Podcasts about seti institute

The Sun is restless again! A massive coronal hole has opened up, sending streams of solar wind racing toward Earth. These high-speed particles not only light up our skies with dazzling auroras but can also affect satellites, power grids, and communications. In this special SETI Live, heliophysicist Dr. Becca Robinson (SETI Institute) joins host Simon Steel (Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute) to explain what coronal holes are, how they form, and what their impacts mean for both our technology and our understanding of the Sun. Join us on October 7 at 2:30 pm PT for a deep dive into the science of solar storms, space weather, and the mysteries of our nearest star. Aurora videos courtesy of Vincent Ledvina, The Aurora Guy, https://theauroraguy.com/  Participate in citizen science at https://aurorasaurus.org/  Learn more about the MUSE mission: https://muse.lmsal.com/ (Recorded live 7 October 2025.)

Paul Jarley: It's Space Week at UCF and I'm like a kid in a candy store. So many questions. For one, everyone's talking about going to Mars, but why? What problem are we solving? What does Mars offer that other planets or the moons don't? And if the answer is survival or curiosity, does that really require an economy, people trading air, power and data in some kind of cosmic barter system? Or is Mars just a science project? Let's be real. Most moms or dads did their kids science projects. Nobody ever monetized anything from any of them. This show is all about separating hype from fundamental change. I'm Paul Jarley, Dean of the College of Business here at UCF. I've got lots of questions. To get answers, I'm talking to people with interesting insights into the future of business. Have you ever wondered, Is This Really a Thing? On to our show. In the past few years, the College has been undergoing a transformation. We've been asked to build a Business School that's a key asset to Florida's leading engineering and technology university. That's meant bringing in people who are a little different from our typical pragmatic, data-driven faculty. The ones who teach students to manage people and PNLs. A few of these new faces can fairly be called dreamers. One of them is Zaheer Ali. He, along with Greg Autry is leading our space commercialization efforts, including our space MBA. It's not a nickname, it's a space MBA. As we were setting up for Space Week, Z claimed that a Martian economy would really be a thing. Well, he said something like that. I gave him a skeptical look, he countered with a panel of experts. Listen in. Zaheer Ali: Well, thank you Dean Jarley. I like to say that, you know, in our business, we turn sci-fi into sci-reality. And one of the people who helps make sci-fi and is now helping make science reality is Danica Vallone of the Making Space Agency. Her path to space is very interesting coming from Hollywood of things like costumes and sets of such high fidelity and accuracy that the space industry said we need some of that. In my time at NASA, one of the things we did was we always built very high fidelity simulators and simulation systems to prepare people and equipment for the challenges of the space environment. So welcome Danica. Danica Vallone: Thank you very much. Zaheer Ali: We also have Dr. Pascal Lee of the Mars Institute, of the SETI Institute, one of the leading planetary scientists in the US and indeed the world Co-Chair of the National Space Society Space Settlement Summit and International Space Development Conference. Welcome, sir. Paul Jarley: So I'm going to start this conversation by asking the same question I ask anybody who pitches me an idea, what problem does this solve? If you're going to Mars and establishing an economy, what problem does that solve? Danica Vallone: Mars expert over here should probably have first crack. Pascal Lee: This is an interesting way to frame the question. I'm not interested in space exploration to solve a problem. I'm interested in drawn to space exploration and Mars exploration in particular because as a scientist, I'm interested in this quest for life. We often say we're looking for life on Mars. What we fail to specify is that we're looking for the first example of an alien form of life. And we're not talking about little green men or some intelligent form of life. We know that Mars hasn't had that in its history, but we're looking for another example of life. A different biology from ours. All life on earth is connected and going to Mars would solve possibly that problem, which is how alone are we? Is there some other form of life even within our own solar system? That would solve the problem in the sense of giving us a fuller perspective of what we mean here on Earth. What are we as a phenomenon in the universe? Are we something really exceptional? Are we common? So that's the scientific quest that I think would be solved by g...

Welcome back to Tinfoil Tales! On this episode I am joined by my guest, John Gertz. John was once the director of SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) and was one of the leading people in the science community trying to discover life outside of our planet.As public interest in UFOs (or UAPs) surges, from NASA reports to Congressional hearings, the phenomena is at a boiling point. As board chair of the SETI Institute, Gertz is uniquely positioned to cut through the noise. With his forthcoming book Reinventing SETI: New Directions in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (Oxford University Press; August 2025), Gertz is challenging the scientific establishment and confronting the pop culture mythmaking that's clouding our view of what real contact could, and should, look like. It might not be what we think.https://www.amazon.com/Reinventing-SETI-Directions-Extraterrestrial-Intelligence/dp/0197800416/ref=sr_1_1?crid=MJCP0ALNUVWO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.91i9WAfLHWqO4VgrLtbFd5qEgxwIX0TMLf8g2vyVZHWlR6wOlndw_-iisJ-osrtN5zZUEoZV-e5SXW2_LlAFy-i5HHgRuJRb58CQLDW0o0mHDaA4LEmwyfI2gcHSGpDx55FwmvDWMsaf9CAWkggPPSUoC7ziNP-AdUgxr7iC-DqGCJkM9d9NZEnK8bKd3yjFjQ2jhtswfjX1oMwoOy4wkDKGCBplDVaBKKjql-Pwejk.5WWwdt5u9Ljctx3t_VB-IjkZmjPvqqNTGEDNVnsKpn8&dib_tag=se&keywords=john+gertz&qid=1749069150&sprefix=john+gertz%2Caps%2C92&sr=8-1Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tinfoil-tales--6147818/support.Tinfoil Tales Podcast - Show Notes 

