Copernicus 4.0: How Our Views of Earth's Importance and the Search for Life are Changing

Copernicus’ work in 1543 was the kick-off date in the cosmic decentralization of Planet Earth.  First, we were relegated to be just another planet in the solar system, then our sun to being just another star in the Milky Way.  Now our galaxy seems to be just a suburban member of a regional supercluster.  What has remained stubbornly geocentric is our understanding of life and intelligence in the cosmos.  But for how much longer? New discoveries and technological advances are accelerating us towards a cosmic vision of Earth as part of a living and thinking universe. This talk will focus on the latest research and observations, at the SETI Institute and elsewhere, about the search for life and intelligence in the Milky Way, and beyond.

Speaker: Dr. Simon Steel, SETI Institute