Jill Tarter: Why the search for alien intelligence matters

Summary

This TED Talk explores humanity's quest to answer the age-old question: Are we alone? The speaker discusses the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI), which uses astronomy to seek evidence of alien technology. They highlight the vastness of the universe and the possibility of life existing in various environments, considering Earth's extremophiles. The speaker emphasizes the importance of a cosmic perspective to unite humanity and inspire the next generation to join the search for extraterrestrial life, potentially transforming our understanding of our place in the universe.

Takeaways

• 🌌 The human story is deeply intertwined with ideas, from scientific advancements to cultural beliefs, which have shaped our history and continue to influence our present.
• 🔭 The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) represents a shift from philosophical speculation to using modern technology to actively seek evidence of other civilizations.
• 🌟 SETI's approach involves using astronomy tools to detect potential signs of alien technology, such as radio or optical signals, that could indicate the presence of intelligent life.
• 🚀 The vastness of the universe suggests a multitude of possibilities for the existence of life, with our own solar system and galaxy being just a tiny fraction of the cosmos.
• 🧬 Life on Earth emerged quickly after the planet's formation, suggesting that the potential for life could be widespread in the universe, especially considering extremophiles that thrive in extreme conditions.
• 🌐 The distances between stars and galaxies mean that any signal we detect from an extraterrestrial civilization would be a snapshot of their past, not their present.
• 🔬 The success of SETI depends on the longevity and persistence of technologies, both on Earth and potentially among other civilizations.
• 🌱 Earth's history shows that life developed rapidly after the planet's formation, hinting at the possibility of life emerging quickly elsewhere in the universe.
• 🌐 The human species is a relatively recent development in the grand scheme of Earth's history, emphasizing the importance of understanding our place in the larger cosmic evolution.
• 🌟 The search for extraterrestrial intelligence is not just about finding other life forms but also about broadening our perspective on humanity's role in the universe.
• 🤝 SETI has the potential to unite humanity by highlighting our shared cosmic origins and fostering a sense of global unity and cooperation.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the speaker's talk?

The main theme of the talk is the exploration of the possibility of extraterrestrial life and the importance of the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) in understanding our place in the universe.

What does the speaker mean by 'we live on a fragile island of life, in a universe of possibilities'?

The speaker is suggesting that Earth, with its life, is a precious and rare phenomenon in an expansive universe filled with potential for other forms of life and civilizations.

What is SETI and what is its purpose?

SETI is the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. Its purpose is to use astronomical tools to search for evidence of technology created by other civilizations in the universe.

Why does the speaker mention the significance of the number of stars in the universe?

The speaker mentions the number of stars to emphasize the vastness of the universe and to suggest the high probability that there could be other planets with life, given the sheer number of stars and potential planetary systems.

What is the significance of extremophiles in the context of SETI?

Extremophiles are organisms that can survive in extreme conditions. Their existence suggests that life may be able to exist in a wider variety of environments than previously thought, which could have implications for the potential for life on other planets.

What does the speaker mean by 'the archaeology of the future' in relation to SETI?

The phrase 'the archaeology of the future' refers to the idea that any signal detected by SETI would be a glimpse into the past of an extraterrestrial civilization, not their present, due to the time it takes for signals to travel across cosmic distances.

What is the significance of the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) in the context of SETI?

The Allen Telescope Array is significant because it represents a major advancement in SETI's search capabilities. It is the first telescope built from a large number of small dishes, linked by computers, which allows for greater sensitivity and processing power in the search for extraterrestrial signals.

What is the speaker's wish for the audience?

The speaker's wish is for the audience to become active participants in the search for extraterrestrial life, by contributing to the development of algorithms, engaging in the search process, and educating the next generation about SETI.

Why does the speaker believe that the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence would be a profound event for humanity?

The speaker believes that the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence would eradicate the sense of loneliness and solipsism that has plagued humanity, unifying us as a species and changing our perspective on our place in the universe.