Welcome back to The 'X' Zone Radio Show, broadcasting from our studios in St. Catharines, Ontario, on the 'X' Zone Broadcast Network and our affiliated partners across North America and around the world. I'm your host, Rob McConnell. Joining me now for our second hour tonight is a man who has spent decades scanning the skies and listening to the stars for signs that we're not alone—Dr. Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI Institute. Seth is not only a leading figure in the scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence but also a prolific speaker, writer, and host of the long-running podcast Big Picture Science. With a background in radio astronomy, Seth has become one of the most recognizable and respected voices in the field of astrobiology. His mission? To find the evidence—hard data—that intelligent life exists beyond Earth. And tonight, we'll explore that quest with him in depth. Seth's official website is www.sethshostak.com, and tonight, he's here to discuss SETI, alien life, technology, and whether that signal from the stars might be closer than we think. Seth, welcome to The 'X' Zone!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-x-zone-radio-tv-show--1078348/support.Please note that all XZBN radio and/or television shows are Copyright © REL-MAR McConnell Meda Company, Niagara, Ontario, Canada – www.rel-mar.com. For more Episodes of this show and all shows produced, broadcasted and syndicated from REL-MAR McConell Media Company and The 'X' Zone Broadcast Network and the 'X' Zone TV Channell, visit www.xzbn.net. For programming, distribution, and syndication inquiries, email programming@xzbn.net.We are proud to announce the we have launched TWATNews.com, launched in August 2025.TWATNews.com is an independent online news platform dedicated to uncovering the truth about Donald Trump and his ongoing influence in politics, business, and society. Unlike mainstream outlets that often sanitize, soften, or ignore stories that challenge Trump and his allies, TWATNews digs deeper to deliver hard-hitting articles, investigative features, and sharp commentary that mainstream media won't touch.These are stories and articles that you will not read anywhere else.Our mission is simple: to expose corruption, lies, and authoritarian tendencies while giving voice to the perspectives and evidence that are often marginalized or buried by corporate-controlled media

Long before Orson Welles provoked a panic with his 1938 radio broadcast of a Martian invasion in War of the Worlds, we were fascinated with the possibility of life on the Red Planet. We may be a step closer to finding it after the Perseverance rover turned up tantalizing evidence of possible ancient life in the form of mineral deposits in a Martian rock. But to be sure, we need to test that rock sample in a lab here on Earth, and the NASA Mars Sample Return Mission has been suspended. Still, our passion for our favorite inhabited world has not diminished. From the latest possible biosignature, to the supposed canals on Mars, to how the early 20th century Martian craze influenced vaudeville, we consider the many ways we are Mad About Mars. Guests: Janice Bishop – Senior research scientist at the SETI Institute. Adam Frank – Astrophysicist at the University of Rochester David Baron – Author of “The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze that Captured Turn of the Century America” Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Long before Orson Welles provoked a panic with his 1938 radio broadcast of a Martian invasion in War of the Worlds, we were fascinated with the possibility of life on the Red Planet. We may be a step closer to finding it after the Perseverance rover turned up tantalizing evidence of possible ancient life in the form of mineral deposits in a Martian rock. But to be sure, we need to test that rock sample in a lab here on Earth, and the NASA Mars Sample Return Mission has been suspended. Still, our passion for our favorite inhabited world has not diminished. From the latest possible biosignature, to the supposed canals on Mars, to how the early 20th century Martian craze influenced vaudeville, we consider the many ways we are Mad About Mars. Guests: Janice Bishop – Senior research scientist at the SETI Institute. Adam Frank – Astrophysicist at the University of Rochester David Baron – Author of “The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze that Captured Turn of the Century America” Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Aneeq ur Rehman and Dr Tariq Bajwa for Wednesday's show where we will be discussing : « Muslim Leadership » and « Space Week ». Muslim Leadership From the wars in the Middle East to growing sectarian divides, the influence of Muslim leaders is shaping the lives of millions today. In this episode, we will explore leadership across the Muslim world, examining prophetic examples of justice and compassion alongside modern realities of politics, power, and fragmentation. We ask: what makes a true leader, and how can Muslims move from division towards unity? Space Week Can humanity live beyond earth? Join us today for world space week as we discuss the possibility of humanity living beyond earth, NASA's new discoveries. We also will learn what the Holy Quran says about life beyond earth and if it is likely. Guests : Atta ul Wahab (serves as the Imam of Baitun-Nur Mosque in Calgary). Dr Frank Marchis (Senior Planetary Astronomer at the SETI Institute and Chief Scientific Officer at Unistellar.) Dr Kasting James Producers : Rubina Sheraz and Bareera Iftkhar

Mary Williams introduces us to the Spotted Lanternfly, an insect pest that attacks a wide range of tree and shrub species. The invasive pest was first seen in Pennsylvania in 2014, but is now spreading south and west, including Kentucky and Indiana. Then, we hear a portion of the 'Big Picture Science' podcast of Sept. 8, 2025 about researchers trying to decipher language in sperm whales. The episode ends with J. Scott Miller telling us what planets, stars, constellations and meteor showers we can see in the month of October. Thanks to the SETI Institute for permission to rebroadcast their podcast 'Big Picture Science'. Here is the full podcast: https://radio.seti.org/episodes/animal-alphabets. ‘Bench Talk: The Week in Science' is a weekly program that airs on WFMP Louisville FORward Radio 106.5 FM (forwardradio.org) every Monday at 7:30 pm, Tuesday at 11:30 am, and Wednesday at 7:30 am. Visit our Facebook page for links to the articles discussed in this episode: https://www.facebook.com/BenchTalkRadio

Host Dave Schlom is joined by two guests from the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, for a fun and thought-provoking program. Simon Steel, Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center for Research, joins us for an inside look at the Institute's role as a science advisor for the Disney/Pixar film Elio.

