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:
Theme music, used with permission, by Jonathan Coulton.
Ian and Jesse discuss life on an interstellar starship. When humanity begins to spread throughout the cosmos to explore and colonize new star systems, it will likely take many generations to travel the vast distances. What will it be like for those whose entire lives take place in transit between solar systems?
Links to topics discussed:
Interstellar's black hole breakthrough:
http://www.wired.com/2014/10/astrophysics-interstellar-black-hole/
Project Orion:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_%28nuclear_propulsion%29
100 Year Starship:
http://100yss.org/
Freeman Dyson:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeman_Dyson
Theme music, used with permission, by Jonathan Coulton.