Our Boldest Effort to Answer our Oldest Question: The Breakthrough Listen Search for Intelligent Life Beyond Earth

For centuries, humans have gazed at the night sky and wondered what is out there.  Over time, we have come to know many of the answers; how our own planet Earth and Sun came to be, how they dance in a sea of other stars hosting their own planetary systems, and how the structure of the universe has evolved on the grandest scales.  But one of our biggest questions remains unanswered: is anyone or anything out there staring back at us?  Today we are answering that question using the tools of astronomy, surveying other worlds for the tell-tale indicators of technology.  Dr. Siemion will describe the state-of-the-art in hunting for intelligent life in the cosmos and how the largest telescopes in the world are now being used to conduct searches of unprecedented scope and sensitivity.

Dr. Andrew Siemion is the Bernard Oliver Chair for SETI at the SETI Institute and Director of the Berkeley SETI Research Center.

We ask that attendees be vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 and wear a mask while indoors at the event. Extra masks will be provided.