--- title: "21 Will Quotes By Seth Shostak" description: "21 Will quotes by Seth Shostak. Plus more from Seth Shostak and more Will sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/seth-shostak-2047_astronomy_star-trek-s-genial-premise-is-that-the-c_2582662.png" --- > [Star Trek's genial premise is that the cosmos is flush with intelligent species, and our descendants will interact with them face-to-face, thanks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/star-trek-s-genial-premise-is-that-the-cosmos-is-flush-with/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/seth-shostak-2047_astronomy_star-trek-s-genial-premise-is-that-the-c_2582662.png) > [Sure, nobody will make a fortune if we figure out why the Big Bang happened. But just about everyone would like to…](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/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/seth-shostak-2047_about_sure-nobody-will-make-a-fortune-if-we-fi_73793.png) > [Television is ephemeral, a fact that some will find reassuring. But earthlings will continue to pump the kilowatts into the ether. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/television-is-ephemeral-a-fact-that-some-will-find-reassuring-but/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a25/seth-shostak-2047_continue_television-is-ephemeral-a-fact-that-some_2682417.jpg) > [We can no better imagine what will be happening on the moon 500 years from now than Columbus could imagine contemporary Manhattan.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/we-can-no-better-imagine-what-will-be-happening-on-the-moon-500-years/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/seth-shostak-2047_better_we-can-no-better-imagine-what-will-be-ha_531170.jpg) > [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) > [In the four years since its launch, Kepler has chalked up 122 new and confirmed planets. It's also caught the scent of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/in-the-four-years-since-its-launch-kepler-has-chalked-up-122-new-and/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af3/seth-shostak-2047_additional_in-the-four-years-since-its-launch-keple_2937583.jpg) > [Our brains are continuing to evolve, and perhaps a few tens of thousands of years from now, our descendants will walk around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/our-brains-are-continuing-to-evolve-and-perhaps-a-few-tens-of/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/seth-shostak-2047_allowing_our-brains-are-continuing-to-evolve-and_1911689.jpg) > [It seems obvious that if a species has the brainpower for speech, along with the sort of appendages that can manipulate a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/it-seems-obvious-that-if-a-species-has-the-brainpower-for-speech/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35d/seth-shostak-2047_along_it-seems-obvious-that-if-a-species-has-t_220568.png) > [Every day, the temperature of Sol's surface increases by five billionths of a degree, a change of no consequence for thousands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/every-day-the-temperature-of-sol-s-surface-increases-by-five/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/seth-shostak-2047_change_every-day-the-temperature-of-sol-s-surfa_1863337.jpg) > [There will be an end point to how good TV pictures can get. The boob tube has hugely benefited from the rapid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/there-will-be-an-end-point-to-how-good-tv-pictures-can-get-the-boob/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/seth-shostak-2047_advance_there-will-be-an-end-point-to-how-good-t_235236.jpg) > [Our computers double in capability on time scales of only a few years. It's hardly outrageous to believe that we will successfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/our-computers-double-in-capability-on-time-scales-of-only-a-few-years/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/seth-shostak-2047_artificial_our-computers-double-in-capability-on-ti_248626.png) > [The usual metric for whether a planet is habitable or not is to ascertain whether liquid water could exist on its surface.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/the-usual-metric-for-whether-a-planet-is-habitable-or-not-is-to/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/seth-shostak-2047_ascertain_the-usual-metric-for-whether-a-planet-is_3066973.jpg) > [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…](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/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b96/seth-shostak-2047_agree_while-i-have-always-thought-that-the-mot_118772.jpg) > [By 2020, most home computers will have the computing power of a human brain. That doesn't mean that they are brains, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/by-2020-most-home-computers-will-have-the-computing-power-of-a-human/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2a/seth-shostak-2047_behind_by-2020-most-home-computers-will-have-th_323160.jpg) > [Are two eyes, four appendages and an upright posture really essential for any creature that can ace the galactic SAT's? Maybe not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/are-two-eyes-four-appendages-and-an-upright-posture-really-essential/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad1/seth-shostak-2047_ace_are-two-eyes-four-appendages-and-an-upri_2950292.png) > [It will be the mother of all telescopes, and you can bet it will do for astronomy what genome sequencing is doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/it-will-be-the-mother-of-all-telescopes-and-you-can-bet-it-will-do/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/seth-shostak-2047_astronomy_it-will-be-the-mother-of-all-telescopes_718921.jpg) > [Five centuries from now - barring unimaginable catastrophe - the moon will be developed real estate. There's economic incentive to exploit