Beginning of Essay
As astronomers peer ever deeper into outer space and extend their telescopes to encompass even more of the universe, as geneticists unravel the mysteries of our genes and biologists uncover more about the origins and of life, scientists are answering questions tha ....

Middle of Essay
.... suicide, however her obsession runs deep. With her father, she shared the excitement of picking up distant radio stations on a ham radio outfit. He died while she was still young, and she became convinced that someday she could contact him. This obsession is complicated by the fact that she does not believe in God. In Puerto Rico, she meets Palmer, a young man who does believe in God. They have a brief but important love affair, and then when Drumlin pulls the plug on her research, she leaves for New Mexico and an alternate SETI site. Ellie’s research project has all but ended when there is a sudden breakthrough, intelligent signals ....