The SEI Institute's Education And Public Outreach

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Are we alone? This is the question the scientists at the SETI (the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute are trying to answer. The work performed by the scientists at the SETI Institute is conducted through research and development (R&D) and projects. The SETI scientists use new technologies and search strategies and signal processing algorithms during R&D. Their results are used to "guide the development of new hardware, software, and observing facilities" (SETI Institute). The SETI scientists use these results to aid in projects focused on finding extraterrestrial intelligent life forms (SETI Institute). The institute includes educational programs named "The SETI Institute's Education and Public Outreach" (EPO), these "...programs …show more content…

Tarter is the inspiration for the main character in the book and movie Contact. Just as the main character in Contact, Tarter faces skepticisms and budget cuts (Scoles). These hardships do not bring Tarter to stop searching for extraterrestrial intelligence. She believes in her work and though she may never find "E.T." within her lifetime, she has set the stage for future generations to do so. With the help of Tarter, the SETI Institute has several educational and outreach programs for people of all ages (SETI Institute). The EPO programs promote curiosity, through this curiosity, children and adults are motivated to explore and learn (SETI Institute). The institute and their scientists are in classrooms all across the nation. SETI scientists are co-authors of several books. One of which is considered being "a national best-seller for introductory astrobiology": Life in the Universe, a college-level textbook. The SETI Institute offers science curriculums for professional teachers and it is taught in over 400 school in the United States. Not only does the SETI Institute offer science curriculums for all ages, they also provide undergraduates with a 10-week research experience with the help of mentor SETI scientists (SETI Institute). None of this could have been possible without Jill Tarter's belief in SETI science and her dedication to the SETI Institute's …show more content…

The Carl Sagan Center is a research center that works within the SETI Institute and is working towards that mission. The center brings together leading astrobiologists who's work "focuses on a wide set of disciplines ranging from observing and modeling the precursors of life in the depths of outer space to studies of Earth and its rich biological history" (SETI Institute). The Carl Sagan Center is currently conducting several research projects including the "Astrobiology Research Thrust", which is focused on planets of our solar system. The astrobiologists at the center are searching for signs of preexisting life on Mars and researching the biology of water found on several moons of Jupitar and Saturn (SETI Institute). Another informative research project being conducted through the Carl Sagan Center is the "Climate and Geoscience Research Thrust." Climate change is an exasperating problem for our planet. The astrobiologists work closely with geoscientists and SETI scientists to study, model, and compare the atmospheres and physicochemical orders that determine the climates of "Venus, Mars, Titan, and Pluto, as well as those of planets beyond our solar system..."(SETI Institute). The results of the research and experiments conducted by the scientists helps

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