Could Aliens Be Using Light to Communicate? A New Era of SETI with Shelley Wright [ep. 483]

Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

Brian Keating

Science, Physics, Natural Sciences

4.7 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 17 March 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Pique is offering 20% off for life AND a free Starter Kit with your purchase—that's a rechargeable frother and glass beaker to make the perfect cup every time. Just go to http://piquelife.com/impossible Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥 Are We Searching for Aliens the Wrong Way? Historically, SETI has focused primarily on radio waves because they can travel vast distances through interstellar gas and dust with minimal absorption and require less energy to transmit compared to other wavelengths. This approach dates back to the 1960s, when astronomer Frank Drake conducted the first modern SETI experiment, Project Ozma. However, in recent years, optical SETI and infrared SETI have started to gain traction. Here today to tell us everything about this new era of SETI is the remarkable observational and experimental astrophysicist Shelley Wright! Shelley is a Professor of Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Physics at UCSD. She specializes in designing and using astronomical instruments that make use of adaptive optics, with a particular focus on techniques involving integral field spectrographs. As a SETI researcher and instrumentalist, there is no one better to shed light on this topic than her! Join us in our hunt for extraterrestrial life. — Key Takeaways: 00:00 Intro: Shelley Wright 01:26 Shelley’s background 02:19 Drake equation and life in the universe 08:28 Instrument development 14:55 Optical SETI and Fresnel lenses 16:49 SETI vs. radio listening 20:32 Background contamination and protocols 22:35 Ethical considerations and messaging aliens 23:57 Life on Mars and the origins of life 27:57 UAP committee and conspiracy theories 39:08 Galileo Project 40:46 Final thoughts and advice 45:21 Outro — Additional resources: ➡️ Learn more about Shelley Wright: 💻 Website: https://saw.physics.ucsd.edu/ ➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/ 🎙️ Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast — Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known. Make sure to follow so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:29.8	What if everything you thought you knew about UFOs was wrong?
0:33.9	Most scientists are terrified to discuss the truth behind UAPs, but today we're diving deep
0:39.4	into the shocking realities that have been kept in the dark for far too long. Alongside my colleague
0:44.6	Professor Shelley Wright will take on the most taboo questions. Is UFO research all pseudoscience? Is
0:50.2	disclosure hopelessly stalled? Do you have to risk your career to study this forbidden topic?
0:56.1	Well, not anymore.
0:57.3	Astrophysicist Dr. Shelley Wright is now breaking the taboo,
1:00.6	risking her reputation by hunting for real-life alien signals.
1:04.2	If you're ready for the unfiltered truth on UAPs and the surprising signs behind it,
1:09.1	keep watching.
1:10.1	This conversation would force you to rethink everything you thought you knew about the search for alien intelligence.
1:16.2	Even the scientists were commenting to me, how could you go and talk about UAPs or UFOs?
1:21.4	Most people just kind of want to know what's going on.
1:24.5	Most people are just going about their lives and they are genuinely curious.
1:28.5	And because there's this kind of vacuum about real information, that's where you get kind of
1:34.2	conspiracy theories, that people with the loudhorns can come in and fill that space.
1:39.2	Welcome everybody to an exciting out of this universe episode of the Into the Impossible podcast
1:44.0	with not only an eminent
1:46.0	astrophysicist and not only a fellow professor, but a very good friend. That's Professor,
	...

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