On March 13th the Science Channel will probe the depths of space to continue the search for extra-terrestrial life. Renowned experts including Nick Sagan and SETI Institute’s Dr. Jill Tarter come together to explore how alien life might communicate with Earth in the debut of Alien Encounters. The show is part of a programming theme running through the entire month called “Are We Alone?”
Are We Alone? started with a wish that Center for SETI Research director, Dr. Jill Tarter, made at the TED Conference in response to winning the annual TED Prize. Dr. Tarter sought help in her mission to trigger the most meaningful search for extraterrestrial intelligence to-date by uniting all individuals who have ever looked to the sky and thought, “are we alone in the universe?” Answering SETI’s call was the thought-leading TED group that then enlisted Science, entertainment’s home for deep science content. Together, the three organizations have combined for a multimedia, call-to-action campaign that will mobilize those curious about life beyond Earth.
In addition to the programming, Are We Alone? brings viewers into the search for extraterrestrial life – deeper and more profoundly than ever before – by supporting the introduction of the SETI Live platform, developed by Zooniverse. SETI Live will enable members of the public to analyze data coming from the Allen Telescope Array (ATA). This March, SETI will work with live data and call upon citizen scientists to identify potential signals from extraterrestrials. By the end of the month, the real-time analysis of community members will actually decide what the ATA observes next.
Alien Encounters Episodes
Part 1- The Message – World Premiere on Tuesday, March 13 at 10 PM (ET/PT)
Part 2- The Arrival – World Premiere on Tuesday, March 20 at 10 PM (ET/PT)
In two dramatic hours, Alien Encounters lays out a plausible hypothetical scenario for a first contact event. What would really happen if we got a message from space? How will humans react when we learn that a message from a distant technology or a spacecraft is on its way to Earth? Will humans learn from aliens, or become colonial subjects? Some of the world’s leading astrophysicists, astrobiologists, and sci-fi writers help unravel the scientific, cultural and psychological impact of this world-changing global event. This show is made in cooperation with The SETI Institute which was founded in 1984 and had renowned astrophysicist Carl Sagan as one of its Board of Trustee Members. Carl’s son Nick is now following in his father’s footsteps wondering, “How will we meet our galactic neighbors?”