Join us for a special livestream featuring Dr. Abel Méndez from the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, hosted by SETI Institute researcher Dr. Lauren Sgro. They will discuss the latest on LaserSETI, the all-sky project searching for optical technosignatures, including exciting updates from the new installation in Puerto Rico. This special “LaserSETI Live” will also dive into Méndez's new study on the legendary Wow! Signal, in which he and his team revisit one of the most intriguing mysteries in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence with fresh analysis and new insights. This event connects Puerto Rico's rich legacy in radio astronomy with today's cutting-edge search for signals of life beyond Earth, so don't miss this livestream! (Recorded live 30 August 2025.)

Join us for a 30-minute livestream with Simon Steel, Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center for Research at the SETI Institute, and Dr. Sanne Bloot, lead author of a recent study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics. They will discuss one of the universe's most puzzling new discoveries: a white dwarf that emits highly polarized radio pulses in a strange, patterned rhythm. (Recorded live 28 August 2025.)

Join communications specialist Beth Johnson for a conversation with Dr. Anastasia Yanchilina, Frank Drake Postdoctoral Fellow at the SETI Institute, as we explore how life might emerge and/or be mistaken for in environments beyond Earth. Dr. Yanchilla studies abiotic mineral structures, or “chemical gardens,” that resemble biological life but form entirely through non-living processes. By recreating these systems under conditions similar to hydrothermal vents on ocean worlds such as Enceladus and Mars, she investigates how to distinguish between life and non-life, and what this means for the origin of life on Earth. We'll discuss how minerals, organics, and even UV light interact in these experiments, and how this research helps us refine the search for biosignatures across the solar system. (Recorded live 21 August 2025.)

Join Dr. Franck Marchis, Director of Citizen Science at the SETI Institute, Chief Science Officer and co-founder of Unistellar, and co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of SkyMapper, and Dr. Lauren Sgro, Outreach Manager at the SETI Institute, for a conversation on citizen science with the Unistellar network in partnership with the SETI Institute. We will talk about amateur astronomer observations of Comet 3I/ATLAS, a disintegrating exoplanet, asteroid (762) Pulcova, and the satellite Tanager. We will also answer your questions about our program from the Unistellar community page and discuss recent highlights. (Recorded live 14 August 2025.)

Join us for a 30-minute live conversation with astronomer Dr. Rosemary E. Pike, lead author of a groundbreaking new study that reveals the discovery of a rare and distant object orbiting in resonance with Neptune. Hosted by Beth Johnson of the SETI Institute, this stream will explore the science behind this unusual trans-Neptunian object, what it tells us about the early solar system, and why its orbital alignment is so surprising. (Recorded live 7 August 2025.)

Comets are cosmic time capsules, but some carry stories from far beyond our Solar System. Join us for a live discussion on Comet 3I/ATLAS, the third known interstellar object to visit our cosmic neighborhood. Host Simon Steel, Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute, will be joined by a panel of experts to explore what makes this comet unique, how scientists are studying it, and what its presence means for our understanding of planetary systems beyond our own. Guests include: Dr. James Davenport, Research Assistant Professor at the University of Washington, will provide context for Comet 3I/ATLAS by comparing it to previous interstellar visitors like ‘Oumuamua and Borisov. Dr. Wael Farah, SETI Chair and Project Scientist for the Allen Telescope Array, offers insight into how radio telescopes are aiding the search for interstellar interlopers. Dr. Ariel Graykowski, Postdoctoral Fellow at the SETI Institute, who studies comets and small Solar System bodies and works with the Unistellar citizen science network on observations. Don't miss this chance to learn how astronomers are racing to study this rare visitor before it slips back into the void. (Recorded live 11 July 2025.)

Ethereal Encounters Unveiled welcomes John Gertz August 21st, 2025 Topic: Reinventing SETI: New Directions In The Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence About John: John Gertz has been a driving force in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) for more than 25 years. A recognized leader in the field, he served three terms as chairman of the board of the SETI Institute. Gertz has also contributed to the academic foundation of SETI through multiple peer-reviewed theoretical papers. Gertz founded a pioneering organization dedicated to raising $100 million for global SETI efforts, where he served as President alongside Vice President Frank Drake. The board included some of the most distinguished names in science, including Nobel Laureates George Smoot and Charles Townes, and MacArthur Fellow Sara Seager. When Yuri Milner launched the $100 million Breakthrough Listen initiative, Gertz's leadership and vision were recognized with his appointment as the sole layman on its advisory board. Beyond his work in extraterrestrial research, John Gertz is President and CEO of Zorro Productions, Inc., where he has overseen numerous global adaptations of the iconic character, including The Mask of Zorro, Zorro: The Musical, 12 TV series, and over 75 stage productions. He has collaborated with major talents such as Steven Spielberg, Isabel Allende, The Gipsy Kings, and Quentin Tarantino, with Django/Zorro currently in development as a feature film with SONY. https://johngertz.com

