Astropulse is a volunteer computing project to search for primordial black holes, pulsars, and extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI).

Astropulse also makes contributions to the search for ET: first, project proponents believe it may identify a different type of ET signal not identified by the original SETI@Home algorithm; second, proponents believe it may create additional support for SETI by providing a second possible concrete result from the overall search project.

Since July 2008, research has focused on a series of refinements to the beta version which are then rolled out to the full universe of SETI participants.

The BOINC idea is to divide (split) large blocks of data into smaller units, each of which can be distributed to individual participating work stations.

Project proponents believe that Astropulse will either detect exploding black holes, or establish a maximum rate of 5×10−14 pc−3yr−1, a factor of 104 better than any previous survey.

[3] Any radio astronomy project confronts issues arising from interference, and the challenges are especially great when the target signals are weak or of transient duration.

A variety of techniques have been explored in the literature to develop algorithms that detect and account for radar sources that cannot be blanked in this way.

[6] Rotating radio transients (RRATs) are a type of neutron stars discovered in 2006 by a team led by Maura McLaughlin from the Jodrell Bank Observatory at the University of Manchester in the UK.

[10] Previous searches by SETI@home have looked for extraterrestrial communications in the form of narrow-band signals, analogous to our own radio stations.

Pulsars (rotating neutron stars) and quasars (dense central cores of extremely distant galaxies) were both discovered by radio astronomers.

Explaining their recent discovery of a powerful bursting radio source, NRL astronomer Dr. Joseph Lazio stated:[11] "Amazingly, even though the sky is known to be full of transient objects emitting at X- and gamma-ray wavelengths, very little has been done to look for radio bursts, which are often easier for astronomical objects to produce."

The use of coherent dedispersion algorithms and the computing power provided by the SETI network may lead to discovery of previously undiscovered phenomena.

Astropulse and its older partner, SETI@home, offer a concrete way for secondary school science teachers to involve their students with astronomy and computing.