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Astronomers have completed one of the most powerful searches yet for potential artificial radio signals from K2-18b, an exoplanet considered one of the most promising worlds in the search for extraterrestrial life.
The study, published in The Astronomical Journal, used the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) and MeerKAT radio telescope to scan the planet for possible technosignatures—measurable signs of technology that could indicate an extraterrestrial civilization.
Advanced software analyzed millions of signals, filtering out Earth-based interference and other false positives. Although researchers found no convincing evidence of artificial radio transmissions, scientists say the project demonstrated a new method that could make future searches for extraterrestrial intelligence faster and more effective.
Chenoa Tremblay, a project scientist at the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute and lead author of the study, told Newsweek: “Whether we ultimately detect a technosignature or not, developing reliable methods, understanding our detection limits, and refining our search strategies are all essential steps toward answering one of humanity’s oldest questions—are we alone?”
A Different Way to Search for Life
Tremblay stressed that the results do not rule out the possibility of technological activity on K2-18b.
“I think it’s important to first clarify what we can and cannot conclude from this study,” Tremblay told Newsweek. “We did not conclude that there are no technosignatures associated with K2-18b.”
Instead, she explained, the team found no evidence of the specific type of signal they were looking for—persistent, narrowband radio transmissions detectable within the frequency range, sensitivity limits, and observing period of their survey. Tremblay noted that many other forms of communication or technological signatures remain beyond the reach of current observations.
The researcher said one of the study’s most important contributions is showing how technosignature searches can be integrated into a broader astrobiology strategy. As instruments such as NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) identify planets with intriguing atmospheric chemistry, radio observations offer an independent means of searching for evidence of technology.
According to Tremblay, the two approaches complement one another because one looks for possible signs of biology while the other seeks indications of technology. Combining them could provide a far more complete understanding of nearby planetary systems than either could alone.
Building Better Future Searches
While the survey did not uncover evidence of alien technology, the researchers say it represents an important step forward for future investigations.
Tremblay said studies like this establish the rigorous framework on which future technosignature searches will depend. Every observation improves scientists’ ability to distinguish genuine astronomical signals from the vast amount of radio interference generated by modern technology on Earth.
Bennett added that current radio telescopes could detect only exceptionally strong transmissions, likely the equivalent of signals intentionally beamed into space. As a result, the chances of detecting such a transmission from any single planet remain “extremely low,” even if a civilization exists there, “because we’d have to be observing at just the right moment to detect the signal that they intentionally beamed,” Bennett said.
He also noted that the odds of another civilization being at a comparable technological stage to humanity are “also extremely small.” Humans have been capable of transmitting powerful radio signals into space for only a tiny fraction of Earth’s 4.5-billion-year history, making it unlikely that another nearby civilization would happen to be “at the right level of technological development to beam signals of the same type that we can now receive.”
Even so, researchers argue that developing better techniques, understanding observational limits, and refining search strategies are essential steps in addressing whether or not we are alone in the universe.
Reference
Tremblay, C. D., Chaudhary, S., Li, M. G., et al. (2026). A Narrowband Technosignature Search toward the Hycean Candidate K2-18 b Using the VLA and MeerKAT. The Astronomical Journal. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/ae448e
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