All posts by eliotg

The campaign is strong, and we’re feeling good about being able to deliver on the next phase of Laser SETI.  We recently breached $60k from well over 400 backers!  A hearty THANK YOU to all of you who’ve made this possible.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Bathsheba Grossman, the artist who designed our favorite perk, the Crystal.  It captures the Laser SETI effort perfectly, using that beautiful spiral galaxy to illustrate the literal and figurative grand vision of the project.  One set of cameras stares unblinking and majestic, scanning for signs of something new, unknown, but not totally unexpected.

The animation on the campaign page gives a great sense of this, but “a picture is worth a thousand words” so we thought you’d want to see just that.  The crystal is 3″ x 3″ x 4″ and will brighten any space you choose!

Adding to the excitement, because of our endless dedication to cost efficiency, we’ve found that we can offer the crystal in all its stunning beauty and include with every PREVIOUS AND FUTURE selection of this perk an attractive lighted base to highlight this fusion of science and art!  (Final base will differ from the one pictured above)

We also want to announce a Q&A with project scientist Eliot Gillum, hosted by Astronomy Magazine.  If you or your friends have questions, please submit them by Tuesday the 15th, and we’ll address as many as we can!  Knowledge is power and, now, an extra reason to get excited about Laser SETI.

Please continue to share the campaign, online and in the real world.  Thank you for your support!

Wow! Laser SETI campaign extended to 8/18!

Great news everyone . . . thanks to the generous contributions of 335 backers, the Laser SETI campaign has raised over $55,000 of the $100K needed to achieve our vision.  Thank you!

We’re excited to announce that the Laser SETI campaign will be extended until August 18 to help us achieve that goal. This will enable us to build two cameras and spatially localize targets on the sky, validate the algorithm and distribution of potential signals.

To celebrate the Laser SETI campaign extension, we’ve added a great new perk. The Broadband Roll-up is $419 and includes the Galaxy Crystal, Laser SETI t-shirt AND hoodie, SETI Institute cap + pin, laser pointer, sticker, quarterly reports, and, of course, GOOD KARMA.

We think everyone will interested to read the latest from Laser SETI scientist, Gerry Harp. “Big discoveries in science are often made when innovative instruments probe nature in new ways,” said Gerry. “Laser SETI will search the sky for a variety of pulsed light signals that might have been overlooked before. We may find ET, and we also may find new physics.”

We still need your help in order to make it to the finish line.  Your support has made this campaign possible and you’re our best advocates.  Please tell your friends about Laser SETI and SHARE on your social networks!  We hope you’ll also consider making an additional contribution to support Laser SETI and to get in on this new perk.

We’ll continue to keep you up-to-date on the progress of the Laser SETI campaign. In the meantime, THANK YOU!

We’re thrilled to have over 200 backers and be already more than a third of the way to our goal!  In fact, with 3 weeks left to go, our chances look good to exceed it and even truck right on to a stretch goal!  More science is more awesome for more people!

This is all made possible by you–picking your favorite perks, telling your friends, and sharing on social media.  Thank you so much and please continue supporting us!

Speaking of sharing, we recommend reading some of the great articles that have been spreading the word on LaserSETI.  We were featured in Astronomy Magazine, Centauri Dreams did a 3 post series, and both IFLScience and New Atlas waxed poetic.  Or, take the shortcut and just read the excellent excerpts below!

Thanks again for your tremendous support.  You’ll be hearing more from us soon, and we hope to hear more from you, too!