We still don't know if there's life on other planets, but we're looking. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, SETI, even has a major participant in our part of the world.
The Hat Creek Radio Observatory features a collection of big antennas—the Allen Telescope Array—pointed Out There, searching for signs of intelligent life. The observatory in eastern Shasta County is now run directly by the SETI Institute.
Alexander Pollak is the Science & Engineering Operations Manager in charge of the observatory. He tells us what the search entails.