Can We Find Intelligent Life? With Dr. Jill Tarter

Do intelligent aliens exist? Can we find intelligent life? Will we know it if we find alien life?
Dr. Jill Tarter served as Project Scientist for NASA’s SETI program. Most people are now familiar with her work as portrayed by Jodie Foster in the movie Contact.
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00:00:00 Intro
00:01:52 Bio
00:03:12 Why SETI?
00:07:14 What is special about the hydrogen line?
00:08:20 How many channels does SETI monitor?
00:11:48 Universal signals?
00:14:00 Aliens pointing a beacon at earth
00:23:08 Sifting through the mountains of data
00:25:10 The WOW! Signal
00:28:40 Do we see Transient Wow! Signals?
00:30:30 What happens when you find a signal?
00:33:30 How much of the Galaxy have we searched?
00:35:25 Searching close stars?
00:36:16 Searching our solar system
00:39:50 Value of radio SETI
00:42:11 UAP UFO question
00:43:35 Jill Tarter UFO story
00:46:48 Carl Sagan and Contact
00:53:25 Will we know it if we find it?
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FOOTAGE:
NASA
ESA/Hubble
ESO - M.Kornmesser
ESO - L.Calcada
ESO - Jose Francisco Salgado (josefrancisco.org)
NAOJ
University of Warwick
Goddard Visualization Studio
Langley Research Center
Pixabay

[@EventHorizonShow]

What do you think? Can we find intelligent life? Will being able to study transient signals change our understanding?

[@joshf9074]

I think James Webb is going to open the floodgates of intelligent life. I have a PHD in watching all of your videos so my opinion holds some weight imo.

[@BreaknBrad]

Absolutely! Only a matter of time… let’s go JWST!

[@DAYBROK3]

Can we find it here in general? I'm giving up hope with the masses.

[@jamescollier3]

Are we broadcasting for aliens? no. So why would they send light that takes millions of years here?

[@csehszlovakze]

I believe other intelligent life is just too far away. Let's say they're 50000 ly away, if they blew up their first nuke we won't know until 50 millennia has passed. Then you look at the time it'd take to actually go there...

[@neptunethemystic]

Incredible John, you've done it again. The legend herself, Jill Tarter!!

[@InquisitorMatthewAshcraft]

The Goddess of SETI, yes!!!

[@MuscarV2]

You must have been so damn excited for this, to talk with and listen to a person so iconic in a field that means so much to you. I've been grinning from ear to ear throughout this whole episode, both for being able to listen to this and being so excited for you that you got this opportunity. It's well deserved, superb as always!

[@JohnMichaelGodier]

I was indeed, a high point of the show for sure.

[@StevenWilliams66]

Conquer!

[@realzachfluke1]

@@JohnMichaelGodier Do you think you would've believed it if a future John tachyon-called you before starting up your original KZbin channel and told you that this is where you were headed, and in such a short time period? I mean not the tachyon part lol, but I'm sure you know what I mean. Because I think it's just absolutely remarkable how far you've come, and it's been a joy to watch from my perspective.

[@JohnMichaelGodier]

​@@realzachfluke1 Oh jeez no. I could have never predicted what happened, and in 2016 when I posted my first video I'd have laughed if anyone would have called me on the tachyonic anti telephone and told me what I'd be doing in 2021. But I'll take it, and I love it, and now it's all about doing the best job I can.

[@jonbraid2520]

I saw a UFO come over me where I work. It was perfectly smooth, spherical ball of bright blue/white light. It was moving so slowly that it should have fallen out of the sky. It was completely silent with no heat haze or sign of propulsion at all definitely anti gravity craft. How can this scientist "explain away" this one then???

[@bakfixx]

Not very optimistic that SETI will "recognize" an alien signal. I say this because the very nature of their work relies on numerous parameters be met by a signal. In a sense, SETI is dictating what an alien signal should look like. This strategy pushes aside true "objectivity" in that we should gather information, discount nothing, learn from the data, and reserve judgement as to what's Alien and what's not (unless it's obviously "natural"). There seems to be too much data that is being pushed aside because it doesn't meet a predetermined definition of "alien intelligence". If SETI were set up in a forest to evaluate "noise", would it define a birds vocalizations as "natural", "artificial", or "intelligent"?

