Are we alone and destined for oblivion?

Presenter(s): Tony Tanner

Session details: Saturday, 2020-04-11 01:00:00, SUN

Abstract

Since Drake attempted to quantify the question posed by Fermi, ”Where are they?”, we have pondered on the possibility of finding and communicating with intelligent life elsewhere in the Universe. Little was known of the values of the terms in Drake’s equation when it was posed, but since then our understanding of the Universe and the evolution of life on planet Earth has increased dramatically. While this has helped in quantifying some terms, many other factors have arisen. This presentation overviews the probability of each term to address the question, “Are we alone?” In the light of this discussion the question — “What does the future hold for our species“ — is also explored.

Biography

Tony graduated from Sydney University with a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry. He then worked in corporate Australia and obtained further qualification in business, but always had a yearning to further his science studies. Following retirement Tony undertook an MSc (Astronomy) at Swinburne University. To maintain a sense of balance and a hold on reality Tony also holds an AMusA and LTCL in piano performance.