Intelligent Life Beyond Earth
Christopher D. Impey, University Distinguished Professor, Astronomy
One question rises above all others when it comes to our place in a vast and ancient Universe, 'Are we alone?' With a billion habitable locations in the Milky Way galaxy, and more than ten billion years for biological experiments to play out, a search for intelligent life beyond Earth is well-motivated. Unfortunately, the single example of life on Earth gives no clear indication of whether intelligence is an inevitable or an extremely rare consequence of biological evolution. The search for extraterrestrial intelligence, or SETI, is more appropriately called the search for extraterrestrial technology. So far, the search for intelligent aliens by their electromagnetic communication has met with half a century of stony silence. It's challenging to define life, and even more difficult to make general definitions of intelligence and technology. We'll look at the premises and assumptions involved in the search, the strategies used, and the profound consequences of making contact.
Other Videos By AZPM
2015-03-20 | Arizona Week 3/20/15 |
2015-03-20 | Arizona Illustrated Episode 123 |
2015-03-19 | Winning By Living Web Extra |
2015-03-19 | A Look Back at Match Day |
2015-03-19 | From the Vault: Tunnelling Under Speedway |
2015-03-17 | Everybody Matters: Climate Change and Human Rights |
2015-03-13 | Metro Week 03/13/15 |
2015-03-13 | METRO WEEK EXTRA: Full Interview with UA's President |
2015-03-13 | Arizona Week 3/13/15 |
2015-03-12 | An Evening with Mary Robinson |
2015-03-12 | Intelligent Life Beyond Earth |
2015-03-09 | Amazing Discoveries: A Billion Earth-like Worlds |
2015-03-06 | Metro Week – March 6, 2015 |
2015-03-06 | Arizona Week – March 6, 2015 |
2015-03-06 | METRO WEEK EXTRA: Watch the Full 2015 State of Tucson |
2015-03-06 | Planet Formation and the Origin of Life |
2015-03-06 | What is Life? |
2015-03-06 | Life on Earth: By Chance or By Law? |
2015-03-06 | Complexity and Evolvability: What Makes Life So Interesting? |
2015-03-06 | Searching for Life in the Solar System |
2015-02-28 | Newly Diagnosed |