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SUMMARY:Are we alone in the Universe? - Dr Arik Kershenbaum\, University o
 f Cambridge
DTSTART:20230224T173000Z
DTEND:20230224T183000Z
UID:TALK172154@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Janet Gibson
DESCRIPTION:Is there intelligent life elsewhere in the universe? If not\, 
 does that mean that we humans are utterly alone in creation? Recent techno
 logical developments make the discovery of life on other planets almost ex
 pected within the coming decades. But most of the inhabited planets we hop
 e to discover may well be populated by no more than alien bacteria. Will t
 hat make us feel any less alone? What we really hope to find are aliens wi
 th whom we can communicate and hold a conversation. When we ask \,“Are w
 e alone?”\, what we really mean is\, “Do we have anyone to talk to in 
 the universe?” Our gnawing concern about being isolated in the universe 
 ironically mirrors the situation we face on our own planet. We are proud o
 f the status of human beings as the most intelligent of animals\, and inde
 ed the only species with language. But that very uniqueness isolates us fr
 om all the other intelligent animals on the planet. Sure\, we can communic
 ate with our pet dogs and cats\, but we can’t hold a conversation with t
 hem. Why not? What is the nature of the barrier between us and dolphins or
  chimpanzees? Some would say that if we aren’t capable of understanding 
 dolphins and whales\, we have no chance of understanding any alien civilis
 ation we encounter. Perhaps we are doomed to galactic isolation\, no matte
 r how many alien civilisations exist. However\, I believe that we can be m
 ore optimistic than that. As we reach out to the stars to seek out new lif
 e and new civilisations\, now is the time to consider: for what are we act
 ually searching?\n\nDr Arik Kershenbaum is a zoologist\, Director of Studi
 es\, and Fellow at Girton College\, University of Cambridge\, and an exper
 t on animal vocal communication\, which he has researched for the past 14 
 years. He received his PhD at the University of Haifa in Israel\, and hold
 s a Higher Doctorate from the University of Cambridge. His first popular s
 cience book\, The Zoologist’s Guide to the Galaxy was a Times/Sunday Tim
 es Book of the Year\, and received accolades from among others\, Richard D
 awkins and Lord Martin Rees\, the Astronomer Royal. Dr Kershenbaum travels
  the world researching the nature of information in the communication of w
 olves\, dolphins\, primates\, and other species\, looking for indications 
 of the similarities – and differences – with human speech. The evoluti
 on of different forms of animal communication is the subject of his second
  popular science book: How Animals Talk\, which will be published in 2023.
LOCATION:Lady Mitchell Hall\, Sidgwick Avenue
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