May 14, 2012
Senior astronomer at the SETI Institute in California, Seth Shostak, will present a free public lecture on Thursday, June 7, at the University of Calgary entitled “When will we find ET?” The lecture is presented by the Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA).
The scientific hunt for extraterrestrial intelligence is now into its fifth decade and has yet to uncover a confirmed “peep” from any cosmic company. Could this mean that finding aliens, even if they exist, is a project for the ages — one that might take centuries, or longer?
New technologies for use in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) suggest that, despite the continued dearth of signals, there is good reason to expect that success might be just around the corner and evidence of sophisticated civilizations may be found within a few decades.
Speaker Seth Shostak lectures on astronomy at Stanford University and was a distinguished speaker for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He is chair of the International Academy of Astronautics’ SETI Permanent Study Group and hosts the weekly SETI Institute’s science radio show, “Are We Alone.” His most recent book is Confessions of an Alien Hunter: A Scientist’s Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (National Geographic).
What: Canadian Astronomical Society’s public lecture: When will we find ET?
Who: Senior Astronomer at the SETI Institute, Seth Shostak
Where: University Campus, Murray Fraser Hall, Room 162
When: June 7 at 7pm
Cost: Free
For more information, contact:
Leanne Yohemas
leanne.yohemas@ucalgary.ca
(office) 403-220-7722
(cell) 403-540-6552