Global Scans · Extraterrestrial · Weekly Summary

A global catastrophic risk is a hypothetical future event that has the potential to damage human well-being on a global scale. Some events could cripple or destroy modern civilization. Any event that could cause human extinction is known as an existential risk.

• [New] The SETI Institute will securely store the processed data in collaboration with Breakthrough Listen Open Data Archive and Filecoin, the world's largest decentralized storage network. SETI Institute
• A Bank of England official publicly urged preparation for potential confirmation of extraterrestrial life, citing risks of extreme price volatility and collapse in confidence. Polymarket
• Extraterrestrial life could include microbial life, which makes NASA's astrobiology work a potentially cleaner route than defense-linked UAP files. CryptoSlate
• At a time when space exploration is taking off in all directions, contaminating other planets could mean that we would lose the opportunity to detect extraterrestrial life. Discover Magazine
• NASA launched a citizen science program allowing volunteers to help identify potential signals in data that might indicate extraterrestrial intelligence, increasing public and scientific engagement with the search for alien life. Polymarket
• The variable star catalog from the Gaia Data Release 3 could be used to assist in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). Universe Today

Last updated: 16 August 2026