[@st3venseagal248]

I want a three way battle between John, Anna and Dr. Tarter for who has the most aesthetically pleasing voice.

[@godless-clump-of-cells]

Anna, definitely Anna.

[@InquisitorMatthewAshcraft]

Anna wins hands down.

[@mr.nobody9697]

the first 5 words had me a bit worried on where you were going with this.

[@Katie-ry4lj]

Dr.Tarter for sure. Anna sounds like every robot on every British reality TV show.

[@StevenWilliams66]

The entire time hearing Jill's voice I was envisioning Jodi Foster. Dr. Jill really brings things down to earth. Im pretty sure after listening to this Ill never know the answer to the question 'are we alone' in my lifetime. But thats ok.

[@EventHorizonShow]

Hopefully we find the answer.

[@notgerhardnotrichter4951]

Please bring Prof. Erling Strand from Norway to speak about his decade long research on the so called "Hessdalen Lights" phenomenon. It is wonderful work that included his university, students and other researchers. His findings are very interesting including pictures, radar sig als and other material. Really good story!

[@EventHorizonShow]

Will look into it. Thanks.

[@doncarlodivargas5497]

If aliens for some reason decide to fly around in hessdalen they can not be very intelligent, why in the world are they doing there?

[@cloudridermrbliss7085]

@@doncarlodivargas5497 Enjoying the beauty??

[@doncarlodivargas5497]

@@cloudridermrbliss7085 - travelling billions of lightyears trough space to swish randomly around in a valley in rural areas? No other places to go?

[@SevenSixTwo2012]

@@doncarlodivargas5497 Big cities suck, are full of narcissistic self-entitled yuppies, plus they're crime-infested and dangerous. Intelligent aliens would know this. Duhhh!

[@henryseldon6077]

Dr. Jill Tarter is such a pleasure to listen to, her explanations are easy to digest and her commitment really comes through. What as great guest, thank you so much.

[@jamiegagnon6390]

When I was a child, Red Skelton did a skit that has always seemed applicable to our search for other life. A man comes upon a drunk carefully searching the ground under a streetlight. When asked what he is looking for, the drunk says he has lost a coin (bus fare? phone?) which he needs. The man begins helping him to look. After some time the newcomer asks where the drunk was standing when he dropped the coin and the drunk points to the other side of the street. The flabbergasted newcomer asks why the drunk isn't looking over there. The drunk tells him there is no point looking over there since there is no light.... We look where we can, not necessarily where we will find anything...

[@GrimeHouseBeatz]

The real reason why he havnt heard or discovered a signal yet is very simple. We've only been looking for 50 years lol which is basically a fraction of a fraction of a second in time and 2nd because of everything is so damn far away. Like unfathomably so. If after 20,000 or 100,000 years of looking and not finding anything then I'd start feeling worried and drawing some conclusions...although even then might be too early. I don't even think scientists or SETI themselves understand just how big the universe is. It's very hard for human brains to wrap our head around it and clogs our expectations. We're talking on the scale of millions and billions of years for things to travel around.

[@EventHorizonShow]

They understand. But yes. We’ve barely looked.

[@ashhitchner9184]

I love the idea of aliens being interested in us much like we find ants interesting. I don't know if there's any Dragon Ball fans around here but, I feel like at least one alien scientist would be much like Beerus, interested in us merely for the many foods we create! It's a fun thought at least haha.

[@EventHorizonShow]

Are you suggesting Vegeta is on his way here?!?

[@ashhitchner9184]

@@EventHorizonShow If so, I hope we can find a really convincing Bulma cosplayer so he has a good reason to protect Earth lol!

[@kylekissack4633]

Love the idea that some humans make molten medal cast of ant nest? the ants are usually gone first..I think lol

[@eduardolima6191]

Just think of it as what if we find an alien civilization far less advanced than us , living just as we humans lived 2,000 years ago . We would still be very, very interested in them . Now imagine if we could contact them , I'm pretty sure we would guide them or trade with them . Just like some conspiracy theories says the US gov already contacted aliens and traded technologies with them. That's a plausible argument.

