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Seti Institute
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- 1Astronomers use beryllium to detect stars that swallowed planetsβ# ICYMI : How do you know if a star ate its planets? Lithium can disappear inside stars over time, but beryllium lasts l
The SETI Institute is explaining how astronomers can tell whether a star has consumed its own planets. Lithium naturally disappears inside stars over time, making it unreliable as evidence, but beryllium lasts far longer. Its presence can therefore indicate that rocky worlds were swallowed, offering a new chemical clue in stellar detective work.
- 2Small new Moon crater's far-reaching effects to be exploredβA new crater on the Moon is revealing some surprising secrets! π The crater is only about 222 meters wide, but the impac
Scientists are highlighting a recently formed lunar crater about 222 meters wide whose impact disturbed the Moon's surface for kilometers around its rim. Researchers from the SETI Institute are presenting findings on the crater and its surprising reach, offering insight into how impacts reshape planetary surfaces far beyond the point of contact.
- 3SETI volcanologist explains what a Yellowstone super-eruption would do to EarthβWhat would a Yellowstone super-eruption actually mean for Earth? SETI Institute volcanologist Dr. Kayla Iacovino joined
SETI Institute volcanologist Dr. Kayla Iacovino appeared on NewsNation to explain what a Yellowstone super-eruption would actually mean for the planet. She described the event as so large that its global effects could be comparable to those of a major asteroid impact, prompting fresh public discussion about the supervolcano's potential consequences.
- 4SETI astronomer to lecture on the search for Earth-like planetsβFor thousands of years, weβve wondered if Earth is unique. Today, we know planets are common, but we still haven't found
The SETI Institute is hosting the next Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture on October 7, with astrophysicist Dr. Jessie Christiansen exploring the question of whether Earth is unique. Thousands of years of wondering have confirmed that planets are common across the galaxy, yet another world quite like our own remains undiscovered, and the lecture will trace that search from past to present.
- 5SETI podcast explores what whales and dolphins reveal about alien intelligenceβWhat can whales and dolphins teach us about intelligence in the universe? ππ On the SETI Live podcast, Bill Diamond talk
On the SETI Live podcast, SETI Institute executive Bill Diamond speaks with Dr. Lori Marino, recipient of the 2026 Drake Award, about animal intelligence and brain evolution. Marino, a specialist in whale and dolphin cognition, argues that studying non-human minds on Earth can shape how scientists think about intelligence elsewhere in the universe. The conversation covers dolphin and whale brains, what intelligence means beyond humans, and the search for extraterrestrial minds.
- 6SETI Institute Highlights Dr. Mia Mace's Saturn Ring ResearchβDr. Mia Maceβs scientific research interests lie in numerical modeling of planetary ring systems, and her doctoral work
Dr. Mia Mace, a researcher featured by the SETI Institute, specializes in numerical modeling of planetary ring systems. Her doctoral work involved developing code to simulate the dynamics of charged dust grains in Saturn's rings, addressing open questions about ring rain and spoke phenomena. The spotlight introduces her expertise in planetary science and ring dynamics to a wider audience.
- 7Dark dunes imaged on floor of Mars' Schaeberle Craterβ# PPOD : Dark dunes sweep across the floor of Schaeberle Crater in this HiRISE image from NASAβs Mars Reconnaissance Orb
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured a HiRISE image showing dark sand dunes sweeping across the floor of Schaeberle Crater. The Seti Institute highlighted the picture, noting the crater spans nearly 159 kilometers in Mars' southern hemisphere and that its floor preserves evidence of very different past environmental conditions on the red planet.
- 8SETI Institute welcomes three new postdoctoral fellowsβPRESS RELEASE From viruses and genomes to habitable environments and the birthplaces of planets, three new postdoctoral
The SETI Institute has announced the arrival of three new postdoctoral researchers: L. Felipe Benites, named a Mino Fellow, and Genesis Berlanga and Dingshan Deng, named Frank Drake Fellows. Their work spans viruses and genomes, habitable environments, and the birthplaces of planets, reflecting the institute's broad astrobiology and astronomy research agenda.
- 9SETI scientist to explore why alien signals may go unnoticedβWould we recognize an extraterrestrial signal if we found one? π‘ Tomorrow, join SETI Institute scientist Dr. Vishal Gajj
The SETI Institute is hosting a talk by scientist Dr. Vishal Gajjar with ScienceKind titled 'The Great Radio Silence in the Age of AI'. The discussion will examine whether humanity would actually recognize an extraterrestrial signal if one arrived, how potential signals could escape traditional search methods, and how artificial intelligence is being used to rethink the search for alien life.