SETI INSTITUTE

For six decades, most SETI experiments have relied on picking up signals reaching Earth. However, such schemes have limitations that can be avoided by searching for artifacts: constructions or rearrangements of nature attributable to highly advanced intelligence. Join Senior Director Simon Steel and Senior Astronomer Seth Shostak, who will talk about the advantages of hunting for artifacts and what such searches might uncover.

Teachers around the world need powerful resources to motivate, inspire, and educate their students. Now we have the opportunity to unlock the wonders of the Universe in a fundamental way by providing teachers a powerful totally automated, easy to use telescope, let students capture images, and then with the resources of the Global Hands-On Universe Project, use such images in their classrooms and after school astronomy clubs. The eVscope is a world-changing, digital robotic telescope that is portable, an be set up in minutes, and it can acquire and share images, even in the conditions of the bright lights of downtowns around the world. Visit the GoFundMe Page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/powerful-telescopes-for-teachers-around-the-world

Is it possible there's a planet out there that's even more suited to hosting life than our home planet? Researchers have identified 24 exoplanets or exoplanet candidates (exoplanets still needing final confirmation) that might have better conditions for life than Earth, even if they are uninhabited. These so-called superhabitable planets could be bigger, warmer and wetter than Earth -- and perhaps even older, which means they would have more time to develop the kind of complexity in their environment believed to be so crucial for life. Join Franck Marchis in conversation with SETI Institute Affiliate Dirk Schulze-Makuch as they talk about the possibilities! #exoplanets #searchforlife #SETI

For decades, we thought of Venus as a completely uninhabitable planet because of the hellish environment on its surface. Yet, several scientists have championed the idea that life could exist in the thick cloud decks that shroud the planet. Several weeks ago, a team of astronomers reported the detection of phosphine on Venus. If this stinky, toxic, perhaps biogenic gas does exist on Venus as reported, we stand to learn something profound. If clever chemists succeed in identifying a nonbiological source that produces phosphine, we will learn about the limitations of using atmospheric biosignatures to infer life. If they fail, this discovery increases our already high motivation to go to Venus and study its atmosphere in situ with 21st-century instruments. To discuss this amazing discovery and its consequences for the search for life beyond Earth, we invited two astronomers: Clara Sousa-Silva, co-author of the study about phosphine on Venus and David Grinspoon, astrobiologist and member of the SETI Institute’s Science Advisory Board, and is part of the Breakthrough Initiative and co-investigator on multiple proposed missions to search for primitive life in the clouds of Venus. The speakers will discuss whether or not phosphine detected on the planet next door is a signature of alien biology and how we might one day send a space probe to find out. #SETITalks #Venus #SearchForLife

Humankind has always dreamt of traveling to new places and exploring new frontiers. Even today, some dream of using rockets to take us to the Moon or Mars, perhaps to establish yet another frontier settlement. But before we can celebrate Thanksgiving on a new planet, we’ll need more than just rocket scientists, engineers and daredevils. Designing human missions to other planets involves taking a broad perspective. Join us for a far-out and forward-looking adventure beyond Earth. And maybe some of you can get involved in the effort ahead. It will take all kinds of experts and lots of teamwork in the coming decades. About Dr. Margaret Race Dr. Race has worked with NASA and SETI Institute for nearly three decades on research and education related to Mars missions, Planetary Protection and Astrobiology. She initially studied Marine Biology and environmental, analyzing the impacts of invasive species on tidal wetlands in San Francisco Bay. Over the years, she has applied her interdisciplinary background to diverse real-world challenges– from water pollution and coastal zone management, to space missions and searches for ET life, and even decision making about pandemics, biosafety, and our collective future on this Planet– and beyond. Join her in a talk on planning for Thanksgiving on Mars. Maybe someday, it’ll be more than a hypothetical exercise! #Chabot #Mars #Thanksgiving

Social Media Coordinator Beth Johnson and Senior Astronomer Franck Marchis from the SETI Institute discussed the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery, "Die Trying". WARNING: This video is full of spoilers. And science. But also spoilers. #StarTrekDiscovery #STDisco #Science Star Trek: Discovery is a production of CBS Television Studios, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Seasons 1 and 2 are now available to stream on CBS All Access and is distributed concurrently by CBS Studios International on Netflix in 188 countries and in Canada on Bell Media’s Space channel and OTT service CraveTV.

For decades, astronomers have talked about the possibility of a massive black hole hunkered down at the center of our galaxy. But evidence for such a bizarre beast had largely been indirect until UCLA astronomer Andrea Ghez used the Keck telescope to directly probe the Milky Way’s turbulent heart. We’ll show you some of Andrea’s amazing discoveries, and how they led to a Nobel Prize in Physics.

What is an #exoplanet? What's a #planet? Is there #life elsewhere in the #universe looking for us? Filmed at Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, California in collaboration with the SETI Institute. Learn more about Chabot Space & Science Center at chabotspace.org Background music from mixkit.co/free-stock-music/ Outro music by Falling Andes (Cosmos coming summer 2021) Check out Falling Andes on Spotify and Apple Music Check out Val's blog on exoplanets to learn more: unistellaroptics.com/what-is-an-exoplanet

Social Media Coordinator Beth Johnson and Senior Astronomer Franck Marchis from the SETI Institute discussed the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery, "Forget Me Not". WARNING: This video is full of spoilers. And science. But also spoilers. #StarTrekDiscovery #STDisco #Science Star Trek: Discovery is a production of CBS Television Studios, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Seasons 1 and 2 are now available to stream on CBS All Access and is distributed concurrently by CBS Studios International on Netflix in 188 countries and in Canada on Bell Media’s Space channel and OTT service CraveTV.