Are we alone in the universe? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Matt Kirshen sit down with one of the founders of the SETI Institute, Jill Tarter, to explore the search for intelligent life beyond Earth, technosignatures, The Drake Equation, and more.NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free.Thanks to our Patrons Bryan Boleyn, Lisa, TheTrustyTrading Post, Kasharn George, Jon Warninger, Gatorcat, Ann, Drisco Leyva, Jorge Estelles, Wayne Holt, tati, Only Zuul, Doug Macuit, Larry Spencer, SANDMAN1974, Jason Lingle, Rob Christian, Pete Hall, Rick Henderson, Dave, Adam Hershman, Eric Clement, Dalmir da Silva, Derek Graham, dynsul, Mateusz Ratajczak, Gary Jaklevich, Bryant, buddyp, Micheal Genn, Stephen Macknik, Rodrigo Torres, Kat Genrich, Martin Le Blanc, Matthew Jury, Frank Gallagher, Jo S, Erik Ritter, Hamish Dunn, Jesse, Terry Remsik, Lynn Newton, Hunter Greeson, Eva, Adam Krebsbach, Scott Alderman, Poppy Docherty, Diamond Bro, and Nicholas Volpi for supporting us this week. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of StarTalk Radio ad-free and a whole week early.Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Telescopes are like light buckets. The bigger the telescope, the more light collected for astronomers to observe. With recent advances in technology, amateur astronomers can join professionals for a chance to observe stellar nurseries and exoplanets many light-years away. But as our capabilities increase, so do the mysteries, including those around high-energy bursts coming from an otherwise unremarkable part of the universe. Understanding fast radio bursts could turn physics on its head. From the Vera Rubin Telescope in Chile to the backyard instruments of amateur astronomers, we share what new things we might learn about stars, the Earth, exoplanets, and the potential for life on other worlds. Guests: Clare Higgs – Astronomer working with the public outreach team for the Vera Rubin Observatory Franck Marchis – Senior astronomer and director of citizen science at the SETI Institute, chief science officer and co-founder of Unistellar Amanda Cook – Postdoctoral fellow at McGill University and member of the CHIME/FRB Collaboration Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Telescopes are like light buckets. The bigger the telescope, the more light collected for astronomers to observe. With recent advances in technology, amateur astronomers can join professionals for a chance to observe stellar nurseries and exoplanets many light-years away. But as our capabilities increase, so do the mysteries, including those around high-energy bursts coming from an otherwise unremarkable part of the universe. Understanding fast radio bursts could turn physics on its head. From the Vera Rubin Telescope in Chile to the backyard instruments of amateur astronomers, we share what new things we might learn about stars, the Earth, exoplanets, and the potential for life on other worlds. Guests: Clare Higgs – Astronomer working with the public outreach team for the Vera Rubin Observatory Franck Marchis – Senior astronomer and director of citizen science at the SETI Institute, chief science officer and co-founder of Unistellar Amanda Cook – Postdoctoral fellow at McGill University and member of the CHIME/FRB Collaboration Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We welcome John Gertz to the podcast. John is the former President of the Foundation for Investing in Research on SETI Science and Technology and former Chairman of the Board of the SETI Institute. We discuss his new book, Reinventing SETI: New Directions in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. We discuss the outdated SETI paradigms such as Fermi's Paradox, the Drake Equation, and METI, as John argues that scientists should approach the pursuit of extraterrestrials in a more effective manner. We also discuss what happens when we finally make contact on a global level and so much more.Buy the book here: https://a.co/d/4sdOH2RPlease take a moment to rate and review us on Spotify and Apple.Book Ryan on CAMEO at: https://bit.ly/3kwz3DOPatreon: http://www.patreon.com/somewhereskiesByMeACoffee: http://www.buymeacoffee.com/UFxzyzHOaQPayPal: Sprague51@hotmail.comDiscord: https://discord.gg/NTkmuwyB4FBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ryansprague.bsky.socialTwitter: https://twitter.com/SomewhereSkiesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/somewhereskiespod/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryansprague51Order Ryan's new book: https://a.co/d/4KNQnM4Order Ryan's older book: https://amzn.to/3PmydYCStore: http://tee.pub/lic/ULZAy7IY12URead Ryan's articles at: https://medium.com/@ryan-sprague51Opening Theme Song by SeptembryoCopyright © 2025 Ryan Sprague. All rights reservedSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/somewhere-in-the-skies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to The 'X' Zone Radio Show, broadcasting from our studios in St. Catharines, Ontario, on the 'X' Zone Broadcast Network and our affiliated partners across North America and around the world. I'm your host, Rob McConnell. Joining me now for our second hour tonight is a man who has spent decades scanning the skies and listening to the stars for signs that we're not alone—Dr. Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI Institute. Seth is not only a leading figure in the scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence but also a prolific speaker, writer, and host of the long-running podcast Big Picture Science. With a background in radio astronomy, Seth has become one of the most recognizable and respected voices in the field of astrobiology. His mission? To find the evidence—hard data—that intelligent life exists beyond Earth. And tonight, we'll explore that quest with him in depth. Seth's official website is www.sethshostak.com, and tonight, he's here to discuss SETI, alien life, technology, and whether that signal from the stars might be closer than we think. Seth, welcome to The 'X' Zone!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-x-zone-radio-tv-show--1078348/support.

Whales are aliens on Earth; intelligent beings who have skills for complex problem-solving and their own language. Now in what's being called a breakthrough, scientists have carried on an extended conversation with a humpback whale. They share the story of this remarkable encounter, their evidence that the creature understood them, and how the experiment informs our Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. After all, what good is it to make contact with ET if we can't communicate? Guests: Brenda McCowan – Research behaviorist at the University of California Davis in the School of Veterinary Medicine who studies the ecological aspects of animal behavior and communication.  Fred Sharpe – Whale biologist with the Templeton WhaleSETI Team and field ecologist with Olympic Peninsula Prairies. Laurance Doyle – Astrophysicist and information theory researcher at the SETI Institute.  Descripción en español. Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake Originally aired February 12, 2024 You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whales are aliens on Earth; intelligent beings who have skills for complex problem-solving and their own language. Now in what's being called a breakthrough, scientists have carried on an extended conversation with a humpback whale. They share the story of this remarkable encounter, their evidence that the creature understood them, and how the experiment informs our Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. After all, what good is it to make contact with ET if we can't communicate? Guests: Brenda McCowan – Research behaviorist at the University of California Davis in the School of Veterinary Medicine who studies the ecological aspects of animal behavior and communication.  Fred Sharpe – Whale biologist with the Templeton WhaleSETI Team and field ecologist with Olympic Peninsula Prairies. Laurance Doyle – Astrophysicist and information theory researcher at the SETI Institute.  Descripción en español. Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake Originally aired February 12, 2024 You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Some people might call Jonathon Keats an artist, but he calls himself an experimental philosopher. His body of work explores the way that human life intersects with political and economic systems. His first major work, in the year 2000, involved sitting in a chair thinking for hours, and then selling his thoughts to patrons at prices calculated on the basis of their income. He once copyrighted his own mind as a sculpture. He created a ringtone based on John Cage's famous piece, 4'33”, which is four minutes and thirty-three seconds of complete silence. He built a pinhole camera that takes photographic exposures lasting 100 years. In Berkeley, California, he built a temple for the worship of science. Recently, he has been involved in efforts to formalize rights of nature. Jonathon challenges us to look carefully at the assumptions built into our markets, our democracies and our technologies, and constantly seems to do it in ways that seem abstract at the time, but end up prefiguring political or cultural issues years or decades before they erupt. He's a wonderful guide to this territory, and to the big questions it involves. In this conversation Matt and Jonathon discuss the philosophy of timekeeping. They consider the connectedness and the alienation of being on universal atomic time, the promise of alternative systems such as the river clock, and how different notions of timekeeping influence our understanding of democracy and nature.Jonathon Keats is an experimental philosopher, artist and writer. He is currently a fellow at the Berggruen Institute, a research fellow at the Long Now Foundation, a research associate at the University of Arizona, principal philosopher at Earth Law Center and an artist-in-residence at Hyundai, the SETI Institute and Flux Projects. His most recent book is “You Belong to the Universe: Buckminster Fuller and the Future” (Oxford University Press).Mentioned:Alaska RiverTimeIf you have feedback or ideas for future episodes, email us at info@radicalxchange.org.Host: Matt PrewittGuest: Jonathan KeatsProducer: Jack Henderson Connect with RadicalxChange Foundation:WebsiteXBlueSkyYouTubeLinkedInDiscord

