- Seth Shostak
Seth Shostak is an American
astronomer . He earned hisphysics degree fromPrinceton University and aPh.D. inastronomy from theCalifornia Institute of Technology .He is the Senior Astronomer at the
SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, and the 2004 winner of theKlumpke-Roberts Award awarded by theAstronomical Society of the Pacific in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the public understanding and appreciation of astronomy.Before his involvement with
SETI research, he usedradio telescope s in the USA and theNetherlands , searching for clues to theultimate fate of the universe by analyzing galaxy motion. While working at theUniversity of Groningen , the Netherlands, in his spare time he also founded and ran a computer animation company called DIGIMA.Shostak is responsible for numerous outreach activities associated with the SETI Institute. He is editor for "Explorer", (a monthly publication for supporters of the Institute), gives more than 50 talks annually for both academic and general audiences, and writes magazine articles (and books) about SETI. He also teaches informal education classes on astronomy and other topics in the
San Francisco Bay Area, and is the inventor of theelectrical banana , a circumstance he claims has had little positive effect on his life. [http://www.seti.org/about-us/people/staff/shostak-seth.php] He is the host for the SETI Institute's weekly radio programAre We Alone? . Each week, Shostak interviews guests about the latest scientific research on a variety of topics:cosmology ,physics ,genetics ,paleontology ,evolutionary biology andastrobiology , and once a month hosts "Skeptical Sunday", a show focused on debunkingpseudo-science ,U.F.O. s and practices such asastrology anddowsing .Are We Alone? is available for download at the SETI Institute's website and through podcasts.His hobbies include
photography ,filmmaking , andelectronics .Shostak has produced a series of lectures on
audio-tape andvideo on the subject of SETI for theTeaching Company .He has been an observer for
Project Phoenix (SETI) as well as an active participant in various international forums for SETI research.He is also Chair of the
International Academy of Astronautics SETI Permanent Study Group.Bibliography
*"Life in the Universe", Jeffrey O. Bennett, Bruce Jakosky and Seth Shostak, 1980, ISBN 0-385-28458-6.
*"Sharing the Universe: Perspectives on Extraterrestrial Life", Seth Shostak, foreword by Frank Drake 1998, ISBN 0-9653774-3-1.
*"Cosmic Company: The Search for Life in the Universe", Seth Shostak, Alex Barnett, 2003, ISBN 0-521-82233-5.In addition to having over 60 technical and research papers on Astronomy published in
peer-reviewed ,academic journals, Shostak has also written hundreds of popular articles on space, SETI, and film for newspapers, magazines, and the SPACE.com web site.External links
* [http://www.seti.org SETI Institute Homepage]
* [http://radio.seti.org "Are We Alone?" Radio Show]
* [http://www.seti.org/publications/index.php Links to Articles By Seth Shostak and other members of the SETI Institute]
* [http://www.seti.org/about-us/people/staff/shostak-seth.php Bio of Seth Shostak]
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