This silicon integrated circuit was used in a special purpose supercomputer that searched for evidence of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. The computer was connected to a radio receiver that scaned the electromagnetic spectrum rapidly. The chip processed the received signals to search for patterns that might stand out amidst the background noise.
The NASA Ames Research Center, in Mountain View, California, developed this chip in cooperation weith the SETI Institute.
Gift of the SETI Institute and Silicon Engines, Inc.
Display Status
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
EQUIPMENT-Electronics
Designer
Stanford University
Dimensions
3-D: 3.8 × 0.5 × 3.8cm (1 1/2 × 3/16 × 1 1/2 in.)
Materials
Synthetic
Copper Alloy
Coating
Inventory Number
A19940239000
Credit Line
Gift of the SETI Institute and Silicon Engines, Inc.
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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