The SETI Institute & Google

 

If any of you have seen the film Contact then get ready to meet the real-life Ellie Arroway. I was invited to the Search for extraterrestrial intelligence Institute, otherwise known as the SETI Institute this week. Founded by Frank Drake, the equation guy, they host regular lunchtime talks on various space themed topics. I attended the one titled "New tricks to find and study habitable exoplanets" Scientifically obtaining images of rocky planets in the habitable zone is key to detecting whether life exists outside of our solar system and how it does so. If you're wondering, the habitable zone is the zone within which conditions for life are just right, usually not too close and not too far from the star it orbits. Planets found within the habitable zone are sometimes called 'Goldilocks' planets, after the porridge from the fairy tale that is also not too hot and not too cold but, 'just right'. Yes, science is cute as well as fascinating :)

After the talk, my friends and I had a tour of the centre and were lucky enough to meet Dr. Jill Tarter. Astronomer and director of the SETI Insitute, she has spent 35 years of her life in the search for extraterrestrial life. Her work is illustrated in Dr. Carl Sagan's 1985 book 'Contact' which tells the story of Ellie Arroway, a radio astronomer also searching for extraterrestrial life. Played by Jodie Foster in the 1997 movie, Dr. Jill Tarter provided guidance to the actress during the making of the movie in order to ensure scientific accuracy. The real-life Ellie Arroway taught us about the Allen Telescope Array in Hat Creek Observatory, California that studies many areas of the sky at once,bringing us one step closer to detecting a signal from extraterrestrial technologies and discovering intelligent life off of this planet. The Earth flag, shown in the above photos is a suggestion of the flag that should be used when humans visit planets, moons and asteroids. As opposed to the American flag that is on the Moon today, the Earth flag illustrates our local neighbourhood (in space distances of course!). With the Earth, our Moon and our nearest star the Sun illustrated, the flag would make more sense to another spacefaring species. I think the flag will encourages people to think of themselves not as the nationalities of their country, but a collective group of of animals of the Homo sapiens species living on this rock that we call Earth. 

I returned to work after visiting SETI just in time for the end of the weekly Director's Colloquium talks that take place at NASA Ames Research Center.  This week, Google driverless cars were up for discussion and one was even parked outside the building! Obviously, I had to take advantage of the photo op with the futuristic technology. I can't wait for the day when they are the norm and road accidents due to human error is something of the past.

 What do you think? Are self-driving cars an obvious progression of our technologically advancing society or would you rather be behind the wheel? 

-Nikita

Silicon Valley: The Land of Innovation

The opportunity found within the Silicon Valley is evident from just walking down the street. A mere 4 hours ago I returned from work and had exciting evening plans such as eating ice cream for dinner. Little did I know that I actually had an evening ahead of me filled with innovation, first-hand entrepreneurial advice and the infamous Google Glass.

This all took place at Singularity University (SU), sister university of my very own International Space University (ISU). After bumping into Peter Diamandis, co-founder of ISU, founder of the X PRIZE Foundation and now SU, my friends and I were invited to a 'fireside interview' with Marc Andreessen. American entrepreneur, software engineer, co-founder of Silicon Valley venture capital firm 'Andreesson Horowitz' and of course multi-billionaire, Marc was interviewed by Peter Diamandis for the SU summer graduate program entrepreneurs and I to hear.

I gained valuable insight into the behind-the-scenes trials and tribulations involved with starting and running a company as well as investing into one. When asked what two pieces of advice he would give to the next generation Marc suggested:

1) Use lead bullets not silver - focus on working more, not spending more

2) Work smarter, not harder - if a strategy doesn't work, then change it. 

The icing on the Silicon cake was finally getting a chance to try on a pair of Google Glass. Luckily for me, future-medicine genius & medical chair of SU, Daniel Kraft whom I met last year in Florida was in attendance and kind enough to accommodate my geeky excitement and let me try the $1500 gadget on. I have to say, saying "okay Glass" to a pair of glasses on my head did make me feel pretty ridiculous. Especially since Google have yet to add a posh British-girl accent recognition feature! However the capability that the product already has and will have are endless.

What do you think? Is Glass the future of hands-free technology or an invasion of privacy? One thing's for sure: it will definitely become the Marmite of the technology world: you either love it or you hate it!

-Nikita