Seth Shostak

Seth claims to have developed an interest in extraterrestrial life at the tender age of ten, when he first picked up a book about the Solar System. This innocent beginning eventually led to a degree in radio astronomy, and now, as Senior Astronomer, Seth is an enthusiastic participant in the Institute’s SETI observing programs. 

In addition, Seth is keen on outreach activities: interesting the public – and especially young people – in science in general, and astrobiology in particular. He’s co-authored a college textbook on astrobiology, and has written three trade books on SETI. In addition, he’s published more than 400 popular articles on science including regular contributions to NBC News MACH, gives many dozens of talks annually, and is the host of the SETI Institute’s weekly science radio show, “Big Picture Science.” 

Carl Sagan Award for the Popularization of Science

Klumpke Roberts Award for Astronomy Popularization

• Big Picture Science - Science Radio Show (host)
• TEDx San Jose: ET is (probably) out there - get ready
• Big Picture Science interview: Skeptic Check - What, We Worry?
• Big Picture  Science interview: A New Hope for Life in Space
• Huffington Post articles

"The First SETI Observations with the Allen Telescope Array,” Acta Astronautica, v.68, iss.3-4, p.340-346.

What ET Will Look Like and Why We Should Care”, 2010, Acta Astronautica.

"The Allen Telescope Array: The First Widefield, Panchromatic, Snapshot Radio Camera," Proceedings of Science, 2009. (Co-author)

P.R. Backus, J.C. Tarter, M.M. Davis, J.C. Jordan, T.N. Kilsdonk, G.S. Shostak, R. Ackermann, D.R. DeBoer, J.W. Dreher, G.R. Harp, J.E. Ross, R. Stauduhar;  "Galactic Plane SETI Observations with the Allen Telescope Array", Bulletin of the AAS, 37, 1160, 2005.

"When Will We Detect the Extraterrestrials?" Acta Astronautica, 2004, 55, p. 753-758.

"Searching for Sentience: SETI Today," International Journal of Astrobiology, 2003 (in press).

"SETI and the Media," in Bioastronomy 2002: Life Among the Stars, IAU Symposium No. 213, ed. R. P. Norris and F. H. Stootman (ASP, San Francisco), 2002, p. 535.

"A Scheme for Targeting Optical SETI Observations," with Ray Villard, in Bioastronomy 2002: Life Among the Stars, IAU Symposium No. 213, ed. R. P. Norris and F. H. Stootman (ASP, San Francisco), 2002, p. 409.

"A Scheme for Targeting Optical SETI Observations" with Ray Villard, presented at Bioastronomy 2002 Conference, Hamilton Island, Australia, 2002 (in press).

"SETI and the Media" 2002, presented at Bioastronomy 2002 Conference, Hamilton Island, Australia (in press).

"A New Class of SETI Targets" in Astronomical and Biochemical Origins and the Search for Life in the Universe, C. Cosmovici, S. Bowyer, and D. Werthimer eds., Editrice Compositori (Bologna), 1997, p. 719

"A Galactic Center Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligent Signals" Sullivan, W.T. III, Wellington, K. J. Shostak, G. S., Backus, P. R., and Cordes, J. M. in Astronomical and Biochemical Origins and the Search for Life in the Universe, C. Cosmovici, S. Bowyer, and D. Werthimer eds., Editrice Compositori (Bologna), 1997, p. 653

"A Search for Artificial Signals from the Small Magellanic Cloud" S. Shostak, R. Ekers, and R. Vaile, Astronomical Journal, 112, 164, 1996.

"SETI at Wider Bandwidths?" 1995, in Progress in the Search for Extraterrestrial Life, ed. G. Seth Shostak, A.S.P. Conference Series, 74, Astronomical Society of the Pacific ( San Francisco).

Progress in the Search for Extraterrestrial Life , A.S.P. Conference Series, vol. 74, 1995, editor.

Third Decennial US-USSR Conference on SETI  (editor) A.S.P. Conference Series Vol. 47, 1993, Astronomical Society of the Pacific (San Francisco).

Third Decennial US-USSR Conference on SETI , A.S.P. Conference Series, vol. 47, 1993, editor.

"Neutral Hydrogen Observations of the Irregular Galaxy IC 10," Astronomy and Astrophysics, 214, 33, 1989 (with E.D. Skillman).

"'SIGNAL' Search for Intelligence in the Galactic Nucleus with the Array of the Lowlands," Acta Astronautica, 12, 369, 1985 (with J. Tarter).

"Life in the Galaxy?" International Astronomical Union symposium on The Milky Way Galaxy, 1985, p. 623 (ed. H. van Woerden et al).

"HI Synthesis Observations of the High-Redshift Galaxies in Stephan's Quintet," Astronomy and Astrophysics, 139, 15, 1984 (with W.T. Sullivan, III, and R.J. Allen).

"Studies of Nearly Face-On Spiral Galaxies. III. HI Synthesis Observations of NGC 1058 and the Mass Distribution in Galactic Disks," Astronomy and Astrophysics, 134, 258, 1984 (with P.C. van der Kruit).

"Studies of Nearly Face-On Spiral Galaxies. II. HI Synthesis Observations and Optical Surface Photometry of NGC 628," Astronomy and Astrophysics, 132, 20, 1984 (with P.C. van der Kruit).

"A Search for Neutral Hydrogen in Radio Galaxies," Astronomy and Astrophysics Letters, 119, L3, 1983 (with J.H. van Gorkom, R.D. Ekers, R.H. Sanders, W.M. Goss, and T.J. Cornwell).

"The NGC 1961 Group of Galaxies," Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 202, 21p, 1983 (with S.T. Gottesman and J.H. Hunter, Jr.).

"Color Basics -- A Tutorial," Astronomical Image Processing Circular, 1983 (Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore).

