Are we alone? This question has occupied the minds of some of the greatest thinkers in history. In this talk, our speaker will examine the “early” history of this fascinating question – from the ancient Greek philosophers to (more-or-less) modern day scientists, along with their Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). Along the way you’ll meet prescient Atomists, a pyromaniacal observatory director, an astronomer who was afraid of the dark, and the inspiration for the horror film Altered States.
Next Meeting Presentation
1 Oct. 2026 – Club Meeting Presentation — Thursday night, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
There is no July meeting or presentation.
This free speaker presentation will be offered both in-person in the Mannheimer Room at the lower level of the UNC-Asheville Reuter Center and virtually online. Registration is not required; use this Zoom link to watch the presentation remotely.
This free film viewing for the August meeting may only be watched in-person in the Mannheimer Room at the lower level of the UNC-Asheville Reuter Center. There is no remote viewing avaliable for this presentation.
Although parking is free for this event at the UNC-Asheville Reuter Center, you must register your vehicle with a “Visitor 5pm – 6am” permit type at this link. Once registration is complete, visitors will not need to print or display a permit; the system utilizes camera-based License Plate Recognition technology. All vehicles must park front-end in, so that the license plate is visible.
"The Early History of SETI"
Presented by: David Johnston,
NASA Solar System Ambassador
This Guest Speaker Series Event is a collaboration between the Astronomy Club of Asheville and UNC-Asheville.
Scientists have determined that the Earth is 4.6 billion years old. Putting Earth’s evolution in the context of a single year, with 12:00 a.m. on January 1st as the time of Earth’s formation, modern humans evolved approximately 15 minutes before midnight on December 31st!