BROADCASTS.com

Recent research has shown that most stars have planetary systems, and that a non-negligible fraction of those planets are likely to be in the so-called \u201chabitable zone,\u201d where life may be possible. This makes the old question of \u201cAre we alone?\u201d more pressing: Does life exist elsewhere in the universe, and if so, is some of that life \u201cintelligent\u201d and able to communicate or otherwise interact with us? I discuss various aspects of these questions, including the research on exoplanets, the possibility of space travel, UFO (recently renamed \u201cUAP\u201d) phenomena, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). I conclude with some thoughts about the ethical meaning of a \u201cyes\u201d or a \u201cno\u201d answer to the \u201cAre we alone?\u201d question.