Caleb Scharf’s research career spans cosmology, exoplanetary science, and astrobiology. He currently leads efforts at Columbia University to understand the nature of exoplanets and living environments in the universe. He is also co-founder of the Institute for the Study of Awareness (ISA), a "Bell Labs of the Mind," investigating the nature of intelligence and consciousness.

Dr. Scharf will discuss recent work on studying climate states of terrestrial-type planets in preparation for future astronomical studies of other worlds. He'll also talk about new computer modeling work on the long-standing 'Fermi Paradox' - the absence of signs of interstellar civilizations in our galaxy - and an intriguing possible resolution, and some ideas about the nature of memes in the context of searching for signals from elsewhere in the universe.

Dr. Scharf's "Life, Unbounded" blog at Scientific American is read by over half a million people annually. His popular science books "Gravity’s Engines," "The Copernicus Complex," and most recently "The Zoomable Universe" have been widely praised, with honors including Science Book of the Year at the Times of London, making the long-list for the PEN/E.O. Wilson award and "top read" lists by Barnes and Noble, New Scientist, NBC News, and more.

This event is free and open to the public!

Note our new location and special start time! We are in room SH 6 of Shetler Studios, near 54th St. and 8th Ave.!

https://www.shetlerstudios.com/

Limited to only 40 people, so RSVP early!
https://www.meetup.com/The-NYCSkeptics-Meetup-Group/events/266185006/