Jeff Sohrt writes:

> Perhaps these ET beings, if they do exist don't transmit, emanate, give
off
> or produce any kind of detectable RF for us to pick up with our current
> technology.  That's a lot of processing [via SETI@home] gone to waste.

Perhaps.  Or as Bruce wrote, "negative results are still results."

But even if we call this "waste," many of us began participating
in the SETI@home project as an alternative to having the computer
sit idle.  THAT was what we viewed as waste:  a computer not computing.

But even a computer that IS computing may still be a waste.  For example,
a computer drawing eye candy or displaying stock photos is still a waste
if there's noone around to see it.

Gavin wrote some time ago:

   "So for SETI@Home to succeed, they either need to get lucky and spot
    a civilization that is at a similar level of development to ours, or
    (more likely) to see signals that are explicitly intended for detection.

   "On the other other hand (This is SETI after all) there's a good chance
    that the program will discover a number of new interesting astronomical
    [phenomena], even if none of them are trying to phone home."

If/When a more compelling project comes along, no doubt many of us will
switch.
Until then, we'll donate otherwise-unused CPU cycles to science.

--Glenn