What role does the speaker see for SETI in shaping human perspectives and promoting unity?

The speaker sees SETI as a tool for changing human perspectives by highlighting our shared cosmic origins and the potential for life beyond Earth. This realization could help to trivialize differences among humans and promote a sense of unity as Earthlings.

Outlines

00:00

🌌 The Quest for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

The speaker begins by pondering humanity's place in the universe and the age-old question of whether we are alone. They discuss the impact of ideas throughout human history and the journey to seek answers about our existence and the potential existence of other life forms. The concept of SETI, the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, is introduced as a modern approach using astronomy to search for signs of alien technology. The speaker emphasizes the vastness of the universe and the possibility that other civilizations might be out there, contemplating similar questions.

05:01

🚀 SETI's Exploration of the Cosmos

This paragraph delves into the specifics of SETI, which does not assume the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence but explores the possibility given the universe's vastness. The speaker highlights the sheer number of stars and planetary systems, suggesting a high probability of life elsewhere. They also discuss the concept of extremophiles on Earth, which indicates that life could potentially exist in a variety of environments. The limitations of light speed and the time it takes for signals to travel across cosmic distances are also mentioned, framing SETI as an endeavor to look into the past of other civilizations.

10:05

🌐 Humanity's Place in the Universe

The speaker reflects on the relatively short period of time humans have been the dominant intelligence on Earth and emphasizes the importance of understanding the diversity and scale of life on our planet. They argue that we are not the pinnacle of evolution but a product of an ongoing adaptive process. The speaker calls for a broader perspective on our place in the universe, suggesting that the discovery of extraterrestrial life could inspire unity among humans and help us appreciate our shared cosmic origins.

15:08

🛰️ Technological Advancements in SETI

This paragraph discusses the technological advancements in SETI, particularly the Allen Telescope Array, which uses multiple small dishes and computers to increase sensitivity and processing power. The speaker explains how current algorithms can detect simple signals and expresses the ambition to find more complex ones. They also highlight the significance of the year 2009 in the context of scientific anniversaries and the launch of the Kepler Spacecraft, which aims to discover Earth-like planets.

20:09

🌟 The Impact of SETI on Humanity

The final paragraph focuses on the potential transformative impact of SETI on humanity. The speaker suggests that the discovery of intelligent life beyond Earth would change our perspective and unite us as a species. They propose a wish for empowering people to participate in SETI and to use global collaboration and human insight to enhance the search for extraterrestrial signals. The speaker concludes by expressing hope for collaboration with the TED community to make the vision of a united humanity a reality.

Keywords

💡Ideas

Ideas in the context of the video script refer to the thoughts, beliefs, and principles that have shaped human history. They are the driving force behind our actions, decisions, and the development of societies. The script mentions how ideas have been embraced both rationally and irrationally, and have influenced the course of history, from shaping nations and ideologies to being the cause of conflicts. The video emphasizes the transformative power of ideas, suggesting that they can change perspectives and potentially unite humanity.

💡Perspective

Perspective, as discussed in the video, is the viewpoint or way of considering things. It is a powerful concept because it can alter the way we understand and interact with the world. The speaker uses the term to describe how our understanding of being alone in the universe or not can change based on our perspective. The video suggests that adopting a cosmic perspective can lead to a greater appreciation of our shared humanity and the possibilities that exist beyond Earth.

💡SETI

SETI stands for the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. It is an astronomical project that aims to find evidence of civilizations beyond Earth by detecting signals or signs of technology. The script explains that SETI uses tools of astronomy to search for potential signals at radio or optical frequencies that could indicate the presence of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. SETI is central to the video's theme of exploring the possibility of life beyond Earth and its potential impact on human unity and self-perception.

💡Extremophiles

Extremophiles are organisms that can survive in extreme conditions that are inhospitable to most life forms. The video script discusses extremophiles to illustrate that life on Earth can exist in a variety of harsh environments, such as hot thermal vents, ice, and even in the cooling waters of nuclear reactors. This concept is used to suggest that life may also be possible in diverse and extreme environments elsewhere in the universe.

