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

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

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

— 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

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

It's hardly a secret that I'm skeptical of declarations that the aliens are out and about on our planet. Still, I try…

— Seth Shostak

Three-fourths of the universe is hydrogen, and oxygen is incredibly abundant, too. So H2O is something you can find nearly everywhere.

— Seth Shostak

In the four years since its launch, Kepler has chalked up 122 new and confirmed planets. It's also caught the scent of…

— Seth Shostak

Disasters happen. We still have no way to eliminate earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes, floods or droughts. We cope as best we can by…

— Seth Shostak

It bears mentioning that the Milky Way is only one of 150 billion galaxies visible to our telescopes - and each of…

— Seth Shostak

Faith is a personal matter, and should never be a cudgel to stifle inquiry. We tried that approach about 1,200 years ago.…

— Seth Shostak

A practical way to travel between the stars is a must-have for space opera, and a sine qua non for our frequently…

— Seth Shostak

A factory that can turn carbon nanotubes into a sheet a yard wide and long enough to stretch one-fourth of the way…

— Seth Shostak

Lamentably, alien audiences may be frustrated by the switch to digital television. That's because the transmitter power for DTV is fairly evenly…

— Seth Shostak

The bottom line is that finding orphan planets - small, faint, and located who-knows-where - is not for the faint of heart.…

— Seth Shostak

Recent results from astronomers who study the occasional gravitational lensing of unknown worlds by intervening stars suggest that orphan planets could be…

— Seth Shostak

Are two eyes, four appendages and an upright posture really essential for any creature that can ace the galactic SAT's? Maybe not.…

— Seth Shostak

As far as I can tell, the only unambiguous consequence of the claimed invasion of Earth by beings from another star system…

— Seth Shostak

When I graduated high school, nearly a half-million people subscribed to 'Popular Electronics' magazine. Soldering up some radio or hi-fi amplifier on…

— Seth Shostak

It will be the mother of all telescopes, and you can bet it will do for astronomy what genome sequencing is doing…

— Seth Shostak

The strongest signals leaking off our planet are radar transmissions, not television or radio. The most powerful radars, such as the one…

— 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

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

— Seth Shostak

Charles Darwin sailed around the world for two years on the 'Beagle,' and he had quite a bit of interest in things…

— Seth Shostak

The bottom line is, like, one in five stars has at least one planet where life might spring up. That's a fantastically…

— Seth Shostak

I think a lot of kids are interested in two science subjects: dinosaurs and aliens. The reason is almost genetic; we're hard-wired…

— Seth Shostak

In general, when moviemakers talk to scientists, they usually see them as a resource to solve particular technical problems or script problems…

— Seth Shostak

Five centuries ago, Copernicus upset humanity's applecart with the news that the Earth is not the center of the cosmos. It could…

— Seth Shostak

Our brains are continuing to evolve, and perhaps a few tens of thousands of years from now, our descendants will walk around…

— Seth Shostak

Engineers are now experimenting with 4,096-line TV systems, suggesting that with the next generation of sets you'll be able to count the…

— Seth Shostak

It's always a tough call deciding whether, as a scientist, you should argue publicly with the creationists. It's a dilemma that I…

— Seth Shostak

Junk, redundancy, and inefficiency characterize astrophysical signals. It seems they characterize cells and sea lions, too. These biological constructions have lots of…

— Seth Shostak

The planets and moons of our solar system are blatantly visible because they reflect sunlight. Without the nearby Sun, these planets would…

— Seth Shostak

It seems obvious that if a species has the brainpower for speech, along with the sort of appendages that can manipulate a…

— Seth Shostak

Admittedly, it would take industrial-grade chutzpah and a massive dose of malevolence for anyone to bulldoze the spot where Neil Armstrong stepped…

— Seth Shostak

Virtually any pointed edifice is considered a candidate for alien engineering. After all, how could the Egyptians or Mayans have possibly stacked…

— Seth Shostak