens
NASA's SETI program was canceled a year later but they still continue to search for extraterrestrial life through their astrobiology program. -
Discovery of exoplanets
The first confirmed exoplanet, 51 Pegasi b, was discovered orbiting a Sun-like star. it was not in the habitable zone but this still marked the beginning of exoplanetary science. -
The Allen telescope array
The telescope array is an arrangement of 42 antennas scanning the sky for signals. They are one of the key aspects of SETI's research. -
Release of CIA's UFO files
The CIA made all records of reports and investigations into unidentified aerial phenomena public. This sparked widespread interest and speculation about aliens.