🧠 Does intelligence require memory or foresight? Memory enables learning; foresight enables planning. Together they link past, present, and future. But could intelligence exist only in the present—responding instinctively without recalling or anticipating—or is time awareness essential? 🕰️

Members of the SETI Post Detection Hub are presenting talks and posters this week at #AbSciCon2026! Whether you’re attending the conference or following from afar, what questions about life beyond Earth interest you most?

🌌 At the SETI-Post Detection Hub, we explore how humans interpret contact. First hand accounts of alien encounters often resemble religious experiences through themes of revelation, salvation and a belief in higher beings. Are these shaped by religion, or universal responses to the unknown? 🙏

🧠 Does intelligence naturally try to control its environment? Many intelligent systems reshape their surroundings. Some argue that increasing control is a natural outcome of intelligence. Others see it as a specific cultural choice. 💬 Do you connect intelligence with environmental control?

🧰 Do tools define intelligence? We often treat tool use as proof of intelligence—but some minds may rely purely on internal models. If a species showed deep planning without tools, would we rethink what intelligence really means? 💬 Are tools essential for intelligence?

For the science-loving, early-rising secondary school student in your life: a special Earth Day citizen science session w. Megan Li (UCLA SETI), Hari Mogoșanu astrobiology.nz & the Hub. Aimed at students. Curious others welcome. 23rd April NZ Aotearoa breakfast! events.humanitix.com/earth-day-se...

We’re looking forward to a special Earth Day meeting on citizen science w. Megan Li from UCLA SETI and our colleagues in Aotearoa New Zealand, Hari Mogoșanu astrobiology.nz & @kategenevieve.bsky.social. All welcome, esp. curious students. 22 April, 8.30pm UK/BST events.humanitix.com/earth-day-se...

🧭 Would intelligent aliens share our values? We often project human traits like curiosity or cooperation, but their evolution might shape entirely different goals. How would that affect understanding or peace? 💬 Could any values be universal?

🌍 Who should have a say after a detection of life beyond Earth is announced? Decisions won’t belong to astronomers alone. Communities worldwide, especially those facing inequality, will have their own concerns and priorities. Whose perspectives do you think are missing in space discussions today?

📡If a species could think but never communicate, would it still be considered intelligent? Intelligence may exist in isolation, but without communication, it’s nearly impossible to recognize or measure. Is communication necessary for intelligence? 🗣️

🌍 Can intelligence exist on larger scales? Earth’s biosphere regulates itself through complex feedback loops. Could this resemble a kind of planetary intelligence? If so, how would we detect it beyond Earth? What signs would large-scale intelligence leave behind? #Intelligence #SETI #Astrobiology

🛸 Culture often shapes our image of extraterrestrial life before science does. The classic “Green Alien,” rooted in early sci-fi and pop culture, became the default. Does this humanoid archetype bias expectations and influence how we imagine—or react to—discovering alien life? 👽

🧠 We often imagine alien contact as being intelligent. But what if we first find a non-sentient organism? Would their extraterrestrial origin grant greater moral status—or would we treat them like endangered species on Earth, where uneven protection and exploitation persists? ⚖️

🛰️ Why plan for contact before a confirmed signal? Once a detection claim goes public, decisions about data, messaging, and verification will move fast. Waiting until that moment could create confusion, mistrust, and missed opportunities. 💬 What should be in place before any future announcement?

🌍 “Pray that there’s intelligent life somewhere out in space, ‘Cause there’s bugger all down here on Earth!” — Monty Python. Belief in aliens is often linked to social dissatisfaction. If alien life were confirmed, would it unite humanity—or deepen alienation? 👽

🎭 Stories shape how we imagine contact, long before any real signal. They influence what we expect, fear, and hope, and can help us explore futures and question simple narratives about contact outcomes. 💬 Which contact story influenced you most, and why?

Registration is now open for IAUS 404: Advancing the search for Technosignatures! The symposium will be 2-6 March 2026. For more information about the meeting, visit: iaus404.bmsis.org

NASA DARES Community Update at AGU astrobiology.com/2025/12/nasa... #astrobiology #AGU #AGU25

Proposal Writing Workshop: Using NASA ROSES as an Example For those attending the winter American Astronomical Society (#AAS247) Meeting, an all-day proposal writing workshop will be sponsored by the NASA Science Mission Directorate and hosted by Dr. Christina Richey. 🧪 👩‍🔬

Hey, that's my paper! 😍 Thank you @astrobiology.bsky.social for featuring my work!

Are you interested in how detections of life beyond Earth should be handled? Check out this new work from our very own Hub members, Daliah Bibas @daliahbibas.bsky.social and Clément Vidal.

What methods can research risk & science communication in post-detection contexts? How about analyzing YouTube content on post-detection claims? Hub member & risk-communication scholar Andreas Schwarz shares work from his group at Technische Universität Ilmenau, Prof. Anamaria Berea and the Hub. 1/8

❤️ Is emotion part of intelligence? Feelings influence how minds learn and respond to their surroundings. 💭 If emotions help organisms navigate complex environments on Earth, could something similar appear wherever intelligence evolves? What would an intelligent mind without emotion be like?

🌿 Does intelligence depend on environment? Life’s surroundings shape how intelligence could form & function. On Earth, in alien worlds, or digital realms, each environment offers unique limits & possibilities. 💬 What kinds of environments do you think could create minds entirely unlike our own?