"Vertical Motions and the Thickness of HI Disks: Implications for Galactic Mass Models," International Astronomical Union Symposium 100, 1983 (ed., E. Athanassoula, Reidel, Dordrecht), (with P.C. van der Kruit).

"HI Observations of the Irregular Galaxy IC 10," International Astronomical Union Symposium 100, 1983, p. 33 (ed., E. Athanassoula, Reidel, Dordrecht), (with H. van Woerden).

"NGC 1961: Stripping of a Supermassive Spiral Galaxy," Astronomy and Astrophysics, 115, 293, 1982 (with E. Hummel, P.A. Shaver, J.M. van der Hulst, and P.C. van der Kruit).

"Studies of Nearly Face-On Spiral Galaxies. I. The Velocity Dispersion of the HI Gas in NGC 3938," Astronomy and Astrophysics, 105, 351, 1982 (wtih P.C. van der Kruit).

"An HI Synthesis Study of the Galaxy/QSO Pair NGC 6503/1749+70.1," Astronomy and Astrophysics, 96, 393, 1981 (with A.G. Willis and P.C. Crane).

"Stephan's Quintet: HI Distribution at High Redshifts," Astrophysical Journal Letters, 241, L1, 1980 (with S.D. Peterson).

"Wiskundige Modellen in de Sterrenkunde," Stichting TELEAC, course on mathematical models, 1980 (ed. A. Staads), (with T.S. van Albada).

"The Groningen Image Processing System," Proceedings of the ESO Workshop on Two-Dimensional Photometry (ed. P. Crane and K. Kjar, Noordwijkerhout), 1980, p. 169 (with R.J. Allen).

"On Galaxy Masses Determined from HI Profiles," Astronomy and Astrophysics, 81, 371, 1980 (with S.P.R. Casertano).

"Accurate HI Profiles of Several Nearby Galaxies," Astronomy and Astrophysics, 81, 167, 1980 (with R.J. Allen).

"A Search for Broad Band HI Emission from Clusters of Galaxies", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 81, 167, 1980 (with D.P. Gilra, J.E. Noordam, H. Nieuwenhuijzen, T. de Graauw, and J. Vermue).

"The Z Dispersion Velocity of the HI in the Spiral Galaxy NGC 3938," Photometry, Kinematics and Dynamics of Galaxies (ed. D.S. Evans, Austin), 1979, p. 277, (with P.C. van der Kruit and T.S. van Albada).

"Distribution and Kinematics of Neutral Hydrogen in Spiral and Irregular Galaxies," in Photometry, Kinematics and Dynamics of Galaxies (ed. D.S. Evans, Austin), 1979, p. 275 (with H. van Woerden).

"HI Syntheses of Early -Type Galaxies," in Photometry, Kinematics and Dynamics of Galaxies (ed. D.S. Evans, Austin), 1979, p. 213 (with H. van Woerden and U.J. Schwarz).

"Accurate 21-cm HI Spectra of Four Small Galaxies," Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement, 35, 163, 1979 (with R.J. Allen).

"Integral Properties of Late-Type Galaxies Derived from HI Observations," Astronomy and Astrophysics, 68, 321, 1978

"Galaxy Types and the Shape of HI Profiles," Astronomy and Astrophysics Letters, 58, L31, 1977.

"Neutral Hydrogen Limits to the Space Density of Unseen Galaxies," Astronomy and Astrophysics, 54, 919, 1977.

"HI Observations of Interacting Groups of Galaxies," CNRS Colloquium No 37, 1976, p. 489.

"Making Visible the Invisible Universe," American Cinematographer, June, 1975.

"An HI Study of Scd Galaxies," Astrophysical Journal, 198, 527, 1975.

"Limits to the HI Content of Elliptical Galaxies," Astronomical Journal, 80, 581, 1975 (with M.S. Roberts and S. Peterson).

"Quasars: Can They Shift for Themselves?," GriffithObserver, July, 1974. (Honorable Mention, Hughes Aircraft Popular Essay Award)

"HI Studies of Arp Peculiar Galaxies," Astronomical Journal, 79, 797, 1974 (with S. Peterson).

"A Distance Limit to NGC 7318B in Stephan's Quintet," Astrophysical Journal Letters, 189, L1, 1974.

"Aperture Synthesis Study of HI in the Galaxy IC 10," Astronomy and Astrophysics, 31, 97, 1974.

"HI Emission from Stephan's Quintet," Astrophysical Journal, 187, 19, 1974.

"Aperture Synthesis Study of Neutral Hydrogen in NGC 2403 and NGC 4236: II. Discussion," Astronomy and Astrophysics, 24, 411, 1973.

"Aperture Synthesis Study of Neutral Hydrogen in NGC 2403 and NGC 4236: I. Observations," Astronomy and Astrophysics, 24, 405, 1973 (with D.H. Rogstad).

"Aperture Synthesis Study of Neutral Hydrogen in the Galaxies NGC 6946 and IC 342," Astronomy and Astrophysics, 24, 405, 1973 (with D.H. Rogstad and A.H. Rots).

"Gross Properties of Five Scd Galaxies as Determined from 21-cm Observations," Astrophysical Journal, 176, 315, 1972 (with D.H. Rogstad).

"Aperture Synthesis of Neutral Hydrogen in the Galaxy M101: I. Observations," Astronomy and Astrophysics, 13, 99, 1971 (with D.H. Rogstad).

"Hydrogen Line and Continuum Study of Maffei 2 by Radio Interferometer," Astrophysical Journal Letters, 169, L71,1971 (with L. Weliachew).

Popular Publications

"How a discovery that earned the Nobel Prize in Physics transformed the hunt for alien life," NBC News, October 9, 2019.

"We may be closing in on the discover of alien life.  Are we prepared?," NBC News, October 4, 2019.

