Interview an astronomer!

Update: We've collected your questions and will let you know when Seth has posted responses.

This month’s upcoming Spore Newsletter will feature an article with SETI Senior Astronomer Seth Shostak interviewed by none other than yourself.

That’s right – this month we’ll be giving you the opportunity to interview Senior Astronomer and host of SETI’s weekly radio program “Are We Alone?” Dr. Seth Shostak.

You can read a bit about Dr. Seth Shostak here.

To submit a question for Dr. Shostak, just reply to this post with your question. We’ll then pick a few which will appear in this month’s newsletter – along with a response from Dr. Shostak.

You can sign up for the Spore newsletter by clicking here.

Will anything really happen in 2012?

Any theories?

Cheers

FusionCoil

So we just post our questions here? if so here's mine:

With the statistics saying that there is no possible way that there is not other sentient beings in the universe do you believe that there are other's out there and that they will be met within your lifetime or that of a nineteen year old stargazer?

Will we ever meet another life form?

Do you think there was life on mars?
Do you think that there is intelligent life in our universe?

It's amazing there are still scientists out there that can get suckered into supporting this piece of SPORE.

I have a couple questions about SETI, not exactly outer space, but I've been wondering:

1. (the idea is from the member Zabblleon, I'm just asking it) Why doesn't SETI have SETI satellites in space to help search for life?
2. How come, on television shows about SETI and alien life, they talk about the "WOW" signal but say very little. (The WOW signal was detected in 1974 (or sometime in the seventies) in I think it was Ohio of US), it lasted around a minute and never was heard again, but that's all they really say about it. "Why isn't there more information?" is my question.

More actually on outer space:

1. What is the closest planet discovered outside of our solar system?
2. What planet, outside of our own solar system, is the best candidate for life as we know it?
3. How come the gas and dust that creates the color of what we can see in nebulas and such is so abundant, shouldn't all those stars near it have taken it by now with gravity?

I have two questions:

1.What if significantly advanced civilizations, (or even civilizations on par with our own) don't communicate via radio and/or use a method of communication that we have yet to discover? And concurrently assume that any other civilization uses their method of communication, similar to us?

I guess what I'm asking is basically if hoping for radio contact of some sort with ETs is somewhat futile.

2.What are the chances of other life being humanoid, or otherwise similar to us?

I have a question.
Aside from the universe being infinitley large (or near enough) thus giving a near-infinite chance of their being other life out there, what's the strongest evidence (or argument/theory if no hard evidence is available) you have for the existance of extraterrestrial life?

Do you have any information to how many planets may currently support another lifeform?

My mother and I have been fighting the battle of whether another lifeform exsits somewhere in the universe. My opinion is that you would just have to be plain silly to think that we are the only lifeforms in the UNIVERSE. Depending on how large the universe is... there could be millions... possibly billions of other planets somewhere out there that support another type of lifeform.

Is it possible for the gravitational waves of colliding (or falling/rotating) black holes to affect the event horizon for a temporary period?

That being said, if it does, is it theoretically possible that if a bit of light that was on the very edge of a black hole's event horizon that it could escape from it because of that fluctuation? Even if for only a temporary period.

@Didzo(it was also posted on page three, but this makes it easier to see)

While interesting and well thought out as that comment was, that was not the question... sorry didz (kudos for thinking of it tho). Hawking radiation happens even when a black hole is at a standstill so to speak,
this would only occur when a black hole orbited another black hole or a neutron star

My question was regarding to gravitational ripples caused by this orbit and whether or not they would change or alter the event horizon in any way and if so what the effect would be.

(I originally intended this question for the scientists at LIGO, but ran out of time to ask)

0jkensler0 wrote:Is it possible for the gravitational waves of colliding (or falling/rotating) black holes to affect the event horizon for a temporary period?

That being said, if it does, is it theoretically possible that if a bit of light that was on the very edge of a black hole's event horizon that it could escape from it because of that fluctuation? Even if for only a temporary period.

Adding on, could we see the bend in light (if it was caught again by the black hole after the fluctuation ended), if not physically then with certain instruments?

Also, does SETI look for or consider the possibility that life outside of our solar system could be non-carbon based?

This Wow signal has intrigued me, I'm gonna look this up. Thanks!

Are there any plans to send a probe to Europa to search for life in the near future, or will SETI's efforts remain focused on the search for ET radio waves? That being said, how closely (if at all) are SETI and NASA associated?

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0jkensler0 wrote:Is it possible for the gravitational waves of colliding (or falling/rotating) black holes to affect the event horizon for a temporary period?

That being said, if it does, is it theoretically possible that if a bit of light that was on the very edge of a black hole's event horizon that it could escape from it because of that fluctuation? Even if for only a temporary period.

Hawking radiation, though never detected, is theorized to occur at the Event Horizon of a black hole. Essentially, some particles are able to "evaporate" from the surface of the Event Horizon. Hawking radiation would be thermal radiation, and would emit some visible light as a result.

So we just ask our questions here? ok then

Considering the current state of our evolution as a species, the current limits of our technology (as far as protecting us the from the hazards of space), and the current issues we all face today (both economic and political)do you think that the human race will realize long term living in in space (outside of Earth's Orbit) within the lifetime of a 20-year-old star gazer?

- OWEED

1. In our universe other lifeforms exist. We all know this because of the sheer size of it, so one of my question is: What could we expect it to look like? Would it be single celluar, multicelluar, would we expect on the leading canidate for life?

2. How would we recongize extraterstrial since we are ala basing what life is by earth standards. Do you think some life forms would be differ from the norm on Earth?

3. Personally do you tink that there are a hyper-advanced race among the cosmos, or do you think we are going to be among the first to evolve intelligence to the point of fast space travel?

4. Why doesn't SETI try other methods of picking something up like through laser.

5 I've heard that OUR radio waves dissapate into noise after getting two light years from the source, is this true?

6. How long do you think it will take us to get out of our solar system in a manned flight?

7. What would your veiws on how life in outerspace would impact on earth?

8. Could you ellaborate on the WOW! signal? It was the first complicated radio signal so may you ellaborate on it?

9. Has anything interesting been picked up such a cosmic event?

10. final question: What if intelligent E.T. don't use sound at all but maybe sight to communicate? Maybe an entire language of smells. maybe there are things we can't sense that they can and communicate like that.

I have a bunch of questions but this what i can think of at the moment. Thank you for looking into this if you do.