Space Invaders

About the season

Think there are aliens out there? You’re not alone. Reports of strange lights, UFO sightings and alien encounters abound, and the scientific search for extraterrestrials has never been more serious. Laura turns our collective gaze skyward: What’s the likelihood of life on other planets? Or that aliens have already made the trip to visit us? And why do we want to find them?

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1. 1
   Out of This World27 min

   ’Oumuamua almost slipped past Earth before an astronomer caught sight of it. A comet, or an alien spacecraft, as Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb theorized?

2. 2
   What Is Life?33 min

   Given how huge the galaxy is, life has to be out there, right? Where to look, what to look for, and what life might be like on other planets.

3. 3
   Doing the Math38 min

   What’s the actual likelihood of extraterrestrial life? A walk through the Drake Equation, piece by piece.

4. 4
   Roswell39 min

   Thousands of people claim to have seen UFOs or had alien encounters. One of the most famous happened in 1947 outside Roswell, New Mexico.

5. 5
   Independence Day33 min

   In 2017, major newspapers reported a secret Pentagon UFO program. Laura talks to retired Navy pilot Ryan Graves and Luis Elizondo.

6. 6
   Hear No Aliens, See No Aliens33 min

   To look for intelligent life, scientists have to look far out into space. The privately funded Breakthrough Initiatives are experimenting with new technology to do it.

7. 7
   E.T. Phone Home37 min

   We’ve been broadcasting our presence for about 85 years. What would we do if someone answered back, and should we be trying to communicate at all?

8. 8
   Popular Science (Fiction)32 min

   American culture is saturated with aliens and UFOs, and we still can’t get enough. What’s the cultural appeal?

9. 9
   You Gotta Have Faith29 min

   Our views on aliens can be uplifting, even spiritual. A trip to Colorado’s UFO Watchtower to understand why.

10. 10
    The Truth Is Out There28 min

    ’Oumuamua is long gone, but the fascination it generated is what the search is really about: questions that may never have good answers.

• •
  Life on Venus?37 min

  Clara Sousa-Silva on the 2020 announcement of possible signs of life in Venus’s atmosphere.

• •
  A Conversation with Joe Scott29 min

  Joe Scott of Answers With Joe on panspermia, whether octopuses are aliens, and the rare earth hypothesis.

• •
  Talking About Aliens with Neil deGrasse Tyson37 min

  Neil deGrasse Tyson on the rare earth hypothesis and the problem with movie aliens.

• •
  Sarah Stewart Johnson Marvels at Mars33 min

  Planetary scientist and author Sarah Stewart Johnson on the Perseverance rover and why Mars holds such fascination.

• •
  “Ancient Aliens” with David Anderson31 min

  Archaeologist David Anderson on why the TV show Ancient Aliens misrepresents his field.

• •
  Abel Méndez Talks About the Arecibo Telescope32 min

  Astronomer Abel Méndez on the importance of Arecibo after its 2020 collapse.

• •
  Sara Seager Explains Exoplanets28 min

  MIT astrophysicist Sara Seager on the search for exoplanets.

• •
  Aliens and Art with Frank Buffalo Hyde21 min

  Onondaga artist Frank Buffalo Hyde uses UFOs to talk about tribal histories and lore.

• •
  Silvano Colombano Wonders If We’re Doing It Wrong27 min

  NASA scientist Silvano Colombano on the assumptions behind the search for extraterrestrial life.

• •
  Making Sense of MUFON23 min

  Rob Swiatek explains how the Mutual UFO Network collects and investigates sightings.

• •
  Seth Shostak and SETI33 min

  SETI Institute chief astronomer Seth Shostak on how and what SETI is looking for.

• •
  Arik Kershenbaum on the Evolution of Aliens38 min

  Zoologist Arik Kershenbaum on what life on Earth can tell us about what aliens might be like.

• •
  David Baron Discusses Mars Madness41 min

  Author David Baron on our long fascination with Mars, recorded live at the Mountain Words Literary Festival.

• The AtlanticThe 50 Best Podcasts of 2020
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