Inside the Boardroom with Alan Bagley - SETI Institute

Letter from the CEO
July 2005
Dear SETI Institute supporter,
Previously, we introduced the world of extremophiles and their ability to survive
the most intense of conditions. We now shift our focus to humankind’s key to
survival: foresight.
In this issue of Explorer, we examine a wide range of potential threats to Earth
and consider what we might do to protect ourselves. Preparedness lies in the
willingness to face these threats head on, educating ourselves now before the danger
is imminent.
Catastrophic changes to Earth’s environment 65 million years ago that led to the
extinction of the dinosaurs—often attributed to the impact of a massive asteroid on
Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula—also allowed for the rise of the mammals, eventually
yielding humankind. Life on Earth is tenacious, always ready to take advantage
of chance circumstances. The concept of 65 million years seems improbable to a
society that prefers the speed of sound to the speed of evolution. As Louis Pasteur
put it, “chance favors the prepared mind.” Preparing now through education and
research is our insurance policy for the future.
With warm regards,
Tom Pierson
Chief Executive Officer
SETI Institute Mission Statement
The mission of the SETI Institute is to explore, understand and explain the origin,
nature and prevalence of life in the universe.
On the Cover
An artist’s rendering of an asteroid heading toward Earth.
Image courtesy Seth Shostak
From the
Science
Editor’s Desk
by Seth Shostak
Two decades ago, I pitched what
I thought was a great story to
the science editor of a national
magazine. I offered to describe
the inevitable death of the universe.
I got an angry rejection, with the complaint
that the idea was both “dystopian
and completely speculative.”
Well, no argument with “dystopian.”
But I took umbrage at “completely speculative.”
Sure, many aspects of our planet’s
future, and for that matter, the fate of the
We can’t reliably predict
societal evolution, or
even our own personal
behavior next month.
But physics is forever.
universe, remain subject to chance (will
Earth be flash-sterilized by a gamma ray
burst) or poorly known (when, exactly, do
all the protons disintegrate).
But predicting the future of the
universe – even foretelling what will happen
a trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion
years from now and more – is not like trying
to guess the stock market. It requires
only a few astronomical observations and
physics.
We can’t reliably predict societal evolution,
or even our own personal behavior
next month. But physics is forever. Ten
millennia from now, folks may not be
greatly attuned to the art and music of
the 19 th century, but they will still expect
their electronic devices to work. And those
devices will be built on the basis of James
Maxwell’s equations from the 1870s.
Science is rewarding for a lot of reasons.
It’s exciting and it’s challenging. Sure, being
a tax consultant helps folks, and it pays
the bills, too. But in the 101 st century, those
tax forms will be archaeological dross, and
not of much relevance. On the other hand,
the discoveries of science will still be hanging
in there. They’ve got legs. After all,
once we’ve uncovered one of nature’s secrets,
her behavior is no longer “completely
speculative.”
Second Quarter 2005 - Celebrating our 20th Anniversary