The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute is arguably the most widely known among the projects that try to search for evidence of intelligent life beyond earth. It was established in 1984 and is based in Mountain View, California
' SETI ' is based on the following hypotheses :
•Life, intelligence, and technology are a general trend of evolution, and are therefore common in our galaxy (and in the universe)
•The time span for the appearance of intelligent life on a favourable planet is much less than the age of the Galaxy
•There is no Super-science (hyperspatial flight...), i.e. the speed of light is a limit for spatial flight
•Intelligent creatures would explore the Galaxy in the form of a peaceful search for information exchange by way of telecommunications
