Penn State Receives Grant for Extraterrestrial Signal Research

Is there life beyond the Earth? A recently awarded $480,000 grant to the Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence (PSETI) Center will give researchers the funding to search for radio and laser signals from alien civilizations. 

The grant is funded through the NASA Exoplanets Research Program. The project is being led by Pinchen Fan, a doctoral student studying astronomy, astrophysics, and astrobiology, under the supervision of her project adviser, Jason Wright, professor of astronomy and astrophysics and director of the PSETI Center.

"This NASA grant marks a significant milestone for both Penn State and the broader field of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI)," Wright said in a statement provided to spacedaily.com. "This area of research has been historically underfunded by NASA but is now seeing a resurgence in attention and support. The PSETI Center is uniquely positioned to lead this exploration, thanks to Penn State's support, NASA's support, and the dedication of researchers like Pinchen, who will be driving much of this project forward."

Since 2018, Wright has been identifying ways NASA might be better able to participate in locating extraterrestrial technology in the universe. According to Wright, the investment NASA has made with this grant indicates the agency is open to supporting research focused on the search for other life forms in the universe.

Fan described how the grant funding will benefit her work. "We will analyze the patterns of humanity's most powerful deep-space radio transmissions as a baseline for understanding the patterns of a civilization's transmissions to its own interplanetary probes," she said. "We will use these patterns as a guide to how we might eavesdrop on radio transmissions from other spacefaring civilizations that are not specifically intended for Earth." In addition to this grant, NASA also awarded the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology a two-year, $1.23-million grant to support research on improving atmosphere and ocean forecasts by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and satellite data into weather forecasting models.

What would you say are the best episodes of The Office? Everyone has their own opinion and list, but are there some we can all agree on?

The Office is without a doubt one of the greatest sitcoms of all-time. It was such a strong cast of characters. Of course, nobody could do it quite like Steve Carell's Michael Scott. There are so many iconic episodes and scenes to consider, but are these the five best episodes of The Office?

While everybody has their favorite episodes of the show, that doesn't mean they're necessarily the "best." There's an important difference there. For example, my favorite episode of South Park is "AWESOM-O" but I wouldn't say it's the best or greatest episode of the show (that would probably belong to "Scott Tenorman Must Die"). So, we must understand the difference between our personal favorites and what's the best. Personal biases must be put aside.

That was a challenge for me. Some of my favorite episodes and what I think are the best episodes of The Office aren't going to make the list. I have to put my bias aside and consider what the majority would deem to be the best of the best. Unfortunately, that meant my favorite episode "Gossip" (Season 6 Episode 1) won't be making the list. It kills me every time Michael calls Stanley's wife. Every single time. Likewise, "Gay Witch Hunt" (Season 3 Episode 1) didn't make the final five and will instead be an honorable mention. You really get a sense of Michael's ignorance in that episode and it's a great character builder that also has a ton of laughs at Michael's expense.

Despite a few of my favorite episodes not being included on the list, I stand by the final five. I think the majority of fans would agree that these episodes deserve to be in the Top 10 and then where they fall within there is up for debate. I did do something kind of controversial, though. I'm counting the double episodes as one episode. They're the same thing, just broken up in two halves for the sake of time. To me, and this list, they are considered one singular episode. Don't like that? Create your own list! See what made the final five best episodes of The Office below! Do you agree?

I had to start the list with "Dinner Party." You can't talk about the best episodes of The Office without mentioning it. There are so many hilarious moments it feels like it's just one after the other. Who could forget Michael's infamous "Snip/Snap/Snip/Snap" and him totally botching the way he describes the wine. We learn a lot about Jan in the episode and get to see her true crazy side. There's also Michael's TV, his table, and more. It just might be the best episode of The Office.

https://youtu.be/x0N2ZxQJYTw?si=M0hlv51Dzp_pEqjc If you love cringe comedy, then you probably enjoyed the "Scott's Tots" episode of The Office. Personally, I love it. However, some of my friends and family say it's too cringeworthy to watch! They feel too bad for Michael. While I understand that, you can't feel bad for Michael! He brought it on himself. It's so funny watching him realize what's about to happen and how he tries to get out of it. It's one of those cool moments where we the audience know what's about to happen but the characters in the scene don't and they build it up so well. It's pure Michael.

There are so many great moments in this episode that live on today. Dwight putting the dummy's face on his like Hannibal Lector remains a popular meme online. Michael singing the wrong part of "Stayin' Alive." Even the way they treat Stanley and botch his recovery is hilarious. Yes, it's a two-parter but it's worthy of being named one of the best episodes. It just doesn't get old.

The Office was still finding its groove and developing the characters during Season 1. Michael was a bit more annoying, had a different haircut, and the rest of the crew wasn't fully formed yet. Did Kevin even have a different voice? It sounds like it. However, there were still some gems in Season 1 that let us know this show was going to be funny. The best example of that comes with "Diversity Day" in Episode 2. It really shows Michael's ignorance and how he places trying to be funny over being politically correct or appropriate in the workplace. Even once a professional comes in to train them, he still doesn't understand what he did wrong and continues doing so. We really got a look at Michael Scott here.

Was Jim and Pam's wedding the best TV wedding ever? I think so! There was Michael and Pam's mom, Kevin's feet in the ice machine, and Andy's unfortunate injury. So much happened in these episodes and it still lives on today. In a way, it's different than a lot of other episodes because there's a lot of emotion to go along with the humor. We're finally seeing the greatest will they/won't they of all-time get married! The show really delivered on the wedding episode(s) for TV's greatest couple.