# Funding SETI's Antenna Operations

By [Continuations](https://continuations.com) · 2011-04-27

seti, extraterrestrial life, funding

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I found out yesterday that due to a lack of funding the [SETI Institute](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SETI_Institute) has [pulled the plug on operating the Allen Antenna Array](http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_17926565?nclick_check=1).  Given the recent discovery of [potentially habitable planets](http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/01/first-earth-sized-exoplanet-disc.html), the timing of this couldn’t be worse.  Just as our view is coming around to there being a higher likelihood of intelligent life elsewhere, we stop looking for it.

Why look in the first place?  I believe there are two compelling arguments.  First, in the history of Earth whenever a civilization was surprised by another more technologically advanced one it didn’t end well for the former.  So I would prefer for us as species not to be surprised by another more advanced one.  Second, establishing the existence of intelligent life outside of earth would help several causes that I believe in, such as advancing science, bringing nations closer together, [human space travel](http://continuations.com/post/146038556/40-years-later-on-to-mars).  For a more varied perspective, see [this discussion](http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=17625) \[thanks [vruz](http://twitter.com/vruz)\] which does point out at least one possible counter-argument: by searching we will announce ourselves more to the universe and potentially attract predators in the first place.

The two-year operating budget for the antenna array is apparently $5 million.  If this were a [Kickstarter](http://kickstarter.com) project, I would give $5,000 today.  I believe that this is a perfect example of humans underspending on [long-tail species risk](http://continuations.com/post/36888776/black-swan-philanthropy).

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*Originally published on [Continuations](https://continuations.com/funding-setis-antenna-operations)*