---
title: "16 Way Quotes By Seth Shostak"
description: "16 Way quotes by Seth Shostak. Plus more from Seth Shostak and more Way sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/seth-shostak-2047_accept_exploration-is-an-oft-lauded-human-activ_1666281.png"
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> [Exploration is an oft-lauded human activity, and one that resonates in the same way that music and good stories do. It's hard-wired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/exploration-is-an-oft-lauded-human-activity-and-one-that-resonates-in/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/seth-shostak-2047_accept_exploration-is-an-oft-lauded-human-activ_1666281.png)

> [It seems that 'rocket scientist' is a job category that's here for the long haul, like 'mortician.' But all this activity masks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/it-seems-that-rocket-scientist-is-a-job-category-that-s-here-for-the/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/seth-shostak-2047_activity_it-seems-that-rocket-scientist-is-a-job_932878.png)

> [We've accounted for 95 percent of all the stars in the Milky Way. The other 5 percent are big, bright stars -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/we-ve-accounted-for-95-percent-of-all-the-stars-in-the-milky-way-the/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/658/seth-shostak-2047_astronomy_we-ve-accounted-for-95-percent-of-all-th_2869174.jpg)

> [We haven't yet found a speck of evidence for biology on another world, so we have no objective way to judge whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/we-haven-t-yet-found-a-speck-of-evidence-for-biology-on-another-world/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d53/seth-shostak-2047_another_we-haven-t-yet-found-a-speck-of-evidence_962445.png)

> [Just knowing that there's somebody else out there - that what's happened on this planet has also happened in many other places…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/just-knowing-that-there-s-somebody-else-out-there-that-what-s/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/158/seth-shostak-2047_also_just-knowing-that-there-s-somebody-else_693374.png)

> [It's the default premise in science: If you observe something in nature only once, you assume that what you've seen is typical.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/it-s-the-default-premise-in-science-if-you-observe-something-in/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/seth-shostak-2047_another_it-s-the-default-premise-in-science-if-y_2019667.png)

> [It bears mentioning that the Milky Way is only one of 150 billion galaxies visible to our telescopes - and each of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/it-bears-mentioning-that-the-milky-way-is-only-one-of-150-billion/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/seth-shostak-2047_bears_it-bears-mentioning-that-the-milky-way-i_3133384.png)

> [Disasters happen. We still have no way to eliminate earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes, floods or droughts. We cope as best we can by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/disasters-happen-we-still-have-no-way-to-eliminate-earthquakes/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/seth-shostak-2047_afterwards_disasters-happen-we-still-have-no-way-to_843555.png)

> [There is a point of view among astronomical researchers that is generally referred to as the Principle of Mediocrity. ... If the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/there-is-a-point-of-view-among-astronomical-researchers-that-is/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/858/seth-shostak-2047_be-prepared_there-is-a-point-of-view-among-astronomi_681703.jpg)

> [In archaeology, context is the basis of many discoveries that are imputed to the deliberate workings of intelligence. If I find a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/in-archaeology-context-is-the-basis-of-many-discoveries-that-are/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a0/seth-shostak-2047_am_in-archaeology-context-is-the-basis-of-m_2664402.png)

> [The central region of the Milky Way, known as the bulge, is stuffed with literally tens of billions of stars. And most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/the-central-region-of-the-milky-way-known-as-the-bulge-is-stuffed/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/seth-shostak-2047_astronomy_the-central-region-of-the-milky-way-know_2851998.jpg)

> [A factory that can turn carbon nanotubes into a sheet a yard wide and long enough to stretch one-fourth of the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/a-factory-that-can-turn-carbon-nanotubes-into-a-sheet-a-yard-wide-and/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c20/seth-shostak-2047_carbon_a-factory-that-can-turn-carbon-nanotubes_931583.png)

> [A practical way to travel between the stars is a must-have for space opera, and a sine qua non for our frequently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/a-practical-way-to-travel-between-the-stars-is-a-must-have-for-space/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a98/seth-shostak-2047_astronomy_a-practical-way-to-travel-between-the-st_2608707.png)

> [Junk, redundancy, and inefficiency characterize astrophysical signals. It seems they characterize cells and sea lions, too. These biological constructions have lots of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/junk-redundancy-and-inefficiency-characterize-astrophysical-signals/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/seth-shostak-2047_being_junk-redundancy-and-inefficiency-charact_2173817.jpg)

> [Estimates are that at least 70 per cent of all stars are accompanied by planets, and since the latter can occur in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/estimates-are-that-at-least-70-per-cent-of-all-stars-are-accompanied/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ab/seth-shostak-2047_accompanied_estimates-are-that-at-least-70-per-cent_635953.png)

> [Many people suggest using mathematics to talk to the aliens, and Dutch computer scientist Alexander Ollongren has developed an entire language (Lincos)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/many-people-suggest-using-mathematics-to-talk-to-the-aliens-and-dutch/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/seth-shostak-2047_alexander_many-people-suggest-using-mathematics-to_2889792.jpg)