the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/five-centuries-from-now-barring-unimaginable-catastrophe-the-moon/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/seth-shostak-2047_catastrophe_five-centuries-from-now-barring-unimagin_1622764.png) > [Of course there is still unexplored terrestrial territory, but most of it is waterlogged. Submersed secret places, such as the Challenger Deep,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/of-course-there-is-still-unexplored-terrestrial-territory-but-most-of/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/seth-shostak-2047_cameron_of-course-there-is-still-unexplored-terr_1054591.jpg) > [Today's voguish threats, including climate change, population growth, massive war, and resource depletion, are all amenable to a fix if we act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/today-s-voguish-threats-including-climate-change-population-growth/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/seth-shostak-2047_act_today-s-voguish-threats-including-climat_2414609.png) > [Mining asteroids is a well-oiled trope of science-fiction. But someday, actually doing it will make economic sense. Many of the essential metals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/mining-asteroids-is-a-well-oiled-trope-of-science-fiction-but-someday/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/352/seth-shostak-2047_actually_mining-asteroids-is-a-well-oiled-trope-o_595601.jpg) > [On Mars, where the air is spare - a hundred times less dense than on Earth - someone could hear you scream.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/on-mars-where-the-air-is-spare-a-hundred-times-less-dense-than-on/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/seth-shostak-2047_air_on-mars-where-the-air-is-spare-a-hundred_2439579.png) ## Other authors on Will ## 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/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/seth-shostak/#itemlist", "name": "21 Will Quotes By Seth Shostak", "numberOfItems": 21, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Star Trek's genial premise is that the cosmos is flush with intelligent species, and our descendants will interact with them face-to-face, thanks to warp drive and some winsome space cadets.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/star-trek-s-genial-premise-is-that-the-cosmos-is-flush-with/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/seth-shostak-2047_astronomy_star-trek-s-genial-premise-is-that-the-c_2582662.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/seth-shostak-2047_astronomy_star-trek-s-genial-premise-is-that-the-c_2582662.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/seth-shostak-2047_astronomy_star-trek-s-genial-premise-is-that-the-c_2582662.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Star Trek's genial premise is that the cosmos is flush with intelligent species, and our descendants will…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sure, nobody will make a fortune if we figure out why the Big Bang happened. But just about everyone would like to know.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/sure-nobody-will-make-a-fortune-if-we-figure-out-why-the-big-bang/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/seth-shostak-2047_about_sure-nobody-will-make-a-fortune-if-we-fi_73793.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/seth-shostak-2047_about_sure-nobody-will-make-a-fortune-if-we-fi_73793.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/seth-shostak-2047_about_sure-nobody-will-make-a-fortune-if-we-fi_73793.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sure, nobody will make a fortune if we figure out why the Big Bang happened. But just about everyone would…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Television is ephemeral, a fact that some will find reassuring. But earthlings will continue to pump the kilowatts into the ether. And eventually, when those signals have washed over a few hundred thousand star systems, someone may notice.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/television-is-ephemeral-a-fact-that-some-will-find-reassuring-but/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a25/seth-shostak-2047_continue_television-is-ephemeral-a-fact-that-some_2682417.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a25/seth-shostak-2047_continue_television-is-ephemeral-a-fact-that-some_2682417.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a25/seth-shostak-2047_continue_television-is-ephemeral-a-fact-that-some_2682417.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Television is ephemeral, a fact that some will find reassuring. But earthlings will continue to pump the…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We can no better imagine what will be happening on the moon 500 years from now than Columbus could imagine contemporary Manhattan. Except to say that it will be a place familiar to billions of people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/we-can-no-better-imagine-what-will-be-happening-on-the-moon-500-years/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/seth-shostak-2047_better_we-can-no-better-imagine-what-will-be-ha_531170.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/seth-shostak-2047_better_we-can-no-better-imagine-what-will-be-ha_531170.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/seth-shostak-2047_better_we-can-no-better-imagine-what-will-be-ha_531170.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We can no better imagine what will be happening on the moon 500 years from now than Columbus could imagine…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It bears mentioning that the Milky Way is only one of 150 billion galaxies visible to our telescopes - and each of these will have its own complement of planets.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/it-bears-mentioning-that-the-milky-way-is-only-one-of-150-billion/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/seth-shostak-2047_bears_it-bears-mentioning-that-the-milky-way-i_3133384.