Abstract

Dr S. Pete Worden, Chair of the Breakthrough Initiatives, will lead a talk on the work the Breakthrough Foundation is doing to help humanity investigate the possibility of life forms on other planets, and how scientists can get involved. The Star Shot initiative—a plan to send a spacecraft to another star system in the next 25 years—will be the main topic of the presentation. Dr. Worden will also discuss the foundation’s other major initiatives:

- Listen is the search for extraterrestrial intelligence using RF (1 GHz to 30Ghz) and visible light. - Watch is the search for earth-sized planets in the habitable zone of nearby stars.

S. Pete Worden: Executive Director, Breakthrough Initiatives, Chairman, Breakthrough Prize Foundation

Biography: Simon Peter “Pete” Worden, (Brig. Gen., USAF , Ret., PhD) is the Chairman of the Breakthrough Prize Foundation and Executive Director of the foundation’s ‘Breakthrough Initiatives’. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Michigan and a PhD in Astronomy for the University of Arizona. Prior to joining the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, Dr. Worden was Director of NASA ’s Ames Research Center. He has held several positions in the United States Air Force and was research professor of astronomy at the University of Arizona, Tucson, USA . He is a recognized expert on space and science issues – both civil and military, and has been a leader in building partnerships between governments and the private sector internationally