[@IamINERT]

Yes! Its so interesting

[@ceoofupfuckery.8561]

Of last year, this is by far my favourite episode. I've listened to the whole thing twice and probably about 11 failed attempts while falling asleep.

[@TagiukGold]

I met Dr. Tarter in the late '90s when she gave a guest lecture at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She is impressive in both her accomplishments and enthusiasm.

[@SS-ud6nt]

She has no enthusiasm she is smart though

[@ghostcat5303]

What a wonderfully humble way to describe a famous author basing a role on you.

[@tossedpenny]

I'm 50 years old and can still thoroughly entertain myself for great lengths of time with the same sense of awe and wonder I had as a child just watching ants going about their day's work. I'm sure other advanced civilizations would share our same curiosity. I can't imagine traveling countless light years across the galaxy only to arrive destination and then say "Meh, I'm bored. Let's go home."

[@HassanGaba1]

It was a treat to listen to her. Every word out of her mouth spoke volumes about the depth of her knowledge in this field

[@oscopin74]

Drones are definitely a big part of these newer UAP reportings. I Colorado there were MANY reports of UAPs but it turns out someone(still unknown who) was flying mass drones programmed to a specific flight pattern so they all flew in unison. Just 1 example of people not quite sure what what they're seeing. Once again. Another GREAT episode. Love this channel.

[@AlbertaNewf1]

Wow that was simply awesome!!! Thanks John for bringing us interviews like this!

[@talkingmudcrab718]

I've listened to this three times now, and once with my daughter. She needed a good "pep talk" coming up to the end of her first semester this school year. Great interview (as always!). Thanks John.

[@EventHorizonShow]

Wonderful!

[@jonhjorleifurstefansson881]

I just want to thank you for this program in general. It has increased my interest in astronomy as well as in the scientific question of extraterrestrial life. I find it both educational, captivating, and professional. And I like the background music :)

[@JohnMichaelGodier]

You are most welcome :)

[@graemebrumfitt6668]

Well that was just Grand, Great chat/listen, great guest, great subject all whilst model making. Oh it's good to be alive :) Two of my faves so far John, Dr Jill and Patricia Ann Straat, by the way thanks for pointing me to Patricia's book! Great read. I think now I will go put on Contact, Cheers John. TFS, GB :)

[@eduardolima6191]

One hour long episode about SETI !!! 🥳🤤🤩

[@RogerM88]

Space Telescopes brought so many breakthrough scientific discoveries, that NASA should focus their budget in building more of them. As starting to build the LUVOIR Space Telescope, and a big Radio Telescope on the far side of the Moon.

[@seanfried5583]

She has the best voice and delivery for late night listening. The two of you together is gold.

[@doggedout]

I like her! She remains a skeptic... Also she even sounds like Jody Foster! (Also too: It's never aliens.)

[@roseg2239]

Aliens definitely exist.

[@chromabotia]

Brilliant interview with a giant in the field. Another best show ever...

[@EventHorizonShow]

A highlight for sure.

[@arthurwigglesby8590]

JMG is simply the best. Love these intriguing conversations!

[@MCsCreations]

Fantastic interview, JMG! Dr. Jill Tarter is amazing! 😃 But something I kept thinking about... Instead of a BIG radio observatory on the far side of the Moon wouldn't it be more interesting - and cheaper! - to put a few of them, but much smaller, covering a even bigger area? Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@EventHorizonShow]

Thank you MC

[@stt5v2002]

Question. Is there a point in trying to detect an alien civilization in another galaxy? Is this within our technological capability? If intelligent life is rare, it’s quite possible that there is little or none in our galaxy but still many civilizations in other galaxies.

[@JohnMichaelGodier]

Yes and no. It really depends on what the civilization in the other galaxy is doing. If they are merely emitting radio, then it's not likely that we could detect that. But if they were doing odd stuff like kicking out all the dangerous stars within their galaxy to lower supernova rates, then in principle that could be detected where a galaxy is unnaturally reddened. Another option might be if they encased most of the galaxy's stars in Dyson spheres or similar megastructures, in which case the galaxy in question would look pretty unnatural in infrared. But distance here is a real problem, since we see most galaxies in the observable universe in a state where they probably didn't have enough time to form a galactic civilization, but that is debated.

