Here at the SETI Institute we ask this question a lot. But we’re not the only ones who want to know.

On Wednesday, May 9, 2018, PBS’s NOVA Wonders will explore humanity’s quest to answer this question. Chair Emeritus for SETI Research Jill Tarter will offer her insights into the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and share some of the science that is helping us understand our place in the universe.

Seth Shostak, SETI Institute Fellow and Senior Astronomer also participated in this film. “Homo sapiens has been walking the planet for 300,000 years,” said Seth. “It’s therefore all the more noteworthy that in the next 50 years we could learn that we are not the only intelligent species in the cosmos.  We don’t know who or what we’ll find, but simply learning that we’re not alone will be a revelation, and a fact of life for every one of our descendants.”

From the Kepler mission’s revelations about the sheer number of exoplanets in our galaxy alone, to new kinds of telescopes, NOVA Wonders explores the opportunities and challenges that may be ahead as we continue the search. Through interviews with Jill, Seth, and other leading scientists and researchers, learn where the quest has taken us so far, and where we may well be going.

Check local listings for channels and times or visit the NOVA website here.