Are We Alone? with Jill Tarter

About This Episode

Are we alone in the universe? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Matt Kirshen sit down with one of the founders of the SETI Institute, Jill Tarter, to explore the search for intelligent life beyond Earth, technosignatures, The Drake Equation, and more.

Jill shares how programming early computers led her to a career scanning the cosmos, and why brown dwarfs once seemed like the answer to the galaxy’s “missing mass.” She addresses public suspicions of government coverups, explains what SETI actually listens for, and reveals why radio waves remain the best bet for detecting interstellar communication.

From AI-assisted data analysis to infrared and optical searches, we learn about the evolving toolkit for detecting technosignatures. What exactly are we “listening” for? Listener questions prompt discussions on the detectability of Earth, the ethics of first contact, and how religion might shape humanity’s response. We learn how little of the cosmic “ocean” we’ve actually sampled, why longevity in the Drake Equation matters, and whether faster-than-light communication is possible. Along the way, Jill reflects on the thrill and the stakes of answering one of humanity’s most profound questions.

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