[@jackturner4917]

@@JohnMichaelGodier Regarding civilizations in other galaxies, doesn't the lack of waste heat coming from the nearest 100,000 galaxies bother you? The WISE Survey results certainly bothers me. I know it doesn't discount intelligent life, just the fact that no civilization is building mega structures. Insignificant by itself but taken with the totality of information that we currently know, the picture of us being a fluke is starting to become clearer.

[@DrMackSplackem]

@@jackturner4917 A fluke or perhaps the first.

[@thehappyatheist1931]

So happy you guys now have a podcast. Love this channel.

[@blaircolquhoun7780]

I hope so and I hope they're friendly, Maybe they'll send us plans for either a warp drive or wormhole induction propulsion.

[@VideographerExperience]

*WoW!* Perhaps the signal was stray accumulation of static electricity near 1 of the antennae. [Since as Dr. Tarter pointed out there was no confirmation of signal in the other antenna.]

[@Zab_SB]

John thankyou so much for these videos and all you content, it really is a highlight for me and it's made a real difference to myself these past few years.

[@EventHorizonShow]

Great to hear!

[@mikeyoung9810]

When I was about 13 (1968) in rural kansas I went out in the back of our property after dark to burn the trash in a barrel but before I got there I bright light shot up from the ground in front of me and went straight up until it went out of sight. I never knew what it was but I never really thought of it as a ufo. It was very remote (nearest neighbors were a mile on either side of us). Just lots of timber and fields and tree lines.

[@jonwestmore4750]

I am in so much aww listening to her speak. Thanks so much for this! Fantastic interview! Love the blunt, no-nonsense style she uses when she speaks.

[@RobRoss]

I’m glad to hear you say you are skeptical that aliens are already here among us. I listened to another episode some time back where the guest seemed eager to believe they were and you seemed to be agreeing with him. I now see you were just being respectful to him as an interviewer. As a scientist, I am open to the possibility. As a good Bayesian though, I must conclude they are not here, because the probability is statistically insignificant.

[@Swampzoid]

John's and Jill's voices are both so soothing to listen to.

[@Stoned2TheBone69]

Have a question. So if an alien civilization sent a signal to Earth from how ever far away they are let's say 1000 light years away. Wouldn't the earth be loooong gone from the position where the signal was sent too? Wouldn't the signal just miss us? I'm guessing that earth would move quite a distance in a 1000 years.

[@nnamdioffor4362]

They would send the signal to the position where the Earth will be in 1000 years, not the position where they see the Earth now, accounting for the 1000 light-year delay. This is similar to what we do when we send any spacecraft to another body in the solar system, Perseverance blasted off on a trajectory for where Mars would be in Feb 2021, not where Mars was when it launched in July 2020.

[@steveclark2205]

Great question 🤔 I'd also love to know more about the process 👍🏻👌🏻🙃

[@JohnVance]

Dr. Tarter was a joy to learn from. One of your best episodes yet!

[@MiguelJohnson]

Man I was watching this video again today. I LOVE those epic intros with John with the main theme. Just EPIC. :) And Dr. Jill Tarter is just awesome!

[@EventHorizonShow]

Was just thinking about you Miguel! Hope you’ve been well.

[@dirzz]

Great interview!

[@warrenalberts6321]

Just found this gem! Well done John and team.

[@211212112]

She makes a good point about the WOW Signal. However, I have a different take away. What percentage of em radiation based communications would pass all the tests to be considered genuine. I know I don’t send too many repeating/prolonged signals.

[@hireahitCA]

Such a great interview. Jill, thank you!

[@bobmorr2892]

In the four and a half billion year history of this planet we've only been putting out radio signals for about 100 years so someone'looking like SETI for us before then would never have seen us. My point is we have to use better ways of looking for life on other planets.

[@timmcdraw7568]

This is such a wonderful, wonderful interview. Thank you.

[@EventHorizonShow]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@gluonone]

Great episode John!

[@Reformsqua]

Many of these scientists are interesting in terms of their experience and knowledge but they seem to lack the passion and enthusiasm that inherently inspires people. Where’s the excitement?!

