ScienceJuly 17, 2026

technosignature

/ˌtɛknoʊˈsɪɡnətʃər/

Definition

Any measurable property or effect that provides scientific evidence of past or present extraterrestrial technology.

Etymology

The word is a hybrid construction combining the Greek 'technē' (art, craft, or skill) with the Latin 'signatura' (a sign or mark). It emerged in the 21st century within the SETI community to distinguish artificial signals from naturally occurring biological signatures.

In the news

While not explicitly defined in the provided conference announcement, the term appears in the site's category list to describe the search for intelligent life through artificial signals. It represents a key focus area of modern astrobiological research often discussed at events like AbSciCon.

New Deadline For NASA Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) Announcement for Partnership Proposals (AFPP)

Read the full article ↗

Astrobiology Web

Related words

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.

Not for marketing. One email on launch day.