Discovery of ET life is Imminent, Astronomer Says; So How People Will React?
By Sean Duke / Science Editor
Scientists have been searching the skies for an extraterrestrial intelligence for years and found nothing. However, many believe the chances of success are improving fast, so if 2025 turns out to be the year that we make first contact with a non-Earthly intelligence, how will people react?
“I’ve bet everyone a cup of Starbucks that this will happen, so obviously I believe the chances are good,” said Seth Shostak, a speaker, author and senior astronomer at the SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) Institute.
Born in 1943, Shostak has observed scientific efforts to find an ET intelligence since his youth growing up in New York City. He explained why he is now more optimistic than ever.