[@kenm1167]

Spend decades browsing seti data spreadsheets and get back to us ;)

[@Reformsqua]

@@kenm1167 I don’t buy that as an excuse for lack of enthusiasm, she’s not limited to that one vocation. She’s respected enough that she could do anything she wants. I don’t feel the passion

[@willinwoods]

Dunning-Kruger? The more you learn, the better you know to manage your expectations and temper your statements. I personally very much prefer this cautious approach, over Avi Loeb's borderline sensationalism... I think he's going to be crying wolf enough for anyone to stop listening.

[@Reformsqua]

@@willinwoods crying wolf doesn’t equal speaking with enthusiasm and passion

[@leofonseca8144]

@@willinwoods Agreed. Dumbing it down a bit too much and yeah the emotionallity and policy management jabs by Avi.. vs she is clear and succint in her communication..

[@nias2631]

It would be cool if SETI were to set up a data firehose like Twitter had. That way hobbyists could run their ML learners on it and see what they can find. More eyes on the problem wouldn't be a bad thing. The piggy-backing on observing time is going to call for a lot of data to be tossed. If something odd is below SETI protocols maybe a hobbyist will stumble on it. This type of thing has happened with exo-planets in old data.

[@DrBrianKeating]

She is the QUEEN of the Cosmos!

[@gluonone]

And who is the King?

[@JohnMichaelGodier]

@@gluonone Rick James

[@gluonone]

@@JohnMichaelGodier excellent!

[@unlv22222]

What Im shocked by is why nobody asks the question regarding SETI philosophy regarding the hypocrisy that exists as it relates to the fact that we assume an intelligent civilization would be constantly broadcasting on the "hydrogen line" but we, ourselves--as an intelligent species--dont even do that. We have all these theories about what to look for (ie hydrogen line signals, laser communication, etc) but we dont do that ourselves. Its mind-boggling.

[@JohnMichaelGodier]

I did. The answer is that modern SETI scans billions of channels simultaneously rather than any single channel like 1420 mhz. This is a development of relatively recent technological advance. If you look at older SETI surveys such as Ohio State they focused on 1420 because it was the best bet, but they were working with a radio telescope specifically designed to survey and map hydrogen clouds in the galaxy around 1420. When that survey was finished, it just required rewiring the receiver with off the shelf components to monitor 50 channels just above the hydrogen line to do their SETI experiment. But ultimately the equipment they had at the time limited what they could do. This is no longer the case, you can monitor wide swaths of the spectrum easily these days. And we once did blast loudly at 1420. It's a solidly good frequency for a number of uses. But back in the 70's, the spectrum was still relatively open, so an international agreement could be made that banned transmission at that frequency to leave it open for radio astronomy. You could never sell that today, given our crowded frequencies. So had that agreement not happened when it could, we'd be using that frequency today. So it was really only the luck of the draw that it got set aside. Aliens very likely didn't have the same history with that frequency, so they could well use it.

[@unlv22222]

@@JohnMichaelGodier But here is my question then: we are expecting other civilizations to be actively broadcasting but, yet, we do not? What if they have the same thought process? Sure, we have sent random, short messages out into the cosmos (ie, the Arecibo message that was sent out), but the chances that those random, short messages get noticed are infinitesimaly small. Maybe thats what happened with the Wow signal. How incredibly frustrating. Why dont we just commit to intentionally, actively broadcasting so that it doesnt take a stroke of pure luck to make contact? It wouldn't even have to be on a radio frequency, either, because I get that we don't have a dedicated frequency available anymore. I have read about concentrated lasers being something we have thought about might be sent out by another advanced civilization trying to make contact. In any event, my point is that it appears that our general philosophy is hoping that another advanced civilization is actively broadcasting ANYTHING while we sit back not attempting to reciprocate to increase the odds of contact.

