Search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Conceptual computer artwork depicting the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) project. Set up by NASA in the USA, SETI involves the use of radio telescopes scanning the sky for signals from alien civilisations. This search is depicted here by the faces on the cube. Much of SETI's work involves trying to distinguish an intelligent signal from the mass of background radio waves received from space. Although NASA support has now been cancelled, a portion of the project continues at the SETI institute through private funding.