A Little Talk About Aliens: Techno-Signatures and the New Science of Life in the Universe.

Dr. Adam Frank (U of Rochester)
May 26, 2021
Dr. Frank first discusses the history of our search for extra-terrestrial intelligence (SETI), including the Drake Equation, the Fermi Paradox, and the searches for radio messages from other civilizations that have taken place since 1960. He then explains how new research and funding is expanding our thinking about the ways we might find evidence of intelligent life among the stars. He focuses on "techno-signatures" -- ways in which we might identify signs of alien technology. Dr. Frank summarizes the work in papers he has published and the research and ideas of scientists around the world.

Dr. Adam Frank is a leading expert on the final stages in the evolution for stars like the Sun, but his current work also focuses on life in the universe. His research group at the University of Rochester has developed advanced supercomputer tools for studying how stars form and how planets evolve. His most recent book is Light of the Stars: Alien Worlds and the Fate of the Earth, which won the 2019 Phi Beta Kappa Award for Science. He has written two other books, The Constant Fire: Beyond the Religion and Science Debate, and About Time: Cosmology and Culture at the Twilight of the Big Bang. He is the co-founder of the blog 13.8 on BigThink.com and an on-air commentator for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has contributed pieces to the New York Times, NBC, The Washington Post and elsewhere, and served as the science consultant for Marvel’s Doctor Strange.