💡Habitable

Habitable, in the context of the script, refers to environments that are capable of supporting life. The video mentions that much of the universe may be more habitable than previously thought, given what we've learned from extremophiles on Earth. This concept is integral to the discussion of the potential for life beyond Earth and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

💡Light Speed

Light speed is the speed at which light travels, approximately 299,792 kilometers per second in a vacuum. The script uses the concept of light speed to explain the vast distances and time lags involved in space travel and communication. It emphasizes the point that any signal we detect from another civilization would have started its journey a long time ago, giving us a glimpse into their past rather than their present.

💡Technological Adolescence

Technological adolescence is a metaphor used in the script to describe the current stage of human technological development as being young and still maturing. It suggests that humanity is in a phase where we are still learning and growing in our technological capabilities. The video implies that the discovery of an older, more advanced civilization could inspire humanity to find ways to survive and progress through this technological adolescence.

💡Cosmic Origins

Cosmic origins refer to the origins of the universe and everything within it, including the origins of life on Earth. The video script discusses the concept of cosmic origins to emphasize that all humans, regardless of their birthplace, share a common lineage that dates back to the primordial mixture of hydrogen and helium. This idea is used to promote a sense of unity and shared heritage among all humans.

💡Evolution

Evolution in the script is not only a biological concept but also a metaphor for the development and progression of life and intelligence over time. The video challenges the notion of humans being the pinnacle of evolution, suggesting instead that we are one outcome of an ongoing process of adaptation. It encourages a broader perspective on our place in the universe and the potential for other forms of intelligent life.

💡Global Brain Trust

The term 'global brain trust' in the script refers to the collective intelligence and knowledge of people around the world. The speaker's wish is to engage this global brain trust to participate in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. This involves building an environment where data can be stored, accessed, and manipulated, and where new algorithms can be developed to enhance the search for signals from other civilizations.

💡Pattern Recognition

Pattern recognition is the ability to identify regularities or patterns in data, which is a key aspect of the human visual system. In the context of the video, pattern recognition is suggested as a way to augment automated searches for extraterrestrial signals. The human eye's capability to find faint, complex signals that current algorithms might miss could be utilized to enhance the search process and potentially lead to the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence.

Highlights

The story of humans is deeply intertwined with ideas, including scientific ones that illuminate our understanding of the world.

Human history is marked by the development and conflict of nations, ideologies, and territories.

Perspective can be a powerful tool for change, altering how we view our place in the universe.

We live on a fragile island of life amidst a universe full of possibilities.

The question of whether we are alone in the universe has been a driving force in human exploration and inquiry.

SETI, the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, uses astronomical tools to search for signs of other civilizations' technology.

The universe is vast, with our Sun being just one of 400 billion stars in our galaxy, and many more galaxies beyond.

Extremophiles on Earth suggest that life may be able to exist in a variety of environments throughout the universe.

The distances in the universe are immense, meaning any signal we detect would be a look into the past, not the present.

SETI's success depends on the longevity of technologies and their persistence over time and space.

Life on Earth emerged quickly after the planet's formation, suggesting that life could potentially arise elsewhere in the cosmos.

The concept of human evolution is not a pinnacle but a part of a vast, ongoing process.

SETI aims to change human perspective on our place in the universe, fostering a sense of unity among Earthlings.

The Allen Telescope Array represents a significant advancement in SETI's search capabilities.

2009 marks several important anniversaries in science, including the 50th anniversary of SETI as a science.

The speaker's wish is to engage the global community in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, leveraging collective knowledge and resources.

Transcripts

So, my question:

are we alone?

The story of humans is the story of ideas --

scientific ideas that shine light into dark corners,

ideas that we embrace rationally and irrationally,

ideas for which we've lived and died and killed and been killed,

ideas that have vanished in history,

and ideas that have been set in dogma.

