New Ways to Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

ASX will be holding our monthly Star Talk on October 23 at 8pm. The speaker is Shelley Wright, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics and Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Toronto. The talk will be given in McLennan Physical Labs (60 St George Street). The room is number 102 on the first floor. This is a FREE event and open for all ages.

Shelley Wright received her Ph.D. in Astrophysics at the University of California, Los Angeles. Wright’s research focuses on both innovative astronomical instrumentation and observations using some of the world’s largest optical telescopes. Wright is the Project Scientist for a first light instrument for the future Thirty Meter Telescope. Wright also has been involved with SETI instrumentation and search strategies for over a decade.

Shelley Wright writes, “How common is life in the universe? Is there other intelligent life? These are some of the largest puzzles to understanding our place in the Universe. For over 50 years, astronomers have been conducting the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). These searches have primarily been focused at radio wavelengths, but in the last decade astronomers are thinking of new ways to search for extraterrestrial communication. Our SETI team is focused on carrying out the first SETI effort designed to detect infrared communication beacons from advanced civilizations. I will give an overview of humanity’s quest in finding extraterrestrial intelligence, as well as future methods and programs that are on the horizon.”