9. Arecibo, Puerto Rico
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Arecibo is a sizable municipality in Puerto Rico, one of the territory’s oldest colonial towns. It is also where Jodie Foster received a message from aliens in Contact. In the film, she works on a project called SETI, or the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. In real life, the SETI Institute explores the prevalence of life in the universe.
The Arecibo Observatory houses the world’s largest radio telescope. Scientists sent out the Arecibo Message, designed to say “hello” to alien cultures, in 1974. Although visitors are welcome to tour the facility, it’s unlikely they’ll be witness to any alien “answers” to earth’s communications. The Arecibo Message won’t be received for another 25,000 years, followed by another 25,000 years of waiting before earth gets a reply.
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