"We keep looking for space aliens.  Are they looking for us?, " NBC News, September 18, 2019.

"Fast radio bursts from space have baffled scientists for years. But an explanation may come soon.," NBC News, September 3, 2019.

"Storming Area 51 on September 20? Here's why you're unlikely to find aliens hiding in the desert," NBC News, July 26, 2019.

"Search for space aliens comes up empty, but extraterrestrial life could still be out there," NBC News, June 26, 2019.

"Why alien moons may be a great place to find extraterrestrial life," NBC News, June 15, 2019.

"Space aliens are breeding with humans, university instructor says. Scientists say otherwise." NBC News, May 25, 2019.

"Why alien 'megastructures' may hold key to making contact with extraterrestrials," NBC News, April 20, 2019.

"'Zoo Hypothesis' may explain why we haven't seen any space aliens," NBC News, March 31, 2019.

"Why our galaxy probably isn't full of alien civilizations killed off by climate change," NBC News, January 9, 2019.

"NASA scents says space alien search should be more 'aggressive'," NBC News, December 10, 2018.

"Interstellar 'porch light' just might help us find space aliens," NBC News, November 12, 2018.

"Comets and asteroids may be spreading life across the galaxy," NBC News, October 26,2018.

"Paul G. Allen 1953 - 2018," SETI Institute, October 16, 2018.

"Intergalactic light beams might be just the ticket for making contact with space aliens," NBC News, October 5, 2018.

"Why solar observatory's mysterious closure sparked talk of aliens," NBC News, September 19, 2018.

"A rogue star may explain why the outer solar system is so odd," NBC News, August 20, 2018.

"Why aliens might turn to star collecting to save themselves," NBC News, August 7, 2018.

"Mars is Ready for its Close-Up," SETI Institute, July 26, 2018.

"Are we truly alone in the cosmos? A new study casts doubt on rise of alien life in our galaxy," NBC News, July 15, 2018.

"Remembering Al Bagley," SETI Institute, July 11, 2018.

"Amateur astronomy and alien visitors," Sky's Up, July-September, 2018, p. 8.

"Here's the scientific explanation for that 'alien spaceship' on Mars," NBC News, June 23, 2018.

"If space aliens are out there, why haven't we found them?" NBC News, June 11, 2018.

"Could alien life exist in parallel universes?", NBC News, May 28, 2018.

"Could space aliens on hefty super-Earths be trapped by their own gravity?", NBC News, May 6, 2018.

"What can a fake gorilla teach us about the search for space aliens?" NBC News, April 20, 2018.

"Space aliens could have died out long ago, scientist says," NBC News, April 11, 2018.

"Alien satellites might offer a new way to find E.T.," NBC News, March 19, 2018.

"Scientists say space aliens could hack our planet," NBC News, February 21, 2018.

"Phoning Home: Is Intellligent Alien Life Really Out There?," Futurism, January 31, 2018.

"10 top science minds tell what strange new body part they'd like to have: Seth Shostak: Better Color Vision," NBC News, January 28, 2018.

"Simple math shows how many space aliens may be out there," NBC News, January 26, 2018.

"UFO believers got one thing right. Here's what they got wrong." NBC News, January 3, 2018.

"15 top science & tech leaders offer surprising predictions for 2018: Seth Shostak: A Super-Earth for our solar System?", NBC News, December 31, 2017.

"Tabby's star aims to misbehave," Sky's Up, January-February 2018.

"Do Aliens Exist? Your Tax Dollars May Hold the Truth," Newsweek, December 20, 2017.

"We just beamed a signal at space aliens. Was that a bad idea?" NBC News, November 20, 2017.

"How to Handle Camera Shake: Why Tripods Are Still Essential for Keeping Your Images Sharp," Shutterbug, November 15, 2017.

"Here's What E.T. Could Actually Look Like," NBC News, November 6, 2017.

"Butterfly Effect," Communications of the ACM, November 2017.

"How to Make Your Photos More Dynamic: Why Dynamic Range Is More Important Than Pixel Count," Shutterbug, October 18, 2017.

"LIGO Scientists Spy Neutron Star Smash-Up That Blew Bling Into Space," NBC News, October 16, 2017.

"Gravitational Waves May Solve Some Big Cosmic Riddles," NBC News, October 5, 2017.

"Sputnik Shook the Nation 60 Years Ago. That Could Happen Again," NBC News, October 5, 2017.

"Why Aspect Ratio Is Important to Your Photography," Shutterbug, September 11, 2017.

"Has Tabby's Star Mystery Finally Been Solved?," NBC News, September 1, 2017.

"Eclipse! Time to Grab the Binocs," SETI Institute, August 18, 2017.

"Sharpening Basics: Here's How Unsharp Masking Makes Your Photos Look Extra Crispy," Shutterbug, August 9, 2017.

"What Happens Next If We Find Proof of Space Aliens?" NBC News, August 1, 2017.

"There Goes the Sun ...," SETI Institute, July 27. 2017.

"Looks can be deceiving," Sky's Up, July-September, 2017, p. 8.

"The Roswell Incident and the Kardashians Have Something in Common," NBC News, July 7, 2017.

"Looking Sharp: How to Effectively Sharpen Digital Images," Shutterbug, June 23, 2017.

"Was it ET on the line? Or just a comet?," SETI Institute, June 13, 2017.

"Space Enterpreneur Thinks Aliens Are Here. Is He Right?" NBC News, June 5, 2017.

"What's so Normal About a Normal Lens?: There's Really a Lot of Variation in Standard Lenses," Shutterbug, June 2, 2017.

"What Next: The Future of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence," in Aliens: The World's Leading Scientists on the Search for Extraterrestrial Life, Jim Al-Khalili, ed., Picador, New York, pp. 208-219.