Join Dr. Franck Marchis, Chief Science Officer and co-founder at Unistellar and director of Citizen Science at SETI Institute, and Dr. Lauren Sgro, Outreach Manager at the SETI Institute, for a conversation on citizen science with the Unistellar network in partnership with the SETI Institute. We will give an update on T CrB, share our new Satellites mode, discuss an exoplanet candidate campaign to confirm a planet, and look ahead to an occultation of asteroid 319 Leona. We will also answer your questions about our program from the Unistellar community page and discuss recent highlights. (Recorded live 17 April 2025.)

From February 3, 2021. A radio-loud magnetar first observed in March 2020 suffered an apparent identity crisis, behaving like a pulsar until gradually settling into magnetar-like emissions in July. Plus, Mars' moon Phobos, Jupiter's moon Ganymede, and an interview with SETI Institute scientist Veselin Kostov about last week's sextuple star system.   We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org.

In a recent study, Dr. Janice Bishop of the SETI Institute, along with postdoctoral researcher Adomas Valantinas from Brown University, propose that Mars' characteristic red hue is primarily due to ferrihydrite—a water-rich iron oxide mineral—rather than the previously assumed hematite. Analyses of data collected by Martian orbiters, rovers, and laboratory experiments showed that ferrihydrite closely matches the composition of the dust covering Mars' surface. Ferrihydrite typically forms in environments abundant in cool water, suggesting Mars once had significant liquid water on its surface. The research implies that Mars transitioned from a wet to a dry environment billions of years ago. Confirming these findings would require returning samples from Mars to Earth for comprehensive analysis. Join planetary scientist Beth Johnson for a chat with Dr. Bishop about the evidence for ferrihydrite and what it could have meant for life on Mars. (Recorded live 3 April 2025.)

Today we have planetary scientist Dr. Pascal Lee and STEM-Talk host Dr. Ken Ford in a wide-ranging conversation about NASA's ambitions to return humans to the Moon as a stepping stone to sending astronauts to Mars. Pascal is making his third appearance on STEM-Talk. Much of his research focuses on asteroids, impact craters, and the future human exploration of Mars. Pascal and Ken have a lively discussion about the growing momentum for space exploration. Pascal is a researcher at the SETI Institute, a not-for-profit NASA program focused on searching for extraterrestrial intelligence in an effort to understand and explain the origin and nature of life in the universe. He also is the co-founder and chairman of the Mars Institute, and director of the Haughton-Mars Project at NASA Ames Research Center. Last year, Pascal received significant news coverage for his discovery of a giant volcano along with a possible sheet of buried glacier ice in the eastern part of Mars' Tharsis volcanic province. This was the first geological find of this magnitude since the other major volcanos on Mars were discovered back in the 1970s. Show notes: [00:03:06] Ken welcomes Pascal back to STEM-Talk and starts our interview by mentioning the developments in space exploration over the past few years, including civilian space missions, NASA's Artemis program which aims to send humans back to the moon, and commitments to a manned mission to Mars. Given Pascal's career in advancement of space exploration, Ken asks if Pascal is excited by these recent developments. [00:04:43] Ken explains that for a couple of decades Pascal has spent his summers visiting Devon Island in the Canadian arctic archipelago, which is the largest uninhabited land on Earth. When Pascal was last on STEM-Talk, his annual trip to Devon Island was cancelled due to COVID-19. Devon Island has unique geological characteristics that are in some ways similar to those on Mars. Since 2001, Devon Isalnd has been the home of the Haughton Mars Project (HMP). Ken asks Pascal to talk about the advances in this project since his last appearance on STEM-Talk. [00:07:59] Ken mentions that while much conversation has been centered on a human trip to Mars, a mission to return humans to the Moon and establish a permanent base is a more immediately feasible goal in the short term. Ken asks Pascal to talk about the importance and significance of such a mission. [00:12:06] On the topic of a Moon base, Ken explains that NASA's Artemis project aims to send humans to the south pole of the Moon. Pascal has written a paper on that topic titled “An Off-Polar Site Option for the NASA Artemis Space Camp.” Ken asks Pascal what he sees as the primary weakness in the south pole location. [00:20:25] Ken agrees with Pascal's perspective on sending humans to the lunar south pole, and the two discuss the problems with focusing human space exploration on romantic ideas such as “living off the land.” [00:22:24] Ken follows up on the previous questions by mentioning that in Pascal's aforementioned paper, he suggests setting up a lunar base at the floor of the Clavius crater. Ken asks Pascal to talk about Clavius and why it is a potentially good permanent location for a moon base. [00:27:56] Ken asks Pascal how confident he and the community at large is in the Sophia finding of water. [00:29:00] Ken notes that contemporary interest in human space exploration appears tied to current geopolitical issues, much like the first space race between the US and USSR. Today, interest in space travel is closely linked with relations between the US and China. Ken asks Pascal to discuss this and how he believes the US should view this current situation. [00:35:43] Ken asks Pascal what he knows about the China's current plans for a lunar mission. [00:34:36] Ken talks about a meeting at IHMC that addressed power-beaming to the lunar surface. [00:39:01] Ken notes that there is a lot of talk the...

