An Expectation of Aliens: First Friday Astronomy

Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, 7:30 p.m.
Science and Education Building, Room 112

From “Star Wars” to “Star Trek” our expectations of how aliens look often leads to humanoid aliens as colleagues and collaborators, or reptilian/insectoid aliens as threats. Matthew Pasek, professor in the Department of Geosciences at Southern Florida University, wonders, “how likely are humanoid styles of life outside the earth?”

In his talk, “An Expectation of Aliens,” Pasek will discuss what we might expect of alien life—its chemistry, its environment, its advancement—and why we might expect those things. Pasek writes that, “Life on earth is both greatly varied and surprisingly similar in many aspects. How much are these aspects governed by the laws of science?”

For those who can not attend in person, the Boise State Department of Physics live-streams these lectures on their YouTube channel at boi.st/AstroBroncosLive and viewers can join the discussion via live chat.

After the lecture attendees can stargaze in Boise State’s observatory. An indoor planetarium may be set up in case weather interferes with the use of the observatory.

Your generous donations help fund these First Friday Astronomy events. You can donate now at boi.st/GiveToAstronomy.

This event is free and open to the public.