Seth claims to have developed an interest in extraterrestrial life at the tender age of eight, when he first picked up a book about the solar system. This innocent beginning eventually led to a degree in physics from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in astronomy from Caltech.

Today, as Senior Astronomer at the SETI Institute in California’s Silicon Valley, Seth directs a small team that is busy trying to eavesdrop on radio signals from space that would tell us someone is out there.  Finding a signal would end humanity’s isolation, and prove that what has happened on Earth is not a miracle, but merely one more example of intelligence in a vast universe.

In addition to his research, Seth is keen on outreach activities: He greatly enjoys interesting the public – and especially young people – in science in general, and astrobiology in particular.  He’s co-authored the most-used college textbook on astrobiology, and has written three trade books on SETI. In addition, he’s published more than 400 popular articles on science – and is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post.