Colloquium

Indigenous Knowledges and Western Astronomy: Indigenizing the Drake Equation

Hilding Neilson
Memorial University, Newfoundland
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
15:30
HP 4351 & Zoom

The Drake Equation is a thought experiment whose purpose is to understand the ingredients necessary for life and advanced technological civilizations to exist on other worlds in our galaxy.  However, beyond reflecting on life on Earth we have no knowledge of many of these ingredients, such as the number of planets that have life, the number of with intelligent life, the number with advanced civilizations, and the lifetimes of these civilizations. In this talk I will review the Drake Equation and the biases that scientists have traditionally had in discussing this equation and how it has led to the current searches of biological and technological signatures. I will discuss how the Drake Equation looks different if we consider it through the lens of Indigenous methods and sciences and how these methods would lead to a dramatically different view of life in our Galaxy. 

Zoom info: 

https://carleton-ca.zoom.us/j/94001974757?pwd=bFBEb3Z3YlNqcVJ2MDVwbG11b0tsQT09

Meeting ID: 940 0197 4757

Passcode: physics

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