Instant Genius

Dr Douglas Vakoch: Should we try to contact aliens?

Listen Later

In this week’s episode, I’m talking to Dr Douglas Vakoch, President of Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence, or METI.

We talk about whether we should be broadcasting messages into space to signal our existence to intelligent alien species.

We also discuss how we could create a message that an unknown species of alien could understand.

  • Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
  • Read the full transcription [this will open in a new window]

    Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:

    • Dr Erin Macdonald: Is there science in Star Trek?
    • Bergur Finnbogason: Project Discovery and its search for exoplanets
    • What if the Earth’s magnetic field died? – Jim Al-Khalili
    • Building a base on the Moon, and crafting believable sci-fi – Andy Weir
    • Dr Becky Smethurst: How do you actually find a black hole?
    • Kathryn D. Sullivan: What is it really like to walk in space?

      • Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store
      Instant GeniusBy Our Media
      • 4.4
      • 4.4
      • 4.4
      • 4.4
      • 4.4

      4.4

      65 ratings

      More shows like Instant Genius

      View all
      Science Weekly by The Guardian

      Science Weekly

      404 Listeners

      Science In Action by BBC World Service

      Science In Action

      343 Listeners

      Inside Health by BBC Radio 4

      Inside Health

      86 Listeners

      More or Less: Behind the Stats by BBC Radio 4

      More or Less: Behind the Stats

      892 Listeners

      The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

      The Life Scientific

      248 Listeners

      All in the Mind by BBC Radio 4

      All in the Mind

      79 Listeners

      BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

      BBC Inside Science

      401 Listeners

      CrowdScience by BBC World Service

      CrowdScience

      477 Listeners

       by Dr Rupy Aujla

      612 Listeners

      Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee by Dr Rangan Chatterjee: GP & Author

      Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

      4,035 Listeners

      Sliced Bread by BBC Radio 4

      Sliced Bread

      136 Listeners

      The world, the universe and us by New Scientist

      The world, the universe and us

      112 Listeners

      Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley by BBC Radio 4

      Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley

      235 Listeners

      ZOE Science & Nutrition by ZOE

      ZOE Science & Nutrition

      2,005 Listeners

      Uncharted with Hannah Fry by BBC Radio 4

      Uncharted with Hannah Fry

      113 Listeners