Is E.T. out there? Well, I work at the SETI Institute. That’s almost my name. SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. In other words, I look for aliens, and when I tell people that at a cocktail party, they usually look at me with a mildly incredulous look on their face. I try to keep my own face somewhat dispassionate. Seth Shostak Read Quote
Given the tendency of many to picture God’s realm as somewhere high above Earth – an idea that sounds suspiciously like the Greek stories of deities perched on inaccessible mountain tops – it may seem plausible to assume that astronomers have special insight. Well, of course they don’t. Seth Shostak Read Quote
The principal reason for the universe’s poker face is that its constituents are far away. Stars careen through space, and galaxies spin at speeds thousands of times faster than a jet plane. But given their distance, you’d need the patience of Job to notice much change in their appearance or position. Seth Shostak Read Quote
Faith is a personal matter, and should never be a cudgel to stifle inquiry. We tried that approach about 1,200 years ago. The experiment was called the Dark Ages. Seth Shostak Read Quote
A century ago, scientists believed there was only one obvious stomping ground for alien biology in our solar system: Mars. Because it was reminiscent of Earth, Mars was assumed to be chock-a-block with animate beings, and its putative inhabitants got a lot of column inches and screen time. Seth Shostak Read Quote
It’s the default premise in science: If you observe something in nature only once, you assume that what you’ve seen is typical. That’s because ‘typical’ is just another way of saying ‘most probable.’ Seth Shostak Read Quote
Everything you see is filtered through your visual system (imperfect) and your brain (also imperfect, despite what your mom told you). Witness testimony is the worst kind of evidence in science. Seth Shostak Read Quote
In the four years since its launch, Kepler has chalked up 122 new and confirmed planets. It’s also caught the scent of nearly three thousand additional objects, of which probably 80 percent or more will turn out to be other-worldly orbs. Seth Shostak Read Quote
Just knowing that there’s somebody else out there – that what’s happened on this planet has also happened in many other places – that might change our lives in a very subtle way, but it’s interesting to know and worth looking for. Seth Shostak Read Quote
I you look at the drawings of aliens made by people who believe that Earth is under saucer attack, you’ll quickly note that most of these invaders fit the Tinseltown mold. But you have to admit: the grays are highly anthropomorphic. Seth Shostak Read Quote