Exploring Life Beyond Earth and the Role of Inclusive Governance with Bill Diamond Secure World Foundation is pleased to announce the release of the fourth episode of ESG in Space, a podcast series in collaboration with Exponential Academy, hosted by Nishan Degnarain and Miki Sode. This episode features a wide-ranging conversation with Bill Diamond, President and CEO of the SETI Institute. In this episode, Bill shares his perspective on the evolving space economy, the importance of scientific research in astrobiology, and how space-based platforms support our understanding of life on Earth. He also addresses the need for inclusive governance frameworks in space exploration—highlighting lessons from Earth-based examples like Antarctica and emphasizing the importance of engaging underrepresented voices in the future of space policy. Listen to ESG in Space Episode 4 here or on our YouTube Channel for an exploration of how science, sustainability, and equity intersect in our journey beyond Earth. Recorded December 18, 2024

The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Kovi laughed as Benjamin's mind was blown when hearing this knowledge nugget from this week's guest, researcher for the SETI Institute, Dr. Chenoa Tremblay. Who, you asked? Let's put it this way - if there are alien civilizations out there, Chenoa is the person who's going to find it. Seriously. Name a radio telescope - chances are she's used it to look for life, or signs of life, out there in the cosmos. Join us as we discuss biosignatures, technosignatures, and strong opinions on pizza.

We take you inside the Mars Innovation Workshop, hosted at the SETI Institute’s headquarters and produced by Explore Mars. Planetary Society Senior Communications Advisor Mat Kaplan shares highlights from the event, exploring how cross-disciplinary collaboration is shaping the future of Mars exploration and creating solutions for challenges here on Earth. Meanwhile, major changes are happening at NASA. In a move that has raised concerns in the space community, NASA leadership has dissolved key advisory offices, including the Office of the Chief Scientist and the Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy. Jack Kiraly, our director of government relations, explains what these cuts mean for the agency’s future and why space advocates should be paying attention. Then Bruce Betts shares his favorite Mars innovations and a new Random Space Fact, in this week’s What’s Up! Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-mars-innovation-workshopSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NASA's Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere, or PUNCH mission, is a constellation of four small satellites in low Earth orbit that will make global, 3D observations of the Sun's corona to better understand how the mass and energy there become the solar wind that fills the solar system. Imaging the Sun's corona and the solar wind together will help scientists better understand the entire inner heliosphere—the Sun, solar wind, and Earth—as a single connected system. Solar wind and energetic solar events like flares and coronal mass ejections can create space weather effects throughout the solar system. These phenomena can significantly impact human society and technology, sparking and intensifying auroras, interfering with satellites, and triggering power outages. The measurements from PUNCH will provide scientists with new information about how these potentially disruptive events form and evolve. This could lead to more accurate predictions about the arrival of space weather events at Earth and the impact on humanity's robotic explorers in space. The launch of PUNCH and the SPHEREx mission is scheduled for no earlier than 27 February 2025 from Vandenberg SFB. Simon Steel, Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center, and MUSE Outreach Lead Rebecca Robinson will attend the launch and return to the SETI Institute for a chat about the mission, its scientific goals, and its relevance to understanding life on Earth. (Recorded live 6 March 2025. PUNCH launched on 11 March.)

 Mar. 5, 2025 Dr. Simon Steel (SETI Institute)Dr. Steel discusses the Copernican revolution and how it changed humanity's view of its place in the universe. He then talked about other "Copernican" discoveries that displaced us from a central perch, including the revision of our place in the Galaxy, the discovery of other galaxies, and now our finding a remarkable number of planets (including Earth-like planets) orbiting other stars.  He explains how such discoveries give context for, and have prepared us for, the next potential Copernican revolution, the discover of intelligent life elsewhere in the cosmos. He concludes by describing some of the most exciting experiments now underway to find evidence of such life among the nearest stars and busiest galaxies.  Dr. Steel is  Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center for Research at the SETI Institute.

During his time as an Artist in Residence (AIR) at the SETI Institute, visual artist, psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst Martin Wilner invited prominent SETI Institute scientists to participate in his ongoing project, The Case Histories. Interested in exploring how scientists relate to the possibility of encountering an alien life form, Wilner invited researchers such as Jill Tarter, Seth Shostak, and Franck Marchis to send him daily messages and share thoughts of interest. These messages, filtered through the prism of psychoanalytical principles, were then transformed into drawings and visualized as daily elements of a calendar. More recently, Wilner has expanded his conversations into the realm of AI, an “alien” intelligence that is already in our midst. In this conversation, hosted by SETI AIR Director Bettina Forget, discover how Wilner weaves connections between the human mind, machine learning, consciousness, and our ideas about extraterrestrial life. (Recorded live 27 February 2025.)

