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What happens if life beyond Earth is discovered?
Our Mission
The Discovery and Futures Lab at the SETI Institute fosters novel and anticipatory research at the intersection of science, society, our planet, and the search for life beyond Earth.
What we do
The Discovery and Futures Lab at the SETI Institute fulfills its mission through a range of projects and objectives, including:
Research into targeted knowledge gaps
Our Research Fellows conduct novel research into understudied aspects of discoveries in astrobiology and SETI, across a wide array of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. These fellowships are strategic investments in research projects of particular relevance for building robust foundations, ensuring dedicated, focused attention is paid to closing critical knowledge gaps.
Creating living knowledge repositories
One of our key research initiatives is the Resource Center (coming soon), a living, expanding information hub. The Resource Center consists of 1) a Primer, where curious scholars and non-experts alike can find accessible guides, allowing them to access knowledge across disciplinary boundaries, and 2) an Archive that helps preserve the origins of post-detection protocols, recovers forgotten policy, ethics & communication debates, and helps translate that history into usable knowledge for today.
Convening interdisciplinary workshops
We convene an ongoing series of interdisciplinary, generative workshops, focused on filling the various known, acute gaps that exist at the intersection of society and the search for life beyond Earth. Through these workshops, we hope to both combine and transcend not only disciplines but also generations, maintaining achievements in collaboration, collective knowledge, and resilience.
Questions?
Reach out to us at discoveryandfutureslab AT gmail.
About the project
The Discovery and Futures Lab is a research initiative within the Carl Sagan Center for Research at the SETI Institute.
The search for life beyond Earth is interesting to many people, not only the scientists and engineers directly involved in the research, but also a much wider audience. Along with interest, each person brings their own individual knowledge, beliefs, and personal experiences, all of which exist within an ever-shifting social landscape that includes popular media depictions, political tides, technological innovations, and other cultural forces. And of course, the science is increasingly complex. Understandably, then, the search for life beyond Earth is also an area where misunderstandings and gaps in knowledge are common.
Much as the scientific aspects of astrobiology and SETI require a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach, the Discovery and Futures Lab bridges astrobiology and SETI science with social sciences, humanities, and the law.
Why “Discovery and Futures”?
Discovery is a dynamic process, rather than a single inflection point.
The idea of discovery as a “before and after” moment came about in an era when the prime consideration was the possibility of a radio signal that could be quickly and definitively confirmed, and then announced in a controlled manner. Today, the scientific and public communications terrain of potential discoveries of life beyond Earth (both biosignatures and technosignatures) is much more complex.
“Discovery and Futures” provides an expansive framing that conveys several important aspects of our approach. First, it reflects a modern understanding of discovery as an extended process, one that will certainly continue beyond the first definitive evidence of alien life or technology. Second, by not artificially dividing the discovery process into the before-and-after of a single inflection point, it encompasses everything we can learn from prior instances of putative discoveries and false alarms. Last but not least, it conveys how essential it is to do our preparatory work well in advance.
Interdisciplinary
We work to build and sustain an interdisciplinary research community which proactively addresses the human understandings and terrestrial effects of discoveries in astrobiology and SETI through specialized research in science communication, science policy, ethics, history, social science, and futures studies. We value a spirit of curiosity and rigorous inquiry that transcends disciplines, where rising and established researchers can blend their expertise to gain insights that would not be possible alone.
Intergenerational
We ground our work in the legacy of John Billingham and other founders of the fields of SETI and astrobiology, striving to share foundational historical resources for researchers’ use. Our efforts aim to be multigenerational and long-lasting, leveraging important historical precedents led by the SETI Institute several decades ago, including the SETI Protocols and the Cultural Aspects of SETI workshops. Symmetrically, we will activate early career research networks to ensure vigorous continuity into the future. We view humanity as a collective of past, present, and future humans capable of directing our integrated attentions to the cosmos.
Impactful
We connect scientists with other researchers who can help them to meet the challenges of conducting and communicating high-impact research in a dynamic and complicated world. Reciprocally, we connect interdisciplinary researchers interested in the questions of discoveries and planetary futures with practicing scientists working on relevant and cutting-edge research. The questions that attend the entire process of searching for life beyond Earth parallel some of the most pressing issues of our time, including public interest and investment in processes of scientific discovery, technological developments, effective communication in an often-shifting information landscape, and questions of how best to cooperate on challenges of global importance.
Collaborative
We collaborate to examine the implications the search for life has in other arenas (such as science communication, law, and public policy), recognizing that a global multitude of minds and ideas is necessary to address the integrated and challenging questions that this work involves. We aim to find areas of constructive synergy with other topically related initiatives, rather than duplicating them. Recognizing that this research area may eventually result in the development of practical policy suggestions, we see collaboration as essential for generating broad consultation on issues of global importance.
Responsible
We contribute to the SETI Institute’s culture of responsible science, thinking carefully about the ethical consideration and treatment of humans, other species, and environments here on Earth, as well as considering safeguards to protect other forms of life and other worlds that humans may discover and eventually be able to reach.
International
The questions this initiative tackles don’t belong to any one group of people or part of Earth, and so it’s very important to us that we are able to connect and collaborate with scholars (as well as non-specialists!) across the globe.
Leadership
Research Fellows
George Profitiliotis
Research Fellow, Futures Studies
Rebecca Charbonneau
Research Fellow, History & Archives
Jordan Bimm
Research Fellow, Science Communication
Expert Advisory Group
To be announced soon
We are in the process of reaching out to colleagues to participate in the Lab’s Expert Advisory Group. Please watch this space for updates! If you are interested in joining the EAG in the future, please feel free to contact us to indicate your interest.