The Science of SETI: Inside the First Modern Textbook

How do scientists actually search for extraterrestrial intelligence?

Astronomer, professor, and Drake Award winner Jason Wright joins host Beth Johnson on SETI Live to discuss his new textbook, The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Theory and Practice. The book brings together the science, methods, and history of SETI into a single framework for students and researchers.

SETI has evolved dramatically in the past few decades—from early radio searches to modern investigations of technosignatures, including laser signals, infrared waste heat, and other possible evidence of advanced civilizations.

In this conversation, we explore:
Why SETI now deserves a full academic textbook
The many ways scientists search for alien technology
The history and philosophy behind the field
What would actually count as a real detection
How researchers are training the next generation of SETI scientists

Learn more about The Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center: https://www.pseti.psu.edu/ 

Access the textbook: https://iopscience.iop.org/book/mono/978-0-7503-4796-9

(Recorded live 19 March 2026.)