In February 2021, NASA’s Perseverance Rover will touch down in Jezero Crater—but planetary scientists will have to wait another decade for samples to be returned from the Red Planet! Join us for this Friday’s “Cosmic Conversation” with Dr. J.R. Skok of the SETI Institute—at 11:30 a.m. Pacific here on Facebook Live! We’ll discuss why NASA chose Jezero to be the best place on Mars to look for life and learn about the geologic wonders the region has to explore. J.R. has been working on NASA’s rover missions since he was a student in 2004 and was actively involved in the Landing Site Workshops that led to the selection of Jezero. Hosted by Cal Academy

Last week there was an announcement about finding water on the moon. What's the news? For one thing, the water is located on a part of the moon that is sunlit. And there may be more water than we previously thought. Join Franck Marchis in a discussion about this discovery with SETI Institute scientists Dana Backman, Coral Clark and Pascal Lee. They'll talk about SOFIA and infrared astronomy, explain how the water was found, and consider the implications for future human exploration.

Social Media Coordinator Beth Johnson and Senior Astronomer Franck Marchis from the SETI Institute discussed the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery, "People of Earth". WARNING: This video is full of spoilers. And science. But also spoilers. (Note: Sorry for the delay in posting. I had a two-day migraine over the weekend and no ST medical tech to fix it. - Beth) #StarTrekDiscovery #STDisco #GrudgeReport Star Trek: Discovery is a production of CBS Television Studios, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Seasons 1 and 2 are now available to stream on CBS All Access and is distributed concurrently by CBS Studios International on Netflix in 188 countries and in Canada on Bell Media’s Space channel and OTT service CraveTV.

Few things have been written about more in science news this last couple of months than Venus. While the discovery of phosphine in the atmosphere remains a controversial topic, the beauty and wonder of our nearest planetary neighbor is not in doubt. For November 2020, scientist Dr. David Grinspoon challenges our Art Imaginarium members to use all the amazing features of Venus for their inspiration. The Art Imaginarium is a Facebook group dedicated to the space where art meets science.  Why art? Science and art are more closely connected than people might expect, with each offering new perspectives and insights. We’re building a global artistic community where everyone feels safe in expressing themselves and exploring the limits of their imaginations. We hope that this will be a space where people respect both the art and the science.  What is art? We do not want to constrain creativity. Want to write a song? Draw in pencil? Create digital art? Bake a cake? Use pasta and beans? Go for it. Each month, we provide members with a challenge theme. How they interpret that theme is entirely up to them. Join the challenge here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheArtImaginariumbySETI/

There are 100 billion planets or more in the Milky Way. How many could be habitable? New analysis of data from Kepler suggests a whole lot. Join senior planetary scientist Franck Marchis as he discusses the new research with SETI Institute planetary researcher Jeff Coughlin.

With Franck Marchis and citizen astronomers Rachel Knight and Brad Davis There are nearly one million catalogued asteroids, but we don't know much about them. Unistellar and its scientific partner, the SETI Institute, are working with network of nearly 3,000 amateurs capable of observing thousands of asteroids and providing an estimate of their size and shape. With mobile stations located in Asia, North America and Europe, the Unistellar network, the largest network of citizen astronomers, has delivered its first scientific results including the 3D shape model of the main-belt asteroid (787) Moskva.

Social Media Coordinator Beth Johnson and Senior Astronomer Franck Marchis from the SETI Institute discussed the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery, "Far From Home". WARNING: This video is full of spoilers. And science. But also spoilers. #StarTrekDiscovery #STDisco #GrudgeReport Star Trek: Discovery is a production of CBS Television Studios, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Seasons 1 and 2 are now available to stream on CBS All Access and is distributed concurrently by CBS Studios International on Netflix in 188 countries and in Canada on Bell Media’s Space channel and OTT service CraveTV.

Where should we search for alien signals? We explain a scheme that tells us where to point the telescopes, and when, as Seth Shostak interviews Sofia Sheikh from the Penn State Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics.

Social Media Coordinator Beth Johnson and Senior Astronomer Franck Marchis from the SETI Institute discussed the season three premiere, "That Hope Is You, Part 1", of Star Trek: Discovery in this new web series called the “Grudge Report”. WARNING: This video is full of spoilers. And science. But also spoilers. #StarTrekDiscovery #STDisco #GrudgeReport Star Trek: Discovery is a production of CBS Television Studios, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Seasons 1 and 2 are now available to stream on CBS All Access and is distributed concurrently by CBS Studios International on Netflix in 188 countries and in Canada on Bell Media’s Space channel and OTT service CraveTV.

Important note: This special presentation of SETI Talks will be held at a different time than usual (10AM PDT / 1PM EDT / 1700 UTC) Big-single dish radio astronomy observatories such as the 305-m Arecibo Observatory and the 500-m FAST (Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope) have made key breakthroughs in science, including the discovery of the first extrasolar planets. Recently, interferometric telescopes such as MeerKAT in Australia, ASKAP (Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder), and CHIME (Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment) have opened up new observing windows. These experiments are all precursor to the SKA (Square Kilometer Array), whose construction will begin in 2021 and is expected to be the most sensitive radio telescope ever built. Why this explosion of radio telescope projects? What’s the scientific reasoning for building arrays separated across continents? What challenges do astronomers and engineers face? Finally, what kind of science are these arrays useful for and will SETI benefit from their capabilities?

Learn about what it takes to send humans to Mars--from spacesuits and rovers to surviving subzero temperatures and raging dust storms. The United States plans to send astronauts to Mars around 2035, and MISSION: MARS shows kids how they could start training to join the first crew to the Red Planet!