"Cutting the Cords: How Wi-Fi Is Making Your Camera Part of the Connected World," Shutterbug, May 4, 2017.

"The Key to Finding Alien Life Will Be Locating 'New Quackers'," NBC News, April 26, 2017.

"Are we ready for extraterrestrial contact? No From Experts in the Field," Costco Connection, April 2017.

"What is Bokeh? How Background Blur Can Be Both Good and Bad For Your Images," Shutterbug, March 17, 2017.

"Are the Aliens Already Chuck Berry Fans?," NBC News, March 22, 2017.

"2017: What Scientific Term or Concept Ought to be More Widely Known?" Edge, February 27, 2017.

"Winston Churchill and E. T., " SETI Institute, February 23, 2017.

"Technically Speaking: Why Photographers Should Know the Color Rendering Index," Shutterbug, February 21, 2017.

"Pale Blue Dot," SETI Institute, February 14, 2017.

"Why Warp Speed Will Never Happen," NBC News, February 3, 2017.

"What the Heck Is Color Temperature?: Why the Kelvin Scale Leaves Photographers Hot & Bothered," Shutterbug, January 31, 2017.

"What's Causing Those Mysterious 'Bursts' From Deep Space?" NBC News, January 11, 2017.

"Technically Speaking: What a Camera of the Future Might Look Like," Shutterbug, December 27, 2016.

"Why Only Americans Are Interested in the Hunt for Allien Life," NBC News, December 24, 2016.

"Are Humans the Real Ancient Aliens?" NBC News, December 13, 2016.

"Technically Speaking: Understanding Depth of Field," Shutterbug, December 12, 2016.

"John Glenn 1921 - 2016, SETI Institute, November 9, 2016.

"If ET Exists, We'll Find Him in the Next 20 Years," Nautilus|Cosmos, November 2016.

"Drake Equation: 55 Years Old," SETI Institute, November 16, 2016.

"Arrival: Squid Pro Quo," Huffington Post, November 10, 2016.

"Black-and-White Photography in the Digital Age," Shutterbug, November 1, 2016.

"5 Things We Know to be True: No Credible Evidence of Alien Visitations Exists," Scientific American, November 2016.

""What Makes Soft Light Soft?" Shutterbug, October 10, 2016.

"World's Biggest Radio Ear," SETI Institute, October 6, 2016.

"Why Stephen Hawking is light years from the truth about 'dangerous aliens'," The Guardian, September 27, 2016.

"How High Can ISOs Go?: Cameras Break the Noise Barrier with Ultra-Sensitive Chips," Shutterbug, September 9, 2016.

"A SETI Signal?" SETI Institute, August 29, 2016.

"The World Next Door," Huffington Post, August 24, 2016.

"Aliens on Line 1," Air & Space Smithsonian, August 2016.

"Have we detected an alien megastructure in space? Keep an open mind," The Guardian, August 12, 2016.

"Freeze Framing: How Technological Breakthroughs Help Us Get Sharp Shots of Movement," Shutterbug, August 9, 2016.

"Danger, Will Robinson," Huffington Post, August 1, 2016.

""Independence Day": Core Values," Huffington Post, July 5, 2016.

"How to Take Stellar Night Shots of Stars," Shutterbug, July 5, 2016.

"The Other Way to Find Life Out There," Huffington Post, June 3, 2016.

"How Panoramic Stitching Software Works," Shutterbug, June 1, 2017.

"Looking for ET," Sky's Up, Summer 2016.

"Drone's Eye View of Mars," Huffington Post, May 16, 2016.

""Will Hillary Clinton Unmask Area 51?", Huffington Post, March 30, 2016.

"Kenneth Souza," SETI Institute, March 29, 2016.

"Elizabeth Garrett," SETI Institute, March 16, 2016.

"A Ping from the Cosmos," Huffington Post, February 26, 2016.

"Gravity Waves and ET," Huffington Post, February 11, 2016.

"Goodbye, Little Green Men," (with Susan Schneider), Huffington Post, January 28, 2016.

"Planet Nine: What Would It Mean?" Huffington Post, January 21, 2016.

"Could This Be Humanity's Last Century?" Huffington Post, January 14, 2016.

"Looking for E.T.," Techer, Annual 2015.

"What the Candidates Should Know," Huffington Post, December 9, 2015.

"Newborn Planet Being Kicked Out of the Nest," SETI Institute, December 1, 2015.

"Liquid Water on Mars is Big News," SETI Institute, November 28, 2015.

"Are There Signals Coming from Deep Space?" Huffington Post, November 5, 2015.

"The Mysterious Star KIC 8462852," SETI Institute, October 26, 2016.

"Alien Engineering Around Strange Star?" Huffington Post, October 22, 2015.

"Is there life on Mars? We're finally starting to wonder again," Guardian, October 2, 2015.

"Liquid Water on Mars is Big News," SETI Institute, September 28, 2015.

"NASA's Big Mars Story," Huffington Post, September 28, 2015.

"Search for ET stronger than ever," Sky's Up, Fall 2015.

"Could We Really Find E.T.?" SETI Institute, September 18, 2015.

"UFOs: The Trail is Stale," Huffington Post, September 1, 2015.

"Are You a Martian?", Huffington Post, August 19, 2015.

"The Nearest Earth," Huffington Post, August 6, 2015.

"Pluto!" SETI Institute, July 14, 2015.

"World-Wide Problems? Blame It on the Romans," Huffington Post, July 10, 2015.

"Soggy Invaders From Space," Huffington Post, June 23, 2015.

"Roswell Aliens Not So Alien," Huffington Post, May 26, 2015.

"Super Civilizations: What Do They Really Want?" Huffington Post, May 11, 2015.