#ICYMI: Are we close to discovering life beyond Earth? Dr. Martin Dominik isn't certain, but he thinks we should be prepared to handle the consequences of finding that life. He spoke with Dr. Franck Marchis in this week's #SETILive. Watch the full interview: youtube.com/live/cULB0k2... 🧪 🔭

What happens after we discover life beyond Earth? Today Martin Dominik is speaking with the SETI Institute’s Franck Marchis about our paper on post-detection futures. www.youtube.com/watch?v=cULB... Live in 3 hours #SETI #PostDetection #astronomy #astrobiology #technosignatures #space #science

Today's discovery of signs of past life on Mars is a legacy of President Obama's NASA direction from 2011-2015 to get the Mars program back on track. Earlier this year, President Trump cut NASA's 2026 science budget by 47%.

The Perseverance rover on Mars has observed unusual minerals associated with organic matter — raising questions about the geochemistry of ancient Mars. go.nature.com/469V1nr

A Mars sample collected in 2024 may be “the closest we’ve actually come to discovering ancient life on Mars,” according to NASA officials 🧪 eos.org/research-and...

We (The Hub) have made it as part of an exhibit at the Natural History Museum "Could Life Exist Beyond Earth" - exhibition display just seen by one of my colleagues at the SETI Post-Detection Hub . The word is spreading. 👽

SETI Post-Detection Futures: Directions for Technosignature Research and Readiness astrobiology.com/2025/07/seti... #astrobiology #SETI #astronomy

This is so cool! 🤓 phys.org/news/2025-07... #scifi

Happy birthday, Vera Rubin! 🥳✨ What better way to celebrate than with NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's view of galaxies SHE studied? NGC 4343, 4526, 4535, and 4378 are just a few gems from our Cosmic Treasure Chest. Explore them and more at skyviewer.app 🔭🧪

The SETI Post-Detection Hub’s NASA DARES White Paper is featured on @universetoday.com. Written by 14 members on behalf of the Hub, it outlines 6 key areas for growing readiness for the discovery of life beyond Earth. www.universetoday.com/articles/sci... #SETI #Readiness #Astrobiology #NASADARES

One of the best workshops I’ve ever attended!

Just back from an incredibly interesting and enjoyable weekend at St Andrews (Scotland), where we held our first Workshop for the SETI Post Detection Hub, at the University. Not one PowerPoint slide in evidence and all the better for it - we actually interacted and debated topics. More to come ..

The 2025 UK Space Conference is coming to Manchester on 16 - 17 July!🚀 This exciting event is a unique opportunity to take part in innovative panel sessions and connect with industry leaders. 🤝 Book your place 👉 spaceconference.co.uk/2025/home Hear from ESA Reserve Astronaut, John McFall. 👇

Priority registration for the Summer Science Exhibition is now open! Book your free timeslot now and join us from 1-6 July for this mindblowing showcase of cutting-edge science from spider senses to quantum technologies. Booking recommended but not required. royalsociety.org/science-even...

NASA-DARES RFI Findings Workshop - A Community Workshop to Shape the Future of NASA’s Astrobiology Strategy astrobiology.com/2025/05/nasa... #astrobiology

We are excited to announce registration and abstract submission for talks, posters, and breakout sessions are now open for the 2025 SETI Symposium at Penn State, August 18-21, 2025! sites.psu.edu/setisymposiu... Please help us spread the word and we hope to see you in State College! 🔭

The evidence for biosignatures on K2-18b is flimsy, at best Last week, Cambridge scientists announced the discovery of DMS and DMDS on K2-18b: what they call a "surefire biosignature." Now, cut through the hype and get to the truth. bigthink.com/starts-with-... #space #astronomy #science

My recent talk at the Green Bank Observatory is now online: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oWz...

Abstract submissions are open for NAM 2025! Here's what sessions are on offer as part of our Facility strand! Submit your abstracts here: conference.astro.dur.ac.uk/event/7/abst... @royalastrosoc.bsky.social

Lights, camera, action! The world's largest digital camera has been installed at NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory! 🤩 The LSST Camera was the final major component of the observatory. With it in place, Rubin officially enters its final phase of testing!🔭 🔗: rubinobservatory.org/news/lsst-camera-installed

Excited to launch the next Cosmoimaginaries season with a talk from Gabriela Radulescu: 📡 Earthly and extraterrestrial connections: CETI / SETI in Armenia & Czechoslovakia (the search for extraterrestrial intelligence) Fri 21st March 9am NZDT All welcome. Register: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

A mysterious radio signal from space has been tracked down to an unexpected star! Read The Conversation article by OzGrav postdoc Dr Iris de Ruiter here: theconversation.com/a-mysterious... #OzGrav #Astronomy #NatureAstronomy #RadioPulses #SpaceScience #WhiteDwarf

🔭🌏 Cette semaine dans Terrestres, on prend beaucoup (mais alors vraiment beaucoup) de recul sur l’époque : on parle matière primordiales et atmosphère naissante avec l’astrobiologiste Nathalie Cabrol ☄️💥💫 Extrait de son livre sur la Terre et la vie, à lire ici ⤵️ www.terrestres.org/2025/02/17/l...

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