Rather than just listening for alien radio signals, scientists are now looking for technosignatures—evidence of technology used by advanced extraterrestrial civilizations. These could include laser emissions, megastructures, chemical pollutants in exoplanet atmospheres, or unusual energy patterns.

Unlike biosignatures, which indicate life (like oxygen or methane), technosignatures suggest intelligent activity. For instance, a planet with excess industrial gases or synchronous light flashes might be home to a technological species.

Advanced AI now helps process data from telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope and LOFAR, scanning for irregularities that might indicate alien tech. Some researchers propose searching for waste heat—a universal byproduct of high energy use.

The challenge is filtering out false positives from natural phenomena. But our increasing ability to monitor thousands of exoplanets gives us a better chance than ever before.

If we find technosignatures, they may come from civilizations that are millennia ahead of us—or long gone. But even a distant whisper from across the stars would confirm the most profound truth: we are not alone in the universe.