[@JohnMichaelGodier]

@@unlv22222 Well, we do broadcast constantly and very powerfully though. While actual radio stations and emissions like that wouldn't be visible at a distance, our radar very well could be. And we blast it out 24/7, 365 days a year all across the planet since about the end of world war II. If you have an alien civilization within 70 light years, if they've been doing astronomy, they'd know of this weird exoplanet with the strange oxygen levels and methane levels that indicate a biosphere, and has done so for hundreds of millions of years. So if they were looking periodically directly at us for radio since we started using radar, bingo, they'd see it and know it was technologically produced. They'd need a really large radio telescope, but who knows what aliens have or do not have. Radar is stupidly useful, especially if you want to map asteroids and track spacecraft, but you need higher energy to do it on an interplanetary scale. We once did, using Arecibo, and anyone in the galaxy with a SETI experiment that happens to catch that as it propagates out would know it was artificial. As we progress, we'll probably constantly bombard the solar system with radar, as we do earth right now, so it's reasonable to expect that we might see some alien civilization's radar if we looked right at them, which is what targeted SETI searches do these days. It's been said that radar is what Wow sort of looked like. Raw narrowband radio energy at very high power. Cant say for sure without picking it up again, but if it were of alien origin that would be a good starting point to figuring it out. Of course, no one's going to be happy without a signal with a message, but radar would answer the question. It would be unmistakably technological.

[@unlv22222]

@@JohnMichaelGodier Thank you for that in-depth reaponse. Much appreciated. Love the channel!

[@gagarinone]

@@JohnMichaelGodier This very high RF power levels are very directed. Radar is not radiant. I suggest that you interview a radar and rf engineer, and ask him/her some questions about the visibility of our radar to other solar system.

[@ForgtheFrog]

What a privilege to be able to listen to this. Thank you John and Jill Tarter!

[@hydra9006]

It's great to see her on again. My only issue is that she said she'd discard the Wow! signal for not repeating. But we've sent messages that didn't repeat, so if it had been aliens we'd never know.

[@amangogna68]

Great video information !

[@MikeKinney8675]

John I have learned more from your channel, than I could read or watch anywhere else.

[@nicholasmills6489]

We can find intelligent alien life by looking for their means of communication and travel. We need to learn how to identify quantum communications and worm holes etc. Advanced aliens will not be communicating using ratio waves but through instantaneous quantum communications. We’ve no idea how to spot these events at the moment. I think you solve these two questions, you will find the aliens and in abundance. IMO.

[@PaoloLery]

Great video thanks

[@jerrypolverino6025]

There are two components to this. One is the question of life elsewhere in the universe. Considering the amount of chances where life might exist it seems reasonable to say it does. The other question is if life is close enough and also intelligent enough to use radios. That is starting to appear more unlikely.

[@Bishop545454]

Dr. Tarter, with all due respect there's a huge difference between seeing a bright light in the night sky and seeing a tic-tsc shaped object hovering above the water in broad daylight.

[@chicagomike4587]

Pretty amazing John - I'm basically fresh out of compliments for you..Jill Tarter? Fantastic - I would have LOVED to hear her thoughts on the "Terrascope" by Dr Kipping - I think it would be something like 50,000 X the sensitivity we have now? A future tool as a wildcard in the SETI game is always cool to speculate on. Going out 500AU to the focal point to use gravitational lensing of our Sun is another one but that would be generational at current speeds. That's why the terrascope interests me so much.

[@mikewysko2268]

Enjoyed the intelligent conversation. More please!😃

[@ankiesiii]

Amazing episode

[@kstaxman2]

A great video thank you for sharing your insight and understanding

[@matthewdavies2057]

What you didn't mention is we've already searched all the most likely stars, several times. Nada. That fact matters. By all means be positive and fund SETI but the silence speaks volumes too.

[@bozo5632]

There's only a Great Silence because of our Great Deafness. Maybe we're alone, but we aren't able to find out yet.

[@zax2153]

Great episode, such a nice lady. It was very exciting to listen.

[@SystemsMedicine]

Alien astrophysicists might want to use narrow band pencil beams, but any alien engineer worth its chemicals, would use spread spectrum techniques for intentional 'hello' transmissions. Thus confining 'listening' to narrow galactically clear radio windows or narrow bands around hydrogen is insufficient. Spread spectrum transmissions would allow signal reception even when the signal strength is below ambient noise.

[@winningblack5112]

People are not just seeing lights with the UAP sightings. Military personnel aren't stupid.

[@karlputz6721]

This was one of the best episodes!

[@phoule76]

Such a great interview.

[@alanbrady420]

I love falling into an event horizon 🧐

[@neilthomas9244]

" And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space 'Cause theres bugger all down here on Earth" The Galaxy song- Monty Python.

