Ian and Jesse discuss the possibility of contact with alien civilizations and what it would mean for the future of humanity. If we received a clear signal from an extra terrestrial intelligence, how would we react, and what should our response be?

This is a big topic, and we missed a lot of important stuff (we left out SETI!). We'll definitely come back to it in another episode some time, so let us know what else to include!

Links to topics discussed:

Drake Equation

Fermi Paradox

Definition of Life

Maxwell Hunter's Memo

The Brookings Report

Post Detection Policy

Possible Alien Megastructure

Voyager Records

Arecibo Signal

A Message From Earth

Theme music, used with permission, by Jonathan Coulton.