Nova documentary on PBS now

[TomK]

Sorry, a little late with this (just got home). For those interested, PBS are showing a Nova documentary on extra-solar planets discovered by the Kepler Space telescope (it started at 9pm). The reason I mention this is because several telescopes on Mauna Kea are involved in this work and follow-up observations. Thought it might be of interest to some.

[birdmove]

Thank you, Tom. Looks very interesting.

Jon in Keaau/HPP

[TomK]

Thanks, Jon. That was actually one of the better Nova episodes I've watched and did have some stuff from the Kecks on Mauna Kea. Lots of speculation, especially towards the end of the show, but a very interesting description of the thinking that has gone into the start of our search for life in the universe - much of which will involve the telescopes in Hawaii.

Not sure if the whole show is online yet, but this might work: http://video.pbs.org/video/2365136597/

[ericlp]

Thanks... I'll keep an eye out for it. Nova use to be my favorite shows to watch esp, when Carl Sagan was in full swing. I hear neil degrasse tyson is coming out with a new cosmos series tho, not sure if it will be aired on PBS. Sadly Nova has kinda gone down hill but the'll occasionally kick out a good program.

Maybe we should have a space show get together ... Que em up on a 180" DLP projector... Space and science movies twice a month...

[Kelena]

Thanks, TomK -- DVR'd it and look forward to seeing it. When I was a legal intern with NASA, they let me run around quite a bit and I spoke with several people involved in NASA's now defunct "SETI" program (Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence). The program was picked up in bits and pieces by private non-profits. I lamented the loss of SETI, as it was very active during the couple of years I was with NASA, until very recently when Stephen Hawking weighed in on the subject of extraterrestrials. He said that given the hundreds of billions of galaxies, the numbers alone argue for the existence of evolved, intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. However, he warned against contacting them. He said that we need look only to human behavior to see how they might treat us and our planet if we are discovered -- Columbus' arrival in the Americas and its affect on Native Americans ("Indians"). There might be more graphic analogies closer to home.

So maybe we should LOOK for life elsewhere in the universe but be vewwy vewwy quiet (no worries about the radio/television bubble, due to signal degradation).

[ericlp]

I don't think ET if it came to our planet would be hostile. I think someone that smart to invent engines and spaceships that could travel between planets and star systems would have evolved a bit more than us.

I think that our planet was seeded via panspermia. Tho, that's just my theory. Seti is now defunct? When did that happen? I use to have 20-30 computers crunching for seti at my house. Can't really see that happening here unless you could afford the power. Seti@Home is alive and well. Paul Allen gave them a ton of cash to continue on with the research.

[TomK]

SETI is alive and well, but bad science. Have to hit the sack now, but will try and explain tomorrow. I don't include the search for life in the universe in that and SETI is also a worthwhile project but not something tax payers should fund, it's just not good science.

[kalakoa]

Any search for "intelligence" assumes that humanity would recognize it as such.

Similarly, the "intelligence" on this planet could easily be missed by ETs.

[mac nut]

was that a star wars episode where they went to a planet inhabited by only criminals? (not earth by the way )

[LivintheDream]

Hahaha Kalakoa, agreed!

Life Is Good