[@Teeveepicksures]

i *loved* her slight dig at the wow signal

[@BRUXXUS]

What a wonderful episode! :)

[@reallyryan_]

Awesome as always John 😊

[@brick6347]

The earth is 4.5 billion years old, in a 13 billion year old universe that's got trillions more to go. I think we're probably the ones arrived early to the party. Maybe we're not alone, but i don't think there's many of us (yet).

[@EventHorizonShow]

Early to the party.

[@bozo5632]

The universe was 9 billion years old (very old) before the earth was even formed. Even if you suppose for some reason that 9 billion years is early for life, lots of worlds would have had 1,2,3 or 4 billion years head start on Earth. We've only had language for a few hundred thousand years. That was like two seconds ago. We're probably the youngest.

[@brick6347]

@@bozo5632 9 billion years old is not very old at all when you consider that a red dwarf star has a lifetime of trillions of years. You're looking in the wrong direction.

[@bozo5632]

@@brick6347 That would be even older, but nine billion years is still a long time. Plenty of time, as Earth history shows. And, since the future hasn't happened yet, no I'm not looking there for ET. Planets probably don't have trillion year lifespans, even if their stars do. Cores cool. Gases and water leak away to space. And on a larger scale, star formation slows down, etc. So IMHO this (plus or minus a few billion years) is probably just about the peak time for life and ET civs getting started. (Still, some might have a 10 billion year head start.) Clever civs might live on for trillions of years, but they won't see many new stars or new planets.

[@bunniburtuqoli6987]

@@bozo5632 Unless they are already extinct.

[@messyties]

Love this type of content

[@MCR1565]

Fantastic interview! Thank you!🙏

[@maekong2010]

Great podcast. Thanks a bunch.

[@tabansteintv]

It's strange that we relate technological advancement with Intelligence. We keep looking away, instead of searching within.

[@fredflintstoner596]

Mrs Richards: "I paid for a room with a view !" Basil: (pointing to the lovely view) "That is Torquay, Madam ." Mrs Richards: "It's not good enough!" Basil: "May I ask what you were expecting to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically past?..." Mrs Richards: "Don't be silly! I expect to be able to see the sea!" Basil: "You can see the sea, it's over there between the land and the sky." Mrs Richards: "I'm not satisfied. But I shall stay. But I expect a reduction." Basil: "Why?! Because Krakatoa's not erupting at the moment?"

[@soravscloudstrife]

Really great episode thank you all

[@imtrex521]

Thanks, JMG!

[@DominikJaniec]

very interesting interview :)

[@ElenaRosa8]

Excellent interview and much respect to Dr. Tartar as a pioneer in astrophysics! The work of radio astronomy is important. However, IMO , SETI is not likely to identify ‘ signs of Life’. It’s limited , as Dr. Tarter explained. We need to send deep space AI out beyond our galaxy/ and this is thousands of years of exploration.

[@Hotrodstuntman]

John sensational interview as always. I look forward to seeing that notification of a new podcast every week. The only thing with this interview was it felt a tiny bit depressing. After all these years searching all we've found is one marker (WOW) that we cant even be sure what it was as its never repeated. After following the Galileo Project with the incredible Avi, Lue Elizondo and all the current players in the UAP field its starting to appear that these craft exhibit technologies that we cant even understand. Why would they use any technology so antiquated such as radio when they can build craft that appears almost magic to us?

[@bozo5632]

Radio SETI was always a longshot, but it was the only search we were capable of. All they've proved is that there are no ETs deliberately blasting us with radio signals. It was always a longshot. Tech is improving. We'll start a better search soon. We'll have some answers in a couple / few decades.

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

What's so paradoxical is that the more we know about the universe and exoplanets the more it appears that Earth represents an incredibly rare collection of conditions/accidents. So the Copernican principle of mediocrity seems to have missed Earth somehow (most likely because we are here watching). The more I learn about life and cosmology the more it seems like we might be the only intelligent life in the galaxy and possibly even in the observable universe. Funny how when science fails to provide answers that god question creeps back into your mind.