## Other authors on Way

## More by Seth Shostak

> [Studying Sol's interior by looking for analogous patterns on its incandescent face is known as helioseismology, an active - if largely unpronounceable - research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/studying-sol-s-interior-by-looking-for-analogous-patterns-on-its/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

> [Some pundits have proposed that the aliens have come here to breed with us. Apparently, too much bike riding or something similar has rendered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/some-pundits-have-proposed-that-the-aliens-have-come-here-to-breed/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

> [As far as I can tell, the only unambiguous consequence of the claimed invasion of Earth by beings from another star system has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/as-far-as-i-can-tell-the-only-unambiguous-consequence-of-the-claimed/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

> [Look, science is hard, it has a reputation of being hard, and the facts are, it is hard, and that's the result of 400…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/look-science-is-hard-it-has-a-reputation-of-being-hard-and-the-facts/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

> [Give consideration to the fact that alien astronomers could have scrutinized Earth for more than 4 billion years without detecting any radio signals, despite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/give-consideration-to-the-fact-that-alien-astronomers-could-have/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

> [In a movie, it's often important to have aliens whose gestures and facial expressions can be 'read' by humans. And in the days before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/in-a-movie-it-s-often-important-to-have-aliens-whose-gestures-and/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

> [Sure, nobody will make a fortune if we figure out why the Big Bang happened. But just about everyone would like to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/sure-nobody-will-make-a-fortune-if-we-figure-out-why-the-big-bang/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

> [If you could drive straight down, into a tunnel bored through the crust of the planet, you'd hit this molten mess in about an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/if-you-could-drive-straight-down-into-a-tunnel-bored-through-the/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

> [While I have always thought that the motivation for looking for E.T. was both self-evident and patently worthy, it's possible that I'm a victim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/while-i-have-always-thought-that-the-motivation-for-looking-for-e-t/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

> [I studied Latin in high school, and I was reading stuff from Cicero. And that signal took a few thousand years to get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/i-studied-latin-in-high-school-and-i-was-reading-stuff-from-cicero/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

> [About the only things that are unique to Earth are our biota and our culture. If aliens ever come here, they'd most likely be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/about-the-only-things-that-are-unique-to-earth-are-our-biota-and-our/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

> [This plucky NASA telescope is able to find planets en masse. If you compare planet hunting to prospecting for gold, then Kepler is equivalent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/this-plucky-nasa-telescope-is-able-to-find-planets-en-masse-if-you/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

> [The most attractive habitats for synthetic sentience might be the vicinities of exceptional sources of energy - for example black holes, or even the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/the-most-attractive-habitats-for-synthetic-sentience-might-be-the/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

> [Buying insurance is no one's idea of fun. And it's especially easy to berate something as funky-sounding as writing checks to defend our neighborhoods…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/buying-insurance-is-no-one-s-idea-of-fun-and-it-s-especially-easy-to/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

> [Plate tectonics is not all havoc and destruction. The slow movement of continents and ocean floors recycles carbon dioxide dissolved in the oceans back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/plate-tectonics-is-not-all-havoc-and-destruction-the-slow-movement-of/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

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                        "text": "There is a point of view among astronomical researchers that is generally referred to as the Principle of Mediocrity. ... If the Sun and its retinue of worlds is only one system among many, then many other systems will be like ours: home to life. Indeed, to the extent that this is true, we should be prepared for the possibility that, even in the Milky Way galaxy, billions of planets may be carpeted by the dirty, nasty business known as life.",
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                        "text": "In archaeology, context is the basis of many discoveries that are imputed to the deliberate workings of intelligence. If I find a rock chipped in such a way as to give it a sharp edge, and the discovery is made in a cave, I am seduced into ascribing this to tool use by distant, fetid and furry ancestors.",
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                        "text": "The central region of the Milky Way, known as the bulge, is stuffed with literally tens of billions of stars. And most of these are old - considerably older than our Sun or its neighbors - because this part of the galaxy formed first. Consequently, bulge stars are generally deficient in heavy elements.",
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                        "text": "A factory that can turn carbon nanotubes into a sheet a yard wide and long enough to stretch one-fourth of the way to the moon is not something you'll find at your local industrial park. That's the show-stopper for the space elevator. The ribbon.",
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                        "text": "A practical way to travel between the stars is a must-have for space opera, and a sine qua non for our frequently vaunted future as a galactic society.",
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                        "text": "Junk, redundancy, and inefficiency characterize astrophysical signals. It seems they characterize cells and sea lions, too. These biological constructions have lots of superfluous and redundant parts, and are a long way from being optimally built or operated.",
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                        "text": "Estimates are that at least 70 per cent of all stars are accompanied by planets, and since the latter can occur in systems rather than as individuals (think of our own solar system), the number of planets in the Milky Way galaxy is of order one trillion.",
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                        "text": "Many people suggest using mathematics to talk to the aliens, and Dutch computer scientist Alexander Ollongren has developed an entire language (Lincos) based on this idea. But my personal opinion is that mathematics may be a hard way to describe ideas like love or democracy.",
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