{"id":7457,"date":"2026-01-23T14:59:36","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T14:59:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alma.loadingediciones.cl\/dev\/?p=7457"},"modified":"2026-01-23T16:19:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T16:19:36","slug":"congreso-futuro-visits-alma-science-society-and-big-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alma.loadingediciones.cl\/dev\/congreso-futuro-visits-alma-science-society-and-big-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Congreso Futuro visits ALMA: science, society, and big questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#153772″ min_height=”524.4px” custom_margin=”||0px|||” custom_padding=”30px||0px|||” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”478.9px” custom_margin=”1px|auto|-5px|auto||” custom_padding=”4px||20px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_orientation=”justified” global_colors_info=”{}”]On Sunday, January 18, ALMA welcomed a delegation from Congreso Futuro<\/strong>, Chile\u2019s flagship science and ideas festival. The visit connected the public conversations held in Santiago with the frontier of astronomical research on the Chajnantor Plateau, bringing together science, society, and long-term thinking.<\/p>\n

Among the visitors were Guido Girardi<\/strong>, founder of Congreso Futuro, and Michael Garret<\/strong>, Professor at the University of Manchester, and a leading figure in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project.<\/p>\n

For Girardi, the visit embodied the spirit of Congreso Futuro: bringing people closer to where knowledge is created.<\/strong> He stressed that science must be experienced, not only discussed, and that opening world-class facilities like ALMA to broader audiences helps anchor big ideas\u2014about technology, humanity, and the future\u2014in real places and real work.<\/p>\n

Garrett, visiting ALMA for the first time after many years of collaboration with colleagues in the field, highlighted both the observatory’s uniqueness and its relevance to some of science\u2019s most profound questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cALMA is a fantastic telescope\u2014there\u2019s nothing else like it anywhere in the world,\u201d<\/em> he said.<\/p>\n

He explained that ALMA\u2019s extreme sensitivity at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths opens an almost unexplored window for SETI research.<\/strong> Together with a PhD student, Garrett recently published the first study using ALMA archival data to search for artificial signals, a first step toward technosignature studies at these frequencies.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo far, almost everything can be explained by astrophysics,\u201d<\/em> he noted. \u201cBut one day we may find something that no longer fits\u2014and that\u2019s when things get really interesting.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Beyond the technical aspects, Garrett emphasized the societal dimension of the search for life beyond Earth, describing it as one of the fundamental questions science owes the public.<\/p>\n

The visit was hosted by the ALMA Director, Sean Dougherty<\/strong>, who welcomed the delegation to the array and its high-altitude operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cALMA is pushing the boundaries of human understanding of the universe every day. With the Congreso Futuro visit, we can showcase how frontier science and society can meet\u2014linking curiosity, innovation, and discovery.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Set against the dramatic Andes landscape, the Congreso Futuro visit underscored ALMA\u2019s role not only as a premier scientific facility, but also as a powerful bridge between cutting-edge research and the wider society it ultimately serves.<\/strong>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”7463,7464,7465,7466″ posts_number=”5″ _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n

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On Sunday, January 18, ALMA welcomed a delegation from Congreso Futuro, Chile\u2019s flagship science and ideas festival. The visit connected the public conversations held in Santiago with the frontier of astronomical research on the Chajnantor Plateau, bringing together science, society, and long-term thinking. Among the visitors were Guido Girardi, founder of Congreso Futuro, and Michael […]<\/p>\n

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