[@JohnMichaelGodier]

I sort of look at it like fire. Hominids mastered fire before we appeared in our anatomically modern form. Yet hundreds of thousands of years later, I've got two pilot lights running in my house 24/7. There are more artificial fires burning on earth than ever in history. So I don't really know if attributes of nature go obsolete quite like technologies do. Another example is radar. I don't really know that you could ever do better with it. You could come up with some extremely energy intensive magic way to do the same thing, but why when radar will do? Same with water, does it go obsolete? So I tend to separate technology from attributes of nature because while one goes obsolete, the attributes of the universe do not appear readily do so for lack of a cheaper alternative. Low hanging fruit is low hanging fruit no matter who you are.

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

@@JohnMichaelGodier That's a fascinating perspective that resonates with my own. Do you think that plays a part in the relative lack of progress in fundamental physics in the last 40-50 years? Do you think we've hit a sort of barrier to entry to the next great discovery that will require the next Einstein or someone of an even greater capacity neurodivergent brain to grok?

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

@David Gibbs Why do you assume these "craft" are even real? I've seen no proof whatsoever that they even exist besides video that appears to be camera artifacts.

[@ancsi7474]

👏👏👏👏👏 Amazing interview!

[@DiippyPurpleCat]

This guys voice is so comforting, helped me sleep so many times

[@pvacaesar2942]

Good stuff

[@mgscheue]

Great interview! I especially liked her thoughts on the Wow! signal.

[@gagarinone]

Worthwhile to know are that we pointing the "Deep Space Network" to communicate with our probes in Deep Space. For that, we use powerful transmitters and satellite dishes to concentrate radio frequency radiation, which was transmitted as short powerful data bursts, to the places in the sky where our probes are. It also means that the concentrated radio frequency radiation reaches beyond our probes, far into space. If some alien Seti scientists have luck and have their antennas pointed to our place in the Milky Way, they can possibly receive our communication, aka powerful data bursts we use to communicate with our probes. These are probably the kind of signals that our Seti researchers have received, but rejected because they have not been continuous.

[@micahross7981]

Your the Man Bro!! Your show is so clear and crisp keep this shit up !!!

[@corwinzelazney5312]

I don't get her mindset on WOW. It's still an anomalous signal that isn't explained, and that should make it worthy of trying to understand. Her attitude sounds a lot more like pique than rationality. And as for sticking to a protocol no matter what, that is NOT a scientific argument, it's an emotional one. You should always be willing to set aside a protocol if something unexpected or unforeseen occurs. That attitude is as baffling as it is offputting. Shostak had a similar perspective. Maybe it's something about SETI. It's just difficult to understand their frame of mind about this particular thing.

[@leofonseca8144]

She explained that it failed the sidereal transition checkpoint/protocol.

[@gagarinone]

Yes, her answer was really strange. Worthwhile to know is that we are pointing the "Deep Space Network" to communicate with our probes in Deep Space. For that, we use powerful transmitters and satellite dishes to concentrate radio frequency radiation, which was transmitted as short powerful data bursts, to the places in the sky where our probes are. It also means that the concentrated radio frequency radiation reaches beyond our probes, far into space. If some alien Seti scientists have luck and have their antennas pointed to our place in the Milky Way, they can possibly receive our communication, aka powerful data bursts we use to communicate with our probes. These are probably the kind of signals that our Seti researchers have received, but rejected because they have not been continuous.

[@jacksonnc8877]

Hello John I have a question Is their any research going on trying to find any communication with the UAPS we have here on earth? I feel it would be worth the search to find out how the UAPS we have here on earth are communicating. Thank you for the amazing podcast.

[@gentlestorm]

Finding intelligent life on earth is hard enough.

[@fydstar]

Like the rational takedown of the Wow signal! Never heard that in any previous discussion of the signal. Not such a wow then?

[@victortorres3776]

Also add what we would call laser communication which is using focused light as a laser or fiber optic as light in those frequencies don’t degrade as much as radio frequencies do

[@edmonlessley4932]

I find your show fascinating. Thank you

[@sulljoh1]

This is a good one

[@TheStefmcd]

Perhaps my event horizon highlight of the year. And that's not an easy accomplishment!

[@MrBonified66]

Fascinating interview thank you.

[@steveclark2205]

Maybe a dumb question but we humans typically use base 10 number system, would 🤔 aliens 👽 necessarily associate 1420 radio band with Hydrogen or would their number system be arbitrarily different?