UC Berkeley’s SETI@home project analyzed 12 billion signals detected by volunteers’ home computers over 21 years. Researchers have narrowed them down to 100 worth a second look using China’s FAST telescope.

The search focused on unusual radio signals that might indicate extraterrestrial technology. Despite advanced filtering, most signals were noise or interference. The team inserted fake signals to test their methods and measure detection limits.

While no alien beacons emerged, the project set new benchmarks for sensitivity in SETI research. Future searches may adopt better algorithms to avoid discarding real signals. The effort showed the power of distributed computing in large-scale scientific research.