Humans have existed only for the last 0.001 percent of cosmic time. All of which says that - unless the Homo sapiens… — Seth Shostak Beyond Copy Share Image
Since the Renaissance, a concept called 'progress' has been baked into our society. Progress - founded on an accumulation of knowledge through… — Seth Shostak Accumulate Copy Share Image
Most of the intelligence out there must be artificial intelligence. We keep looking for critters like us living on a planet like… — Seth Shostak Argument Copy Share Image
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 Basic Copy Share Image
Neil Armstrong was no Christopher Columbus. In most respects, he was better. Unlike the famous fifteenth century seafarer, Armstrong knew where he… — Seth Shostak Armstrong Copy Share Image
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 Always Copy Share Image
The planets and moons of our solar system are blatantly visible because they reflect sunlight. Without the nearby Sun, these planets would… — Seth Shostak Because Copy Share Image
Ever since the infamous quiz show scandals of the 1950s, the feds had insisted that TV game shows be honest - or… — Seth Shostak Answers Copy Share Image
If this is the only planet on which not only life, but intelligent life, has arisen, that would be very unusual. — Seth Shostak Intelligent Copy Share Image
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 Another Copy Share Image
Our brains are wired to interpret shapes as faces and bodies. That's why people see the Virgin Mary in the clouds or… — Seth Shostak Body Copy Share Image
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 Another Copy Share Image
Each year, thousands of UFOs are sighted and reported, which is an impressive tally of unidentified aerial phenomena. Surveys show that roughly… — Seth Shostak Aerial Copy Share Image
The overwhelming bulk of the cosmos is deathly quiet. But here and there - on worlds where matter is thick and conditions… — Seth Shostak Astronomy Copy Share Image
The math is dead simple: it seems that the frequency of planets able to support life is roughly one percent. In other… — Seth Shostak Able Copy Share Image
Today's voguish threats, including climate change, population growth, massive war, and resource depletion, are all amenable to a fix if we act… — Seth Shostak Act Copy Share Image
Scientists - who prefer explanations subject to laboratory tests - figure that everything we see today was as inevitable as wrinkles, once… — Seth Shostak Astronomy Copy Share Image
The bottom line is that finding orphan planets - small, faint, and located who-knows-where - is not for the faint of heart.… — Seth Shostak Bottom Copy Share Image
On Mars, where the air is spare - a hundred times less dense than on Earth - someone could hear you scream.… — Seth Shostak Air Copy Share Image
I got interested in astronomy at the age of 8 because I was looking at an atlas of the planets in my… — Seth Shostak Age Copy Share Image
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 Brains Copy Share Image
Sending greeting cards to aliens is hardly a new idea. In 2005, Craigslist solicited messages for broadcast to space by a transmitter… — Seth Shostak Alien Copy Share Image
The search for extra-terrestrial life is a failure until that moment when it suddenly becomes a success. — Seth Shostak Extras Copy Share Image
When was the last time you bought an American-made radio or television? If you're Gen X or younger, the answer is 'never.'… — Seth Shostak Answer Copy Share Image
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… — Seth Shostak Astronomy Copy Share Image
