Can you spot an alien?

As part of the TED Conference yesterday, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI Institute) announced setilive.org, a site where “the public can view data being collected by radio telescopes and collectively help search for intelligent life on other planets.” SETI already uses piles and piles of computers to crunch numbers and big data streaming to them from outer space 24/7. The idea behind the new site is that maybe we humans can find patterns or see things that our computer brethren can’t. We’ve seen the shift to human touch come into vogue lately, where big think-tanky types like DARPA create “games” for us to play that help solve bigger problems. And it seems to work.

So push those glasses back up the ridge of your nose, straighten your pocket protector, and do something else that fits the nerd stereotype (get harassed by a jock, maybe), because it’s time to wrangle up some aliens. Yee-haw!