"SETI Institute Trains Educators on the Methods of Science," SETI Institute, April 20, 2015.

"Blame it on the Aliens," Huffington Post, April 3, 2015.

"Should We Keep a Low Profile in Space?," New York Times, March 27, 2015.

"Leonard Nimoy 1931 - 2015," SETI Institute, February 27, 2015.

"If E.T. Comes Calling," Huffington Post, January 30, 2015.

"Should We Broadcast? And What If We Find Life in the Solar System?" SETI Institute, January 29, 2015.

"Charles Townes 1915 - 2015," SETI Institute, January 27, 2015.

"Pascal Lee Wins Children's Book Prize," SETI Institute, January 23, 2015.

"Art for Science's Sake," SETI Institute, January 22, 2015.

"Dave Morrison Wins Education Prize," SETI Institute, January 18, 2015.

"Intriguing Martian Features Similar to Biologically Produced Structures on Earth," SETI Institute, January 9, 2015.

"No Man's Land in the Cosmos," Huffington Post, January 9, 2015.

"New Exoplanets Include Two Worlds Similar to Earth," SETI Institute, January 7, 2015.

"No Signals from Newest Kepler Planet," SETI Institute, January 6, 2015.

"Mars Methane: Life at Last?" Huffington Post, December 19, 2014.

"Alan Turing and the Five Sigma Theory of Progress," Huffington Post, December 8, 2014.

"Talking to Aliens," Huffington Post, November 14, 2014.

"Treasure in Gold Rush Meteorite," SETI Institute, November 12, 2014.

"'Interstellar' - A Galaxy Too Far?" Huffington Post, November 8, 2014.

"Is Life an Illusion?" Huffington Post, October 10, 2014.

"So What Really Goes Down if We Find the Aliens?" Huffington Post, September 26, 2014.

"MAVEN Spacecraft Picked Up by Allen Telescope Array," SETI Institute, September 26, 2016.

"A Rock With His Name on It," SETI Institute, September 23, 2014.

"Forget Space Travel: Build This Telescope," Huffington Post, August 19, 2014.

"Nelly ben Hayoun Wins from Wired," SETI Institute, August 15, 2014.

"Bay Area Meteorite's Long History," SETI Institute, August 15, 2014.

"15 Real-Life Scientists Share Their Favorite Science Fiction Books, Movies," Huffington Post, August 14, 2014.

"We could find alien life, but politicians don't have the will," The Conversation, August 12, 2014.

"Allen Telescope Array Picks Up ISEE3 Satellite," SETI Institute, August 12, 2014.

"Forest Fires in Vicinity of Allen Telescope Array," SETI Institute, August 8, 2014.

"Why the Aliens Want Earth," Huffington Post, July 31, 2014.

"The SETI Institute's Newest Rock Star," SETI Institute, July 17, 2014.

"Invention for Sampling Mars is Honored by NASA," SETI Institute, June 24, 2014.

"Life on the Billionth Rock From the Sun," Huffington Post, June 9, 2014.

"Using Radio in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence," Written Text for Congressional Testimony, U. S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, May 21, 2014. 

"What Astronomy Says About Religion," Huffington Post, May 1, 2014.

"Kepler 186f: Is It Inhabited?," Huffington Post, April 21, 2014.

"Cousin of Earth: Planet Kepler-186f May Be Habitable for Life (Op-Ed)," SPACE.com, April 17, 2014.

"Thomas Pierson, 1950 - 2014," SETI Institute, February 21, 2014.

"Astronomy's Alpha Male," Huffington Post, February 20, 2014.

"Like Creation Science? Toss Your Cellphone," Huffington Post, February 5, 2014.

"Searching for Smart Life around Small Stars," Astronomy, February 2014.

"The End of the World: Science or Religion?" Huffington Post, January 15, 2014.

"The Second Signal," Communications of the ACM, January 2014, p. 128.

"Hollywood Aliens," Hollywood Chemistry: When Science Met Entertainment, Donna J. Nelson, et al, eds. Book chapter, 2013.

"Is Alien Life Surfacing Nearby?", Huffington Post, December 15, 2013.

"When Will We Build the Starship Enterprise?". Huffington Post, December 10, 2013.

"Dark Matter in the Spotlight," Wired World in 2014, UK Edition, November 2014.

"The Numbers are Astronomical," Huffington Post, November 4, 2013.

"Martian Archaeology. Not." Huffington Post, October 8, 2013.

"Why Doesn't NASA Just Look for Life?", Huffington Post, August 24, 2013.

"Bishun Khare," SETI Institute, August 22, 2013.

"Contact with Aliens? Think Before You Call," Huffington Post, August 6, 2013.

"John Billingham 1930-2013," SETI Institute, August 5, 2013.

"How Ordinary Are We?" , Huffington Post, May 24, 2013.

"Klingon Worlds," Huffington Post, April 26, 2013.

"Why Bother Searching for ET?", Huffington Post, April 1, 2013.

"The Darkest Worlds," Huffington Post, March 15, 2013.

"Celestial Sound Effects," Huffington Post, February 22, 2013.

"The Ultimate Television," Huffington Post, February 1, 2013.

"2013: What Should We Be Worried About?", Edge, January 23, 2013.

"Are Transmissions to Space Dangerous?", International Journal of Astrobiology 12 (1): 17–20 (2013)

"Target: Earth," Huffington Post, December 21, 2012.

"Forsaking the Ivory Tower," Huffington Post, December 12, 2012.

"A Planet with Life?", SETI Institute, November 9, 2012.

"Rockets: So Old School?", Huffington Post, November 8, 2012.

"Science from Hell," Huffington Post, October 8, 2012.

"Armstrong Wasn't Columbus," Huffington Post, August 29, 2012.

"Turn Down the Rock Music," Huffington Post, August 10, 2012.