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/seth-shostak-2047_bears_it-bears-mentioning-that-the-milky-way-i_3133384.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/seth-shostak-2047_bears_it-bears-mentioning-that-the-milky-way-i_3133384.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It bears mentioning that the Milky Way is only one of 150 billion galaxies visible to our telescopes - and…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the four years since its launch, Kepler has chalked up 122 new and confirmed planets. It's also caught the scent of nearly three thousand additional objects, of which probably 80 percent or more will turn out to be other-worldly orbs.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/in-the-four-years-since-its-launch-kepler-has-chalked-up-122-new-and/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af3/seth-shostak-2047_additional_in-the-four-years-since-its-launch-keple_2937583.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af3/seth-shostak-2047_additional_in-the-four-years-since-its-launch-keple_2937583.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af3/seth-shostak-2047_additional_in-the-four-years-since-its-launch-keple_2937583.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In the four years since its launch, Kepler has chalked up 122 new and confirmed planets. It's also caught…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our brains are continuing to evolve, and perhaps a few tens of thousands of years from now, our descendants will walk around with five pound brains, allowing them insights that we can't imagine.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/our-brains-are-continuing-to-evolve-and-perhaps-a-few-tens-of/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/seth-shostak-2047_allowing_our-brains-are-continuing-to-evolve-and_1911689.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/seth-shostak-2047_allowing_our-brains-are-continuing-to-evolve-and_1911689.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/seth-shostak-2047_allowing_our-brains-are-continuing-to-evolve-and_1911689.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our brains are continuing to evolve, and perhaps a few tens of thousands of years from now, our descendants…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It seems obvious that if a species has the brainpower for speech, along with the sort of appendages that can manipulate a pair of pliers, it will eventually blunder into science, technology, and radio.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/it-seems-obvious-that-if-a-species-has-the-brainpower-for-speech/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35d/seth-shostak-2047_along_it-seems-obvious-that-if-a-species-has-t_220568.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35d/seth-shostak-2047_along_it-seems-obvious-that-if-a-species-has-t_220568.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35d/seth-shostak-2047_along_it-seems-obvious-that-if-a-species-has-t_220568.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It seems obvious that if a species has the brainpower for speech, along with the sort of appendages that can…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every day, the temperature of Sol's surface increases by five billionths of a degree, a change of no consequence for thousands of millennia to come. But a few hundred million years from now, barring a fix by our descendants, this relentless heating will substantially change Earth's biosphere in ways that might not be survivable for us.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/every-day-the-temperature-of-sol-s-surface-increases-by-five/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/seth-shostak-2047_change_every-day-the-temperature-of-sol-s-surfa_1863337.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/seth-shostak-2047_change_every-day-the-temperature-of-sol-s-surfa_1863337.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/seth-shostak-2047_change_every-day-the-temperature-of-sol-s-surfa_1863337.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Every day, the temperature of Sol's surface increases by five billionths of a degree, a change of no…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There will be an end point to how good TV pictures can get. The boob tube has hugely benefited from the rapid advance of digital electronics. Consequently, the strategy for hardware has changed. In the old days, sets had to be as simple as Elmer Fudd to keep them inexpensive. All the technical 'smarts' were at the transmitter end.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/there-will-be-an-end-point-to-how-good-tv-pictures-can-get-the-boob/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/seth-shostak-2047_advance_there-will-be-an-end-point-to-how-good-t_235236.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/seth-shostak-2047_advance_there-will-be-an-end-point-to-how-good-t_235236.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/seth-shostak-2047_advance_there-will-be-an-end-point-to-how-good-t_235236.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There will be an end point to how good TV pictures can get. The boob tube has hugely benefited from the…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 11, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our computers double in capability on time scales of only a few years. It's hardly outrageous to believe that we will successfully develop thinking machines within a handful of decades, or at most a century or two. If that happens, these artificial sentients will quickly leave us behind.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/our-computers-double-in-capability-on-time-scales-of-only-a-few-years/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/seth-shostak-2047_artificial_our-computers-double-in-capability-on-ti_248626.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/seth-shostak-2047_artificial_our-computers-double-in-capability-on-ti_248626.