Dr. Rebecca Charbonneau, Jansky Fellow, National Radio Astronomy Observatory
When
Abstract: Radio astronomer Frank Drake passed away this September at the age of 92. Of his many contributions to the field of astronomy, including serving as the director of the Arecibo Observatory and conducting pioneering research in planetary science, Drake was best known for helping launch the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Today, SETI remains a controversial subfield in astronomy, with some questioning the value of the search. This talk takes a historical perspective on Drake’s contributions by examining the development of radio astronomy and SETI in the 1960s and 70s. In doing so, we will begin to understand the complexities of these two Cold War sciences and consider a novel way to assess the value of SETI.
*If you would like to schedule a meeting with Dr. Charbonneau on either Wednesday or Thursday please reach out to Hector at hrico@arizona.edu.
*Graduate students will meet with the colloquium speaker for lunch Thursday at 12:00 PM (AZ) in the Steward Observatory tea area.