September 2010 : Life at the SETI Institute

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Trained as a quantum mechanic, Dr. Gerry Harp was deeply interested in possibilities for using the multiple telescopes of the Allen Telescope Array to generate steerable "beams" on the sky – beams that could be far smaller than any single antenna could produce. Such beams don't emit anything, but work in reverse by capturing only energy that comes from the sky in a certain direction. Gerry joined the SETI Institute in 2000, practically at the telescope's inception and uses the telescope for SETI research.

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From Dust to Planets

I have multiple projects but they do have some similarities. Basically I explore how the giant planets and their intricate satellite systems were formed from the cloud of gas and minuscule particles of dust that made up the early solar nebula. How do small grains of dust which condense from the nebula gas manifest into planet-sized-objects that contain an inventory of so many different elements and materials? The question turns out to be as complicated as the process itself. There are many physical, chemical and geological processes to consider in the difficult journey from dust to planet.

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Posted by SETI Institute at 4:30 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

September 14, 2010

"Hawking Hawking"

It was just a few months ago that Stephen Hawking was making headlines with his bold assertion that extraterrestrial beings, if they exist, are best avoided. His argument was based in part upon the fact that the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the "New World" didn't work out so well for the Native Americans who were already here. However, upon closer inspection, Hawking's ideas fell apart.

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Posted by SETI Institute at 5:59 PM • 13 Comments • 0 TrackBacks