From: "Drumm, Dan L." <DRUMM@uwec.edu> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 09:39:44 -0600 Subject: Would life elsewhere unite humand kind? Message-ID: <EEA4CA65D05DC54E874A89D9F51868196765E8A15D@CHERRYCOKE.uwec.edu>
Howdy folks,
Can you imagine how the discovery of life elsewhere in the universe might u
nite the human race.
I just wanted to let you know that you should go see Senior SETI astronomer
Seth Shostak at the UWEC Forum Monday night. Get some friends together an
d come and hear Seth speak. You be glad you did. This guy is bright, funn
y and very insightful. This is not about flying saucers or aliens visiting
earth, this is the real deal - serious science. Our galaxy has an estimate
d 1 trillion planets, and our universe has billions of galaxies. It's real
ly silly to believe we are alone. Some warm-up videos are below, as well as
some information about Seth and SETI.
I just wanted to share these short YouTube videos with all of you. When ta
lking to people about this, I find that few people understand just how larg
e the universe is. I can’t blame them; it is hard for me to comprehend th
e distance from here to Hawaii. It really helps to get a good visual repre
sentation. I could watch these 10 times a day.
If your computer allows, crank up the resolution to 720p and expand to full
screen (lower right of progress bar)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17jymDn0W6U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxXf7AJZ73A HD
EAU CLAIRE — Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the Search for Extraterre
strial Intelligence Institute, will speak Feb. 8 at the University of Wisco
nsin-Eau Claire. The Forum will present his address — "When Will We Find
the Aliens?" — at 7:30 p.m. in Schofield Auditorium.
Shostak participates in the scientific search for intelligent life in the c
osmos at the privately run SETI Institute [www.seti.org] in California, the
research organization that runs the world's most sensitive search for extr
aterrestrial intelligence. The research seeks evidence of life in the unive
rse by looking for some signature of its technology.
Shostak holds a doctorate in astronomy from the California Institute of Tec
hnology and an undergraduate degree in physics from Princeton University. H
e received the Klumpke-Roberts Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pac
ific in 2004, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the public
understanding and appreciation of astronomy. In January Shostak was named
a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, a nonprofit scientific and
educational organization that promotes scientific inquiry, critical thinki
ng, science education and the use of reason in examining important issues.
The Forum program will be interpreted for the deaf and hard of hearing. Sho
stak's presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session and a
n informal reception.
Tickets for The Forum are $8 for the public, $6 for those 62 and older and
UW System or Chippewa Valley Technical College faculty and staff, and $4 fo
r those 17 and younger and UW System or CVTC students. Student tickets are
half-price ($2) until the day of the event; on the day of the event, studen
ts will be required to pay the full student ticket price.
Tickets are available at the Service Center in the east lobby of Davies Cen
ter and will be sold at the door. Patrons also may charge their tickets to
MasterCard, Visa or Discover when ordering by phone. Call 715-836-3727 or,
outside the immediate Eau Claire area, call toll-free 800-949-UWEC.