Join Dr. Franck Marchis, Chief Science Officer and co-founder at Unistellar and director of Citizen Science at SETI Institute, and Dr. Lauren Sgro, Outreach Manager at the SETI Institute, for a conversation on citizen science with the Unistellar network in partnership with the SETI Institute. We review the 2024 citizen science accomplishments and discuss the 2025 campaigns so far. We will answer your questions about our program from the Unistellar community page and discuss some recent highlights. (Recorded 6 February 2025.)

Send us a textAre we alone in the Universe.  Are aliens or extraterrestrial beings already here on earth, or are they watching us from afar with technologically advanced probes? It has been decades since the search for aliens began in earnest with SETI, the Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence.  So why haven't we made contact?  What is the Fermi paradox and the Drake Equation and what do they tell us about he existence of ET? Why does the former chairman of the board at SETI think extraterrestrial probes may be watching us?  We're going to explore these and other questions with John Gertz.John Gertz has  been involved in the field of SETI for more than 20 years, having served three terms as chairman of the board of the SETI Institute (www.seti.org), He is also the president of a new organization that successfully campaigned to raise $100 million for SETI research, and he currently the only layman on the Breakthrough Listen board that advises on the use of that $100 million fund.  His forthcoming book, Reinventing SETI, will be released in Spring 2025 by Oxford University Press.https:/natureandsciencepodcast.com

Happy New Year! 2024 brought us a lot of exciting space news, from a total solar eclipse to the launch of Europa Clipper and our celebration of 40 years as the SETI Institute. What does 2025 hold? Join hosts Beth Johnson and Franck Marchis for our first show of the year, taking a look at new ground and space telescopes, planned missions and milestones, as well as the various eclipses. Plus, Saturn's rings will be "disappearing"! (Recorded live 9 January 2025.)

Hosts Izzie Clarke and Dr Becky Smethurst are starting 2025 with a biggie. The scientific search for extraterrestrial life:  Where are scientists looking? How do they search for potential signals? And what the heck is the plan if they find one?! The Supermassive team hears from Seth Shostak from the SETI Institute about the search for life beyond Earth, and Dr John Elliot from the University of St Andrews explains what would happen if we were to detect them.  Thanks for all of your brilliant questions - keep them coming! You can email podcast@ras.ac.uk or find us on instagram, @SupermassivePod. And, as promised, here's more information on National Astronomy Week 2025, running from 1st-9th February: https://astronomyweek.org.uk The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. 

Are we alone? Really, though, in a cosmic sense. 40 years ago the pioneering radio astronomer Jill Tarter co-founded a Bay Area non profit to support humanity searching for life beyond ourselves. We celebrate the SETI – as in, Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence – Institute's anniversary and all their contributions to science which, sadly, do not yet include finding aliens. What do you hope SETI finds in its next 40 years? Guests: Bill Diamond, president and CEO, SETI Institute Wael Farah, radio astronomer and project scientist on The Allen Telescope Array, SETI Institute Nathalie Cabrol, astrobiologist and planetary geologist; director of Science, the Carl Sagan Center for Research at the SETI Institute Simon Steel, astronomer, director of Education and Public Outreach, SETI Institute

The SETI Institute's search for alien biosignatures and technosignatures depends on radio telescopes. You may have seen the stunning photos of massive telescope arrays in the desert, but what types of alien signals might help researchers actually detect with those giant dishes? In this fourth episode, Brian Edwards talks with physicist Chenoa Tremblay, a COSMIC Project Scientist who is based at the Very Large Array in New Mexico. They dig into the important role radio telescopes play in SETI, how powerful computers have supercharged the search for life off Earth, and imagine what kinds of biosignatures and technosignatures of alien life we are most likely to find. Music by Jun Miyake You can support the work of Big Picture Science by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are we alone? Really, though, in a cosmic sense. 40 years ago the pioneering radio astronomer Jill Tarter co-founded a Bay Area non profit to support humanity searching for life beyond ourselves. We celebrate the SETI – as in, Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence – Institute's anniversary and all their contributions to science which, sadly, do not yet include finding aliens. What do you hope SETI finds in its next 40 years? Guests: Bill Diamond, president and CEO, SETI Institute Wael Farah, radio astronomer and project scientist on The Allen Telescope Array, SETI Institute Nathalie Cabrol, astrobiologist and planetary geologist; director of Science, the Carl Sagan Center for Research at the SETI Institute Simon Steel, astronomer, director of Education and Public Outreach, SETI Institute

What is life? Even as the search for life in the universe evolves, surprisingly, there is no consensus on what life is. We must consider hunting for life not as we know it.  The existence of extremophiles on Earth has broadened the types of environments in which we might look for life elsewhere in our solar system. And recent missions to dwarf planets has shown that our solar system is replete with the geology that might harbor biology. In this second episode, Shannon Geary talks with astrobiologist Nathalie Cabrol, the director of the Carl Sagan Center for Research at the SETI Institute about her early interest in astrobiology, meeting Carl Sagan, and the evolving definition of life. Music by Jun Miyake You can support the work of Big Picture Science by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