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/seth-shostak-2047_artificial_our-computers-double-in-capability-on-ti_248626.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our computers double in capability on time scales of only a few years. It's hardly outrageous to believe…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 12, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The usual metric for whether a planet is habitable or not is to ascertain whether liquid water could exist on its surface. Most worlds will either be too cold, too hot or of a type (like Jupiter) that may have no solid surface and be swaddled in noxious gases.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/the-usual-metric-for-whether-a-planet-is-habitable-or-not-is-to/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/seth-shostak-2047_ascertain_the-usual-metric-for-whether-a-planet-is_3066973.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/seth-shostak-2047_ascertain_the-usual-metric-for-whether-a-planet-is_3066973.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/seth-shostak-2047_ascertain_the-usual-metric-for-whether-a-planet-is_3066973.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The usual metric for whether a planet is habitable or not is to ascertain whether liquid water could exist…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 13, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "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 of my own job description. Others don't inevitably agree. Some will opine that there are better ways to spend the money.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/while-i-have-always-thought-that-the-motivation-for-looking-for-e-t/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b96/seth-shostak-2047_agree_while-i-have-always-thought-that-the-mot_118772.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b96/seth-shostak-2047_agree_while-i-have-always-thought-that-the-mot_118772.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b96/seth-shostak-2047_agree_while-i-have-always-thought-that-the-mot_118772.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“While I have always thought that the motivation for looking for E.T. was both self-evident and patently…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 14, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "By 2020, most home computers will have the computing power of a human brain. That doesn't mean that they are brains, but it means that in terms of raw processing, they can process bits as fast as a brain can. So the question is, how far behind that is the development of a machine that's as smart as we are?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/by-2020-most-home-computers-will-have-the-computing-power-of-a-human/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2a/seth-shostak-2047_behind_by-2020-most-home-computers-will-have-th_323160.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2a/seth-shostak-2047_behind_by-2020-most-home-computers-will-have-th_323160.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2a/seth-shostak-2047_behind_by-2020-most-home-computers-will-have-th_323160.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“By 2020, most home computers will have the computing power of a human brain. That doesn't mean that they are…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 15, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Are two eyes, four appendages and an upright posture really essential for any creature that can ace the galactic SAT's? Maybe not. In fact, I'd venture that any aliens we ever detect or (less likely) encounter will look quite different than this self-referential stereotype.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/are-two-eyes-four-appendages-and-an-upright-posture-really-essential/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad1/seth-shostak-2047_ace_are-two-eyes-four-appendages-and-an-upri_2950292.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad1/seth-shostak-2047_ace_are-two-eyes-four-appendages-and-an-upri_2950292.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad1/seth-shostak-2047_ace_are-two-eyes-four-appendages-and-an-upri_2950292.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Are two eyes, four appendages and an upright posture really essential for any creature that can ace the…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 16, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It will be the mother of all telescopes, and you can bet it will do for astronomy what genome sequencing is doing for biology. The clumsy, if utilitarian, name of this mirrored monster is Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, or LSST. You can't use it yet, but a peak in the Chilean Andes has been decapitated to provide a level spot for placement.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/it-will-be-the-mother-of-all-telescopes-and-you-can-bet-it-will-do/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/seth-shostak-2047_astronomy_it-will-be-the-mother-of-all-telescopes_718921.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/seth-shostak-2047_astronomy_it-will-be-the-mother-of-all-telescopes_718921.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/seth-shostak-2047_astronomy_it-will-be-the-mother-of-all-telescopes_718921.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It will be the mother of all telescopes, and you can bet it will do for astronomy what genome sequencing is…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 17, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Five centuries from now - barring unimaginable catastrophe - the moon will be developed real estate. There's economic incentive to exploit the moon - the helium-3 will be useful in powering fusion reactors, and the rare earth elements could supplant the limited terrestrial supply of these materials.