"We Shouldn't Give Up on SETI," IEEE Spectrum, August 2012.

"Sally Ride 1951 - 2012," SETI Institute, July 24, 2012.

"How to Find Extraterrestrial Life," Huffington Post, July 5, 2012.

"Extraterrestrial Habitats: Yet More Good News," Huffington Post, June 14, 2012.

"Hollywood Aliens: Prototypes for the Real Thing?", Huffington Post, May 29, 2012.

"The 6 Most Likely Places to Find Alien Life," SPACE.com, May 16, 2012.

"What Hapens When We Detect Alien Life?", Astronomy Magazine, May 2012.

"The UFO Bestiary," Huffington Post, April 27, 2012.

"Alien Messages in Plain Sight," Huffington Post, April 5, 2012.

"Armadeggon: 1,000,000,000 A.D.", Huffington Post, February 28, 2012.

"Heed the Robot," Huffington Post, January 31, 2012.

"They're Not Meat," Huffington Post, January 27, 2012.

"Humble Pie," Huffington Post, January 5, 2012.

"Do Aliens Exist?", chapter, Big Questions from Little People Answered by Some Very Big People; pp. 17-18

"Heroic Exploration: Well and Truly Dead?", Huffington Post, December 20, 2011.

"The Ultimate Measure of a Planet - Habitability Isn't a Yes/No Question," Discover Magazine - The Crux Blog, December 6, 2011.

"Last Chance to be Special?" Huffington Post, December 5, 2011.

"Alien Probes for Real?" Huffington Post, November 10, 2011.

"National Parks on the Moon?," Huffington Post, October 17, 2011.

"Luke Skywalker's World" Huffington Post, September 15, 2011.

"Review: 'Apollo 18' - The Moon's Livelier Than You Think" SPACE.com, September 5, 2011.

"Will the Allen Telescope Array Soon Resume its Scrutiny of the Skies?" SETI League, Guest Editorial, September 2011.

"Will We Ever Figure It Out?" Huffington Post, August 22, 2011.

"Life: Miraculous or Mundane?" Huffington Post, August 1, 2011.

"American Space Research: An Also-Ran?" Huffington Post, July 17, 2011.

"E.T., Phone the Bay Area," Huffington Post, July 12, 2011.

"Are Movie Theaters Doomed?" Huffington Post, June 6, 2011.

"The Real End of the World," Huffington Post, May 22, 2011.

"Search for ET Put on Hold," Huffington Post, April 26, 2011.

"UFOs: Nice Houseguests," Huffington Post, April 18, 2011.

“The Alien Hordes are Here (or Not),” Cosmos Magazine, April 13, 2011.

"Sending Greeting Cards to the Aliens,” Huffington Post, April 4, 2011.

"Scientific Events that Most Changed the World,” What’s Happening Magazine, March 20, 2011.

"Homeopathy: Different Isn’t Better,” Are We A Blog, March 16, 2011.

"The End of Earthquakes,” Huffington Post, March 15, 2011.

"UFOs: Believe ‘em or Not?” What’s Happening Magazine, March 12, 2011.

"Battle: L.A. – Hold Your Water!” Huffington Post, March 8, 2011.

"Today Jeopardy, Tomorrow the World,” Huffington Post, February 14, 2011.

"A Bucketful of Worlds,” Huffington Post, February 3, 2011.

"America’s “Can’t Do” Attitude,” Huffington Post, January 26, 2011.

"Time for Astrology to Sign Out,” Huffington Post, January 15, 2011.

"Alien Vaporware,” Huffington Post, January 6, 2011.

Answer to reader question, Planetary Report, January/February 2011, p. 16.

"Limits on Interstellar Messages," in Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence, D. Vakoch ed., 2011 SUNY Press, p. 357.

"When One Big Bang Is Not Enough,” Huffington Post, December 13, 2010.

"Life, But Not As We Know It,” Huffington Post, December 5, 2010.

"The Lugubrious Universe,” Huffington Post, November 26, 2010.

"Living Forever Is Not a Good Idea,” Huffington Post, November 15, 2010.

"Are We a Biological Miracle?”, Huffington Post, November 9, 2010.

"A High Torch,” Sagan Day Essay, Kepler Mission, November 6, 2010.

"Closing In on ET,” Sky & Telescope Magazine, November 2010.

"Bye Bye to a Lovely Planet,” Huffington Post, November 1, 2010.

"The Listeners by James Gunn,” in “Lost in Space”, New Scientist, October 23, 2010.

"Burn the Bookcases!”, Huffington Post, October 20, 2010.

"The Future of SETI,” Sky & Telescope Magazine, cover story, October 2010.

"A Planet Someone Might Call Home,” Huffington Post, October 4, 2010.

"Join the Galactic Church?,” Huffington Post, September 26, 2010.

"3D Movies: Wave of the Future or Fleeting Fad?”, Huffington Post, September 18, 2010.

"Who or What Built the Universe,” Huffington Post, September 9, 2010.

"Questions and Answers,” The Planetary Report, September/October 2010.

"News That Would Change the World,” Muse Magazine, September 2010.

"New Homes for ET,” Huffington Post, August 27, 2010.

"Martians? Ho Hum.” Huffington Post, August 24, 2010.

"Alien Life But Not As We Know It”, Guardian Comment is Free, August 24, 2010.

"Seeking Cosmic Company,” Ottawa Citizen, September 23, 2010. (Invited)

“Don’t Tell ET”, Huffington Post, August 18, 2010.

"Search for Aliens Takes Center Stage This Weekend at SETIcon,” SPACE.com, August 12, 2010.

“Where are the aliens? Fermi Paradox redux,” Huffington Post, August 8, 2010.

It's Too Late to Worry that the Aliens Will Find Us," for New Scientist opinion, 5 July, 2010.

