Seth Shostak

The limitless content of our universe might be only one instance of a large (and possibly infinite) number of other universes.

— Seth Shostak

Jupiter, a world far larger than Earth, is so warm that it currently radiates more internal heat than it receives from the…

— Seth Shostak

Certainly the history of astronomy shows that every time we thought we were special, we were wrong.

— Seth Shostak

I actually think the chances that we'll find E.T. are pretty good.

— Seth Shostak

We can never prove that we're alone in the universe. But the Allen Telescope Array could prove that we're not.

— Seth Shostak

One of the jovian moons, Europa, is coated with twice as much liquid water as is sloshing around our planet.

— Seth Shostak

The search for extra-terrestrial life is a failure until that moment when it suddenly becomes a success.

— Seth Shostak

If this is the only planet on which not only life, but intelligent life, has arisen, that would be very unusual.

— Seth Shostak

According to 'Star Trek' mythos, Starfleet Command - operational headquarters for a flotilla of craft that keep the cosmic peace - is…

— Seth Shostak

Imagine if the dinosaurs had tried picturing the rulers of their planet 100 million years hence. They'd undoubtedly envision these creatures as...…

— Seth Shostak

The space elevator's not just another competitive technology, promoted by people who simply like the idea of diminishing the luster of the…

— Seth Shostak

The Moon stabilizes Earth's obliquity. Well, almost. The tilt actually varies between 22 and 24.5 degrees - and the variation is enough…

— Seth Shostak

Scientists - who prefer explanations subject to laboratory tests - figure that everything we see today was as inevitable as wrinkles, once…

— Seth Shostak

Sure, our three-pound brains might be inadequate to understand the universe. But perhaps they're just good enough to build something that can.

— Seth Shostak

Diminutive worlds are more likely to be rocky, and lapped by oceans and atmospheres. In the vernacular of 'Star Trek,' these would…

— Seth Shostak

Studying Sol's interior by looking for analogous patterns on its incandescent face is known as helioseismology, an active - if largely unpronounceable…

— Seth Shostak

The total number of people that do a job that has the same description as mine in the entire world is fewer…

— Seth Shostak

Many people suggest using mathematics to talk to the aliens, and Dutch computer scientist Alexander Ollongren has developed an entire language (Lincos)…

— Seth Shostak

I've often fantasized about visiting the Bahamian beach where Columbus first stumbled ashore in 1492. Sadly, no one knows where that beach…

— Seth Shostak

The thing to keep in mind is that we're still in the very early days when it comes to the search for…

— Seth Shostak

Consider that the overwhelming majority of those 40,000 near-Earth asteroids are small enough to fit on the parking lot at the mall.…

— Seth Shostak

Most of the things at the zoo don't look like us. We're one design that works. Our chimp pals sort of look…

— Seth Shostak

Despite tantalizing suggestions of fossilized microbes in meteorites, puzzling and possibly biogenic methane gas in the martian atmosphere, and a long-standing controversy…

— Seth Shostak

The math is dead simple: it seems that the frequency of planets able to support life is roughly one percent. In other…

— Seth Shostak

There is little chance that aliens from two societies anywhere in the Galaxy will be culturally close enough to really 'get along.'…

— Seth Shostak

Frankly, I'll believe in horoscopes the day I can describe my personality to an astrologer and they tell me what date I…

— Seth Shostak

Sure, nobody will make a fortune if we figure out why the Big Bang happened. But just about everyone would like to…

— Seth Shostak

'Eternal inflation,' as it's called - the endless generation of new universes - may be a hyper-cosmic imperative. It seems that it…

— Seth Shostak

Explorers tend to be the aggressive types - why else would they risk scurvy, mutiny and other bad things to go out…

— Seth Shostak

The total funding of SETI (the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) in the U.S. is 0.0003 percent of the tax monies spent on…

— Seth Shostak

Here's a news flash: scientists can be wrong. That's no big deal (unless the scientist is you), since research is self-correcting. Consequently,…

— Seth Shostak

Estimates are that at least 70 per cent of all stars are accompanied by planets, and since the latter can occur in…

— Seth Shostak

I studied Latin in high school, and I was reading stuff from Cicero. And that signal took a few thousand years to…

— Seth Shostak

It's easy to reckon that the oomph to hurl even a Smart Car-size spacecraft to another star at, say, 20 percent the…

— Seth Shostak

Everything you see is filtered through your visual system (imperfect) and your brain (also imperfect, despite what your mom told you). Witness…

— Seth Shostak

Give consideration to the fact that alien astronomers could have scrutinized Earth for more than 4 billion years without detecting any radio…

— Seth Shostak

The longtime standard for American TV was 525 lines from top to bottom of the image. As a practical matter, that was…

— Seth Shostak

We're not just any star stuff, most of which is humdrum hydrogen and listless helium. Our bodies include fancier ingredients like carbon,…

— Seth Shostak

While about one-third of Americans believe in ghosts, you won't find many exhibits on these spooky beings down at the local science…

— Seth Shostak

The ideas of science germinate in a matrix of established knowledge gained by experiment; they are not lonesome thoughts, born in a…

— Seth Shostak