It's a story of nations,

of ideologies,

of territories,

and of conflicts among them.

But, every moment of human history,

from the Stone Age to the Information Age,

from Sumer and Babylon to the iPod and celebrity gossip,

they've all been carried out --

every book that you've read,

every poem, every laugh, every tear --

they've all happened here.

Here.

Here.

Here.

(Laughter)

Perspective is a very powerful thing.

Perspectives can change.

Perspectives can be altered.

From my perspective, we live on a fragile island of life,

in a universe of possibilities.

For many millennia, humans have been on a journey to find answers,

answers to questions about naturalism and transcendence,

about who we are and why we are,

and of course, who else might be out there.

Is it really just us?

Are we alone in this vast universe

of energy and matter and chemistry and physics?

Well, if we are, it's an awful waste of space.

(Laughter)

But, what if we're not?

What if, out there, others are asking and answering similar questions?

What if they look up at the night sky, at the same stars,

but from the opposite side?

Would the discovery of an older cultural civilization out there

inspire us to find ways to survive

our increasingly uncertain technological adolescence?

Might it be the discovery of a distant civilization

and our common cosmic origins

that finally drives home the message of the bond among all humans?

Whether we're born in San Francisco, or Sudan,

or close to the heart of the Milky Way galaxy,

we are the products of a billion-year lineage of wandering stardust.

We, all of us,

are what happens when a primordial mixture of hydrogen and helium

evolves for so long that it begins to ask where it came from.

Fifty years ago,

the journey to find answers took a different path

and SETI, the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence,

began.

So, what exactly is SETI?

Well, SETI uses the tools of astronomy

to try and find evidence of someone else's technology out there.

Our own technologies are visible over interstellar distances,

and theirs might be as well.

It might be that some massive network of communications,

or some shield against asteroidal impact,

or some huge astro-engineering project that we can't even begin to conceive of,

could generate signals at radio or optical frequencies

that a determined program of searching might detect.

For millennia, we've actually turned to the priests and the philosophers

for guidance and instruction on this question of whether there's intelligent life out there.

Now, we can use the tools of the 21st century to try and observe what is,

rather than ask what should be, believed.

SETI doesn't presume the existence of extra terrestrial intelligence;

it merely notes the possibility, if not the probability

in this vast universe, which seems fairly uniform.

The numbers suggest a universe of possibilities.

Our sun is one of 400 billion stars in our galaxy,

and we know that many other stars have planetary systems.

We've discovered over 350 in the last 14 years,

including the small planet, announced earlier this week,

which has a radius just twice the size of the Earth.

And, if even all of the planetary systems in our galaxy were devoid of life,

there are still 100 billion other galaxies out there,

altogether 10^22 stars.

Now, I'm going to try a trick, and recreate an experiment from this morning.

Remember, one billion?

But, this time not one billion dollars, one billion stars.

Alright, one billion stars.

Now, up there, 20 feet above the stage,

that's 10 trillion.

Well, what about 10^22?

Where's the line that marks that?

That line would have to be 3.8 million miles above this stage.

(Laughter)

16 times farther away than the moon,

or four percent of the distance to the sun.

So, there are many possibilities.

(Laughter)

And much of this vast universe,

much more may be habitable than we once thought,

as we study extremophiles on Earth --

organisms that can live in conditions totally inhospitable for us,

in the hot, high pressure thermal vents at the bottom of the ocean,

frozen in ice, in boiling battery acid,

in the cooling waters of nuclear reactors.

These extremophiles tell us that life may exist in many other environments.

But those environments are going to be widely spaced in this universe.

Even our nearest star, the Sun --

its emissions suffer the tyranny of light speed.

It takes a full eight minutes for its radiation to reach us.

And the nearest star is 4.2 light years away,

which means its light takes 4.2 years to get here.

And the edge of our galaxy is 75,000 light years away,

and the nearest galaxy to us, 2.5 million light years.

