Seth Shostak: Alien Hunter

Since the first Martian “canals” were charted in 1877, space aliens
have captivated sky-gazers, night travelers, and television
watchers worldwide. Polls show that nearly half of all Americans
believe in extraterrestrials, and many are convinced they’ve
visited Earth. A fair number of scientists also suspect that aliens
exist, and for decades they’ve been seriously searching—using
powerful antennas and computers to scan for radio waves coming from
other star systems. Recent interest in alien craft sightings,
documented in my interview with @Mick West is at an all time high:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJtTgIKDUZw. Thanks to our
sponsors! https://magbreakthrough.com/impossible
http://betterhelp.com/impossible Please join my mailing list to get
*FREE* notes & resources from this show! Click
http://briankeating.com/mailing_list.php Dr. Seth Shostak (@SETI
Institute) joins me to discuss his engaging memoir revealing the
true story of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI),
and discloses what we may very soon discover. Chronicling the
program’s history with insight and humor, SETI senior astronomer
Seth Shostak assures us that if there is sentient life in the
universe, we are within decades of picking up its signal.
Methodically busting urban legends about alien crash landings, crop
circles, and the like, Shostak pits scientific truth against
speculation and delivers important news on the state of our
knowledge. He answers a host of questions about SETI, including
where its antennas are aimed…how we know which frequency to
monitor…what our response might be…and why, if a signal is
detected, “it will be one that’s deliberately beamed into space,
not the Klingon equivalent of I Love Lucy.” Contrary to popular
opinion, any aliens found by SETI will not resemble the squishy,
big-eyed creatures on cinema screens. Rather, they will have
already invented their successors: super smart post-biological
thinking machines vastly beyond our own capabilities. Edgy,
amusing, and remarkably profound, Confessions of an Alien Hunter
addresses the startling possibilities awaiting us in deep space and
in humankind’s own future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
megaphone.fm/adchoices