"Search for Intelligent Extraterrestrial Life Continues," Letter to the Editor, Wall Street Journal, April 17, 2010.

"Hunting for E.T.", What's Happening Magazine, April 2010, p. 5.

"Faster than Light: Separating Fiction from Reality,”, Good/Magazine, March 29, 2010.

"Exploring the Final Frontier: a Quest for Life in the Cosmos,” The Explorers Journal, Spring 2010, pp.32-35.

"Is Manned Spaceflight Obsolete?: Why Hominids and Space Go Together," New York Times, February 9,2010.

"Strip-mining 'Avatar'," Huffington Post, January 18, 2010 and SPACE.com, January 29, 2010.

"We Are Not Alone - But Are We Ready to Explore?", San Jose Mercury News, December 31, 2009.

"Apocalypse 2012? The Truth About the End of the World, SPACE.com, October 22, 2009.

"Weird Ways to Search for ET", SPACE.com, September 24, 2009.

"Meet the Neighbors in 'District 9'," SPACE.com, August 17, 2009.

"Why Aliens Won't Abduct You," Good/Magazine, August 12, 2009.

"Sifting for Planets with Kepler's Fine Comb," SPACE.com, August 6, 2009.

"What Will Aliens Really Look Like?," SPACE.com, July 16, 2009.

"Fighting Global Warming with Pavement," Good/Magazine, July 15, 2009.

"Aliens Lose in Switch to Digital TV," SPACE.com, June 18, 2009.

"When Will We Find the Extraterrestrials?" Engineering & Science, Spring 2009.

"Race to the Bottom," SPACE.com, May 28, 2009.

"The Future is Wow," Good/Magazine, May 4, 2009.

"Have a Wacko Theory? Write It Up," SPACE.com, April 16, 2009.

"Boldly Going Nowhere," New York Times, April 14, 2009, p. A21 (op-ed piece, invited)

"Surprise Recovery of Meteorites Following Asteroid Impact," SPACE.com, March 26, 2009.

"What Finding Alien Life Could Mean for Earth," SPACE.com, February 18, 2009.

"Is Humanity a Spacefaring Race?" SPACE.com, January 15, 2009.

"Seth Shostak On the Set of The Day the Earth Stood Still," SPACE.com, December 8, 2008.

"The Mother of All Beacons," SPACE.com, December 4, 2008.

“Cosmic Company,” Research Review (European Parliament), November 2008, pp.76-77.

"A Major Moon Dust-Up," SPACE.com, October 16, 2008.

"Spore is More," SPACE.com, September 4, 2008.

"UFOs: Flying Emotions," SPACE.com, August 6, 2008.

"The Roar of the Aurora," SPACE.com, July 10, 2008.

“Good Timing,” SPACE.com, June 12, 2008.

“Why Don’t They Do SETI?” SPACE.com, May 8, 2008.

“The Hunt for Aliens,” The Guardian, April 26, 2008.

“Alien Sociology,” SPACE.com, March 27, 2008.

“Movie Review: 10,000 B.C.,” SPACE.com, March 9, 2008.

“Finding Them, Finding Us,” SPACE.com, February 28, 2008.

“Galactic Wi-Fi?,” SPACE.com, January 31, 2008.

“Movie Review: Legend Clears Out New York,”, Space.com, December 26, 2007.

“Aliens Apart,” SPACE.com, December 6, 2007.

“SETI: Is It Worth It?” SPACE.com, November 8, 2007.

“Inauguration Day for Alien Signal-Hunting Telescope,” SPACE.com, October 11, 2007.

“’The Invasion’ Invades the Multiplex,” SPACE.com, September 6, 2007.

“Is There Anybody Out There?,” The Guardian, August 13, 2007.

“Happy Birthday, Hysterics! The Roswell Incident Turns 60,” SPACE.com, July 12, 2007.

“Planets: The Grand Tally,” SPACE.com, June 14, 2007.

“Planet of Promise: Small, Rocky World Could Harbor Life,” SPACE.com, May 17, 2007.

“Harnessing the Power of the Sun,” SPACE.com, April 19, 2007.

“The Astronaut Farmer: A Tough Row to Hoe,” SPACE.com, March 22, 2007.

"When Did Science Become the Enemy?” SPACE.com, February 15, 2007.

"When Does SETI Throw in the Towel?" SPACE.com, January 18, 2007.

"Making the Search Simple," SPACE.com, December 14, 2006.

"Listening for ET's Television," SPACE.com, November 9, 2006.

"Combing the Cosmos at High Speed: The Allen Telescope Array," SPACE.com, October 12, 2006.

"The Legacy of Star Trek," SPACE.com, September 14, 2006.

"Len Cutler (1928 - 2006)," SETI Institute Feature Article, September 7, 2006.

"Contact: What Happens if a Signal is Found," SPACE.com, August 17, 2006.

"Is SETI Barking Up the Wrong Tree?," SPACE.com, July 20, 2006.

"Why We Must Flee the Planet: The Geometry of Earth is All Wrong," SPACE.com, June 28, 2006.

"The Case for Transmitting to Space," SPACE.com, May 25, 2006.

"Earth's Moon: Best in the Solar System," SPACE.com, April 27, 2006.

"8 Worlds Where Life Might Exist," SPACE.com, March 23, 2006.

"Big Apes and Bad Biology," SPACE.com, March 2, 2006.

"The Holy Grail: Small, Rocky Worlds," SPACE.com, February 2, 2006.

"Transmitting to a Million Worlds," SPACE.com, January 12, 2006.

"SETI and Intelligent Design," SPACE.com, December 1, 2005.

"Saving the Planet: Or, How Science Education is Good for Everyone's Future," SPACE.com, November 10, 2005. 

