Discovery&
LAB
Futures
at the SETI Institute
What happens if life beyond Earth is discovered?
Our Mission
The Discovery and Futures Lab at the SETI Institute fosters novel and anticipatory research at the intersection of science, society, our planet, and the search for life beyond Earth.
What we do
The Discovery and Futures Lab at the SETI Institute fulfills its mission through a range of projects and objectives, including:
research into targeted knowledge gaps
Our Research Fellows conduct novel research into understudied aspects of discoveries in astrobiology and SETI, across a wide array of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. These fellowships are strategic investments in research projects of particular relevance for building robust foundations, ensuring dedicated, focused attention is paid to closing critical knowledge gaps.
creating living knowledge repositories
One of our key research initiatives is the Resource Center (coming soon), a living, expanding information hub. The Resource Center consists of 1) a Primer, where curious scholars and non-experts alike can find accessible guides, allowing them to access knowledge across disciplinary boundaries, and 2) an Archive that helps preserve the origins of post-detection protocols, recovers forgotten policy, ethics & communication debates, and helps translate that history into usable knowledge for today.
convening interdisciplinary workshops
We convene an ongoing series of interdisciplinary, generative workshops, focused on filling the various known, acute gaps that exist at the intersection of society and the search for life beyond Earth. Through these workshops, we hope to both combine and transcend not only disciplines but also generations, maintaining achievements in collaboration, collective knowledge, and resilience.
Questions?
Reach out to us via our contact page.