That means any signal we detect would have started its journey a long time ago.

And a signal would give us a glimpse of their past,

not their present.

Which is why Phil Morrison calls SETI, "the archaeology of the future."

It tells us about their past,

but detection of a signal tells us it's possible for us to have a long future.

I think this is what David Deutsch meant in 2005,

when he ended his Oxford TEDTalk

by saying he had two principles he'd like to share for living,

and he would like to carve them on stone tablets.

The first is that problems are inevitable.

The second is that problems are soluble.

So, ultimately what's going to determine the success or failure of SETI

is the longevity of technologies,

and the mean distance between technologies in the cosmos --

distance over space and distance over time.

If technologies don't last and persist,

we will not succeed.

And we're a very young technology

in an old galaxy,

and we don't yet know whether it's possible for technologies to persist.

So, up until now I've been talking to you about really large numbers.

Let me talk about a relatively small number.

And that's the length of time that the Earth was lifeless.

Zircons that are mined in the Jack Hills of western Australia,

zircons taken from the Jack Hills of western Australia

tell us that within a few hundred million years of the origin of the planet

there was abundant water and perhaps even life.

So, our planet has spent the vast majority of its 4.56 billion year history

developing life,

not anticipating its emergence.

Life happened very quickly,

and that bodes well for the potential of life elsewhere in the cosmos.

And the other thing that one should take away from this chart

is the very narrow range of time

over which humans can claim to be the dominant intelligence on the planet.

It's only the last few hundred thousand years

modern humans have been pursuing technology and civilization.

So, one needs a very deep appreciation

of the diversity and incredible scale of life on this planet

as the first step in preparing to make contact with life elsewhere in the cosmos.

We are not the pinnacle of evolution.

We are not the determined product

of billions of years of evolutionary plotting and planning.

We are one outcome of a continuing adaptational process.

We are residents of one small planet

in a corner of the Milky Way galaxy.

And Homo sapiens are one small leaf

on a very extensive Tree of Life,

which is densely populated by organisms that have been honed for survival

over millions of years.

We misuse language,

and talk about the "ascent" of man.

We understand the scientific basis for the interrelatedness of life

but our ego hasn't caught up yet.

So this "ascent" of man, pinnacle of evolution,

has got to go.

It's a sense of privilege that the natural universe doesn't share.

Loren Eiseley has said,

"One does not meet oneself

until one catches the reflection from an eye other than human."

One day that eye may be that of an intelligent alien,

and the sooner we eschew our narrow view of evolution

the sooner we can truly explore our ultimate origins and destinations.

We are a small part of the story of cosmic evolution,

and we are going to be responsible for our continued participation in that story,

and perhaps SETI will help as well.

Occasionally, throughout history, this concept

of this very large cosmic perspective comes to the surface,

and as a result we see transformative and profound discoveries.

So in 1543, Nicholas Copernicus published "The Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres,"

and by taking the Earth out of the center,

and putting the sun in the center of the solar system,

he opened our eyes to a much larger universe,

of which we are just a small part.

And that Copernican revolution continues today

to influence science and philosophy and technology and theology.

So, in 1959, Giuseppe Coccone and Philip Morrison

published the first SETI article in a refereed journal,

and brought SETI into the scientific mainstream.

And in 1960, Frank Drake conducted the first SETI observation

looking at two stars, Tau Ceti and Epsilon Eridani,

for about 150 hours.

Now Drake did not discover extraterrestrial intelligence,

but he learned a very valuable lesson from a passing aircraft,

and that's that terrestrial technology can interfere

with the search for extraterrestrial technology.

We've been searching ever since,

but it's impossible to overstate the magnitude of the search that remains.

All of the concerted SETI efforts, over the last 40-some years,

are equivalent to scooping a single glass of water from the oceans.

And no one would decide that the ocean was without fish

on the basis of one glass of water.

The 21st century now allows us to build bigger glasses --

much bigger glasses.

