April 30, 2018
Feature Story
Astrobiology on Science Friday
Astrobiology was the topic of conversation on a recent episode Science Friday. In the segment, How To Talk With Aliens, the panel discussed the ethics behind private citizens, scientists, and entrepreneurs sending focused messages toward the stars in the hopes that intelligent life around distant stars will receive them.
The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico has been involved in a plethora of scientific studies since it was completed in 1963. In 1974, the Arecibo Message, an attempt to communicate with potential extraterrestrial life, was transmitted from the radio telescope toward the globular cluster Messier 13, about 25,000 light-years away.Image credit: NAIC Arecibo Observatory, a facility of the NSF.
The segment came from the recent Social and Conceptual Issues in Astrobiology (SoCIA) conference held in Reno, Nevada. Guest included:
Kelly Smith, acting president of the Social and Conceptual Issues in Astrobiology (SoCIA) conference, and associate professor of Philosophy at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina.
Sheri Wells-Jensen, a linguist and associate professor of English at the Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.
Jacob Haqq-Misra, a research scientist with the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science in Clayton, Delaware, and member of NExSS
To listen to the segment, visit: https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/how-to-talk-with-aliens/
Science Friday Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the public’s access to science and scientific information.
Additional Links:
Kelly Smith, NASA Astrobiology Debates
Jacob Haqq-Misra: AbSciCon 2017