George Noory and astronomer Seth Shostak discuss the search for extraterrestrial life at the SETI Institute.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nathalie Cabrol is an astrobiologist and author of, “The Secret Life of the Universe.” She's also the Director of the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute and holds the women's WORLD record for free and scuba diving (at altitude)!  Nathalie has spent decades studying the cosmos and searching for life in unexpected places—whether hidden in rocks here on Earth or waiting to be discovered on distant planets. Nathalie shares her career path as a trailblazer in planetary science, the sacrifices she's made along the way, and why she believes we're on the verge of groundbreaking discoveries. In this conversation, Beth and Natalie explore key questions like: Is life an inevitable result of the universe's laws? And what can Earth teach us about finding life beyond our planet? “The nature of life on Earth and the search for life elsewhere are two sides of the same question – the search for who we are.” - Carl Sagan About Nathalie Cabrol: Nathalie Cabrol is an astrobiologist and Director of the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute. She has led groundbreaking research on planetary habitability and the search for life in extreme environments. Learn more about her work at SETI Institute. https://youtu.be/oIIw9q5jVqU?si=BYjkTrvG6eDhqa0s Learn more and connect with Nathalie: FB Planetary Landscapes: https://www.facebook.com/PlanetaryLandscapes X (former Twitter): https://x.com/shasta721 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalie-cabrol-1791a114/ SETI Institute: https://www.seti.org/senior-staff and https://www.seti.org/our-scientists/nathalie-cabrol If you enjoyed this episode and would like to share, I'd love to hear it!    You can follow and share in the socials,  LinkedIn - @casualspacepodcast Facebook - @casualspacepodcast Instagram - @casualspacepodcast YouTube - @casualspacepodcast83 or email me at beth@casualspacepodcast.com.   *Remember!!! You can send your story to space TODAY! The window for STORIES of Space Mission 03 is NOW OPEN! Send your story, for free, to www.storiesofspace.com  Are you passionate about making a positive impact and contributing to a cause that empowers and uplifts? Cosmic Girls Foundation is seeking a dynamic and dedicated individual to join us as the Cosmic Forum Community Manager. If you are excited about fostering a vibrant and safe online community for girls and contributing to a cause that makes a global impact, we would love to hear from you! Please send your resume and a brief cover letter to SofiaGiussani@cosmicgirls.org/  

Are we alone? The search for life in the universe is on! For 40 years, the SETI Institute has been a leader in the search for life and intelligence beyond Earth. Recent discoveries, such as exoplanets, have brought us closer than ever to answering the question of whether we are alone in the universe. To honor the Institute's pioneering past as we look ahead to its future, Big Picture Science presents a new monthly podcast series highlighting the groundbreaking research of the SETI Institute. In this first episode, Molly talks with Bill Diamond, SETI Institute President and CEO, about the founding of the SETI Institute, radio telescope arrays, and the New Copernican Revolution. Music by Jun Miyake You can support the work of Big Picture Science by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are we alone in the universe? Is there other intelligence out there? COSMIC, the most ambitious SETI search yet, hopes to answer that. We hear updates on this novel signal detection project being conducted on the Very Large Array in the desert of New Mexico.  Also, we chat with award-winning science fiction writer Ted Chiang about how he envisions making contact with aliens in his stories, including the one that was the basis for the movie Arrival. And find out why some scientists don't want only to listen for signals, they want to deliberately transmit messages to aliens. Is that wise and, if we did it, what would we say?  Guests: Chenoa Tremblay – Postdoc researcher in radio astronomy for the SETI Institute and member of COSMIC science team Ted Chiang – Nebula and Hugo award-winning science fiction writer, best known for his collections, Stories of Your Life and Others and Exhalation Douglas Vakoch – Founder and president of METI International, a nonprofit research and educational organization devoted to transmitting intentional signals to extraterrestrial civilizations Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake *Originally aired April 3, 2023 Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science. You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the current state of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI)? Why do scientists often raise their eyebrows at UFO sightings? And what might the future of SETI look like with ongoing technological advancements? I had the privilege of diving into these fascinating topics with the professional alien hunter Seth Shostak!  Seth Shostak is an astronomer and author who directs the search for extraterrestrials at the SETI Institute in California—trying to find evidence of intelligent life in space. He is also committed to getting the public, especially young people, excited about astrobiology and science in general. Seth hosts “Big Picture Science,” the SETI Institute's weekly radio show. The one-hour program uses interviews with leading researchers and lively and intelligent storytelling to tackle big questions like: What came before the Big Bang? How does memory work? Will our descendants be human or machine? What's the origin of humor? Big Picture Science can be found on iTunes and other podcast sites. — Key Takeaways:  00:00 Intro 02:05 Judging a book by its cover  06:49 The Carl Sagan Directors Award and the reorganization of the SETI Institute 09:45 Area 51, Harry Reid and the resurgence of interest in UAPs 11:59 What do you think about new scientific pursuits around UAPs and SETI? 16:47 What do you think about the Drake Equation? 21:18 When can we stop looking? 24:52 What technology could alien civilizations be using?  30:34 How do you handle the criticisms that you are anti-alien? 33:26 What are the latest SETI projects? 37:22 Final questions  44:09 Outro — Additional resources:  ➡️ Learn more about Seth Shostak: 

Does life exist outside our planet? Are we alone in the universe? Seth Shostak joins Vasant Dhar in episode 85 of Brave New World to describe his search for the answers. Useful resources: 1. Seth Shostak at The Seti Institute, Wikipedia, TED, Amazon and his own website. 2. Life in the Universe -- Jeffrey Bennett, Seth Shostak, Nicholas Schneider and Meredith MacGregor. 3. Sharing the Universe: Perspectives on Extraterrestrial Life -- Seth Shostak. 4. Confessions of an Alien Hunter -- Seth Shostak. 5. The Copernican Revolution -- Thomas Kuhn. 6. Peter Ward on Life on Earth -- Episode 76 of Brave New World. 7. Rare Earth: Why Complex Life is Uncommon in the Universe -- Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee. 8. The Drake Equation. 9. The Gaia Hypothesis. 10. Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth -- James Lovelock. 11. Kevin Mitchell Makes a Case for Free Will -- Episode 80 of Brave New World. 12. The Kessler Syndrome. Check out Vasant Dhar's newsletter on Substack. Subscription is free!

Today we're talking to Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer at SETI Institute and Co-host of the Big Picture Science Podcast. We discuss what humanity knows about life outside of the solar system, how much of the sky SETI is truly keeping an eye on, and why the deepest scientific questions aren't being answered. All of this right here, right now, on the Modern CTO Podcast!  To learn more about SETI, check out their website here. Have feedback about the show? Let us know here. Produced by ProSeries Media. For booking inquiries, email booking@proseriesmedia.com