In Northern California, we're beginning to take observations

with the first 42 telescopes of the Allen Telescope Array --

and I've got to take a moment right now to publicly thank

Paul Allen and Nathan Myhrvold

and all the TeamSETI members in the TED community

who have so generously supported this research.

(Applause)

The ATA is the first telescope built from a large number of small dishes,

and hooked together with computers.

It's making silicon as important as aluminum,

and we'll grow it in the future by adding more antennas to reach 350

for more sensitivity and leveraging Moore's law for more processing capability.

Today, our signal detection algorithms

can find very simple artifacts and noise.

If you look very hard here you can see the signal from the Voyager 1 spacecraft,

the most distant human object in the universe,

106 times as far away from us as the sun is.

And over those long distances, its signal is very faint when it reaches us.

It may be hard for your eye to see it,

but it's easily found with our efficient algorithms.

But this is a simple signal,

and tomorrow we want to be able to find more complex signals.

This is a very good year.

2009 is the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first use of the telescope,

Darwin's 200th birthday,

the 150th anniversary of the publication of "On the Origin of Species,"

the 50th anniversary of SETI as a science,

the 25th anniversary of the incorporation of the SETI Institute as a non-profit,

and of course, the 25th anniversary of TED.

And next month, the Kepler Spacecraft will launch

and will begin to tell us just how frequent Earth-like planets are,

the targets for SETI's searches.

In 2009, the U.N. has declared it to be the International Year of Astronomy,

a global festival to help us residents of Earth

rediscover our cosmic origins and our place in the universe.

And in 2009, change has come to Washington,

with a promise to put science in its rightful position.

(Applause)

So, what would change everything?

Well, this is the question the Edge foundation asked this year,

and four of the respondents said, "SETI."

Why?

Well, to quote:

"The discovery of intelligent life beyond Earth

would eradicate the loneliness and solipsism

that has plagued our species since its inception.

And it wouldn't simply change everything,

it would change everything all at once."

So, if that's right, why did we only capture four out of those 151 minds?

I think it's a problem of completion and delivery,

because the fine print said,

"What game-changing ideas and scientific developments

would you expect to live to see?"

So, we have a fulfillment problem.

We need bigger glasses and more hands in the water,

and then working together, maybe we can all live to see

the detection of the first extraterrestrial signal.

That brings me to my wish.

I wish that you would empower Earthlings everywhere

to become active participants

in the ultimate search for cosmic company.

The first step would be to tap into the global brain trust,

to build an environment where raw data could be stored,

and where it could be accessed and manipulated,

where new algorithms could be developed and old algorithms made more efficient.

And this is a technically creative challenge,

and it would change the perspective of people who worked on it.

And then, we'd like to augment the automated search with human insight.

We'd like to use the pattern recognition capability of the human eye

to find faint, complex signals that our current algorithms miss.

And, of course, we'd like to inspire and engage the next generation.

We'd like to take the materials that we have built for education,

and get them out to students everywhere,

students that can't come and visit us at the ATA.

We'd like to tell our story better,

and engage young people, and thereby change their perspective.

I'm sorry Seth Godin, but over the millennia, we've seen where tribalism leads.

We've seen what happens when we divide an already small planet

into smaller islands.

And, ultimately, we actually all belong to only one tribe,

to Earthlings.

And SETI is a mirror --

a mirror that can show us ourselves

from an extraordinary perspective,

and can help to trivialize the differences among us.

If SETI does nothing but change the perspective of humans on this planet,

then it will be one of the most profound endeavors in history.

So, in the opening days of 2009,

a visionary president stood on the steps of the U.S. Capitol

and said, "We cannot help but believe

that the old hatreds shall someday pass,

that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve,

that, as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself."

So, I look forward to working with the TED community

to hear about your ideas about how to fulfill this wish,

and in collaborating with you,

hasten the day that that visionary statement can become a reality.

Thank you.

(Applause)