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/five-centuries-from-now-barring-unimaginable-catastrophe-the-moon/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/seth-shostak-2047_catastrophe_five-centuries-from-now-barring-unimagin_1622764.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/seth-shostak-2047_catastrophe_five-centuries-from-now-barring-unimagin_1622764.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/seth-shostak-2047_catastrophe_five-centuries-from-now-barring-unimagin_1622764.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Five centuries from now - barring unimaginable catastrophe - the moon will be developed real estate. There's…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 18, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Of course there is still unexplored terrestrial territory, but most of it is waterlogged. Submersed secret places, such as the Challenger Deep, which today lure hi-tech adventurers like Richard Branson and James Cameron, will undoubtedly provide welcome fodder for 'National Geographic.'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/of-course-there-is-still-unexplored-terrestrial-territory-but-most-of/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/seth-shostak-2047_cameron_of-course-there-is-still-unexplored-terr_1054591.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/seth-shostak-2047_cameron_of-course-there-is-still-unexplored-terr_1054591.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/seth-shostak-2047_cameron_of-course-there-is-still-unexplored-terr_1054591.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Of course there is still unexplored terrestrial territory, but most of it is waterlogged. Submersed secret…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 19, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Today's voguish threats, including climate change, population growth, massive war, and resource depletion, are all amenable to a fix if we act prudently. And even if we don't, these problems are incapable of obliterating all of humanity, let alone destroying the Earth. No, the real End of Days will happen slowly, as the Sun ages.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/today-s-voguish-threats-including-climate-change-population-growth/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/seth-shostak-2047_act_today-s-voguish-threats-including-climat_2414609.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/seth-shostak-2047_act_today-s-voguish-threats-including-climat_2414609.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/seth-shostak-2047_act_today-s-voguish-threats-including-climat_2414609.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Today's voguish threats, including climate change, population growth, massive war, and resource depletion…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 20, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Mining asteroids is a well-oiled trope of science-fiction. But someday, actually doing it will make economic sense. Many of the essential metals of our society, such as platinum, copper and zinc, are rapidly becoming scarce. The asteroids might offer a replacement supply, providing the materials our descendants will need for a high quality life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/mining-asteroids-is-a-well-oiled-trope-of-science-fiction-but-someday/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/352/seth-shostak-2047_actually_mining-asteroids-is-a-well-oiled-trope-o_595601.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/352/seth-shostak-2047_actually_mining-asteroids-is-a-well-oiled-trope-o_595601.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/352/seth-shostak-2047_actually_mining-asteroids-is-a-well-oiled-trope-o_595601.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mining asteroids is a well-oiled trope of science-fiction. But someday, actually doing it will make economic…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 21, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "On Mars, where the air is spare - a hundred times less dense than on Earth - someone could hear you scream. But you'd have to really strain to get anyone's attention. On the Red Planet, where the wind is high-pitched and faint, even a symphony orchestra will sound as thin as cheap gruel.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Shostak" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/on-mars-where-the-air-is-spare-a-hundred-times-less-dense-than-on/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/seth-shostak-2047_air_on-mars-where-the-air-is-spare-a-hundred_2439579.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/seth-shostak-2047_air_on-mars-where-the-air-is-spare-a-hundred_2439579.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/seth-shostak-2047_air_on-mars-where-the-air-is-spare-a-hundred_2439579.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“On Mars, where the air is spare - a hundred times less dense than on Earth - someone could hear you scream…” — Seth Shostak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/seth-shostak/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/seth-shostak/", "name": "Will Quotes by Seth Shostak", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/seth-shostak/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/seth-shostak-2047_astronomy_star-trek-s-genial-premise-is-that-the-c_2582662.png" }, "description": "21 Will quotes by Seth Shostak. Plus more from Seth Shostak and more Will sayings from other authors.", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/seth-shostak/#breadcrumb" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/seth-shostak/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Topics", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Will", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "name": "Seth Shostak", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/seth-shostak/" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```