Sturm Lecture with SETI Institute’s Jill Tarter April 13

Aliens abound on the movie screens, but in reality we are still trying to find out if we share our universe with other sentient creatures.

SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, is our attempt to detect evidence of a distant technology, in pursuit of cosmic company.

On April 13, astronomer Jill Tarter will speak on “Are We Alone?” as the 2010 Sturm Memorial Lecturer. Tarter is director of the SETI Institute’s Center for SETI Research.

In 2004 Time Magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and in 2006 Tarter became a National Advisory Board member for the Center for Inquiry’s Office of Public Policy in Washington, DC. Tarter was one of three Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) Prize winners in 2009. Many people are now familiar with her work as portrayed by Jodie Foster in the movie Contact.

The event will be held 8 to 10 p.m. in Usdan 300. It is free and open to the public.

The Sturm Memorial Lecture is named in memory of Wesleyan alumnus Kenneth E. Sturm. The annual lecture features a presentation from an astronomer that is outstanding in their field and able to communicate the excitement of science to a lay audience.

For more information contact Seth Redfield, assistant professor of astronomy, at sredfield@wesleyan.edu.