"Public Split on Alien Invaders and Spooky Specters," SPACE.com, November 3, 2005.

“The Day the Earth Stands Still,” Australian Sky & Telescope, October 2005, p. 24. (Cover story)

"Cranking Up the Allen Telescope Array," SPACE.com, October 6, 2005.

"Letter: Response to 'SETI Politics'," The Space Review, September 12, 2005.

"Lew Platt 1941 - 2005", SETI Institute Feature Article, September 9, 2005.

"A Sound of Thunder: A Movie That's Disarmed and Dangerous," SPACE.com, September 8, 2005.

"Turning a Bastion of Blimps into a Catalog of the Cosmos," San Jose Mercury News, August 28, 2005.

"Types Cast: Seth Shostak's Guide to Fictional Aliens," The Guardian, August 25, 2005.

"The Proof Is Out There..." The Guardian, August 18, 2005.  Also published in the Taipei Times, August 23, 2005.

"Extremophiles: Not So Extreme?" SPACE.com, August 4, 2005.

"The Great UFO Debate," SPACE.com, July 14, 2005.

"Spreading Antennas Around," SPACE.com, June 28, 2005.

"Small World, Big Ripples," The Guardian, June 23, 2005.  Also published in The Hindu, June 24, 2005 and Taipei Times, June 28, 2005.

"The Hitchhiker's Guide Gets Thumbs Up," SPACE.com, May 19, 2005.

"Philip Morrison, 1915 - 2005," SPACE.com, April 28, 2005.

"Who Dares, Wins... Or Do They?," SPACE.com, March 24, 2005.

"Lost for Words in Space," The Guardian, March 24, 2005.

"Orphan Planets: It's a Hard-Knock Life," SPACE.com, February 24, 2005.

"We Will Invent Our Successors," in 'We Are the Final Frontier,", The Guardian, February 10, 2005.

"Titan: A World of Its Own," SPACE.com, February 3, 2004.

"Dr. Seth Shostak Answers Your Questions About SETI," Universe Today, January 27, 2005.

"New and Improved SETI," SPACE.com, December 30, 2004.

"Monsters From Outer Space ," The Guardian, December 9, 2004. (invited)

"What Do You Say to An Extraterrestrial?," SPACE.com, December 2, 2004.

"Common Sense and SETI," Mercury , November/December 2004, p. 25

"ET, Phone Earth," Atlantic Monthly, November 2004, p.58.

"Intelligence Gathering: The Study of How the Brain Evolves Offers Insight Into the Mind," SPACE.com, October 28, 2004.

"Life, the Universe and Everything: How Astronomy Addresses the Big Questions," SPACE.com, October 22, 2004.

"Why the Search for Life Drives Space Exploration," SPACE.com, October 14, 2004.

"Are We The Galaxy's Youngest Residents?," SPACE.com, September 30, 2004.

"What to do When ET Calls," The Guardian, September 9, 2004

"SETI@home Signal Story Sees Much More Than Meets the Eye," SPACE.com, September 3, 2004.

"Listening For a Whisper," Astronomy, September 2004, p.34. (cover story)

"Does ET Use Snail Mail?," SPACE.com, August 31, 2004.

"Alien vs. Predator: What's Really Out There," SPACE.com, August 19, 2004.

"Emails Illustrate Fine Line Between the Brilliant and the Bizarre," SPACE.com, Aug 11, 2004.

"John Kraus: Radio Astronomer and SETI Researcher (1910-2004)," SETI Institute Feature Article, August 5, 2004.

"Our New Facilities on Whisman Road," SETI Institute Feature Article, August 2004.

"I, Robot, Ourselves: What Does Artificial Intelligence Tell Us About Humanity," SPACE.com, July 15, 2004.

"Final Frontier: Where Does it Really Begin?," SPACE.com, June 24, 2004.

"Commentary: NASA May Take a Licking, But it Keeps on Ticking," SPACE.com, June 8, 2004.

"When Weather (and Science) Goes Bad," SPACE.com, May 27, 2004.

"Case Against Little Green Men," (with Margaret Turnbull), SPACE.com, May 20, 2004.

"Book of the Month: What Does a Martian Look Like?" (book review), Focus Magazine ( UK), May, 2004, p. 84.

"Bricks of Life: Exploring the Idea of Alien Chemistry," SPACE.com, April 15, 2004.

"Cheap Communication Schemes for ET," SPACE.com, April 1, 2004.

"Adios Arecibo: Project Phoenix Moves On," SPACE.com, March 10, 2004.

"Report from Arecibo: It Just Keeps Getting Better," SPACE.com, February 19, 2004.

"Interstellar Espionage: While We're Watching Mars, Could Someone be Watching Us?," SPACE.com, January 22, 2004.

"Geologist on Wheels Takes Human Curiosity to Mars," San Jose Mercury News, January 7, 2004. (op-ed piece (invited)
Also published in  The Australian and in the Peoria Journal-Star, February 22, 2004, p. A5.

"Big Telescope, Small Signals," SPACE.com, December 18, 2003.

"Seeing Extraterrestrials," SPACE.com, November 20, 2003.

"Can Aliens Find Us?," SPACE.com, October 23, 2003.

"Jupiter's Moons: 2 Aristotle: 0," SPACE.com, September 25, 2003.

"Mars Attracts!," SPACE.com, August 28, 2003.

"Panspermia: Spreading Life Through the Universe," SPACE.com, July 24, 2003.

"Aliens? We Must Talk – How Does July 2503 Sound For You?", The Australian, July 22, 2003, p. 11.

"Women of SETI," SPACE.com, June 26, 2003.

"Quantum Communication Between the Stars?," SPACE.com, May 22, 2003.

"Arecibo Diaries: The Romance, Drama, and Normality of the Observatory," SPACE.com, April 28, 2003.