When Will We Discover the Extraterrestrials?

Google TechTalk April 24, 2007 Speaker: Dr. Seth Shostak The scientific hunt for extraterrestrial intelligence is now into its fifth decade, and we still haven't uncovered 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 from other societies, there is good reason to expect that success might not be far off -- that we might find evidence of sophisticated civilizations within a few decades. Why this is so, what contact would tell us, and what such a discovery would mean, are the subject of this talk on the continuing efforts to establish our place in the universe of thinking beings. This Space Exploration series talk was hosted by Boris Debic.

Channel: Science & Technology
Uploaded: November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am
Author: GoogleTechTalks

Length: 48:04
Rating: 4.675676
Views: 80055

Tags: google techtalks techtalk engedu talk talks googletechtalks education

Video Comments

jamesregmorris (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

They would not leak that much, if there receivers where efficient they wouldn't have to send a strong Sig at all. Maybe they comunicate inter dimensionally, we would know where to start with that.

Firdaush0 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

If they are robotic society would they not "leak" signals all over the place. Going bleep bloop is what robots do best? That isn't to say that robotic societies will have the same chip sets as us. Hell it may even be an organic chip set who knows. But none the less would they not leak something?

worldwiderelease (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

ETs are here already and operate secretly. What their plans are with us and how life is like in our region of space is described here: google: CONTACT WITH INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE.

Mr007eds (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

well it dosent hurt to expand your wildest imagination like this guy anyway i have to conquere the universe so later :D

martinbondesson (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Tough crowd. Seth didn't get nearly as many laughs as he deserved. Sure, it wasn't stand-up, but still... He's a funny guy.

Apjooz (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Haha, a monolith (10:30). I just watched 2001: A Space Odyssey.

ericdisney1 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

@mjmunn1903 WHEN I NOTICE IT I DONT LIKE IT. BUT SOMETIMES IT CAN BE FUNNY

Alexplus20 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

@AlienshateU tbh is rather live in a NWO society then an Islamic Caliphate.

TheOneRebornElyrize (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

@taosimplicity or people simply stop moving.. but i guess they are too dependent for that :P im not planning on getting a drivers license tho..

CorkSkeptics (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Nice to see Seti up and running again, note to presentor 46:50 Tesla invented the radio. (In 1943, the radio patent by a vote by the United States Congress was reversed and given to Nikola Tesla)