Week 1

What does “Are We Alone?” Mean?

Are we alone? seems like a simple question. But, who is “we”? What does it mean to be alone? Alone where?… in our stellar neighbourhood? the galaxy? the entire universe? Is “Are we alone?” an important question? Have humans always asked this question? How have our ideas about extraterrestrials changed with time? The range of “expert” answers to these questions is enormous.

01:29

1.1.1 Questions
02:58

1.1.2 Origin of an Are We Alone Course
04:31

1.1.3 The People We Surveyed
04:49

1.1.4 Are We Alone? Yes? No? Maybe?
02:26

1.1.5 Who is "We"?
02:41

1.1.6 Is "Are We alone?" an Important Question?
06:17

1.2.1 Our Earliest Animistic Views
05:30

1.2.2 The Greeks and Romans
11:39

1.2.3 Augustine to the Enlightenment
11:11

1.2.4 HG Wells to the 1950s
02:22

1.2.5 Ithaka: Poem by C.P. Cavafy
24:46

1.3.1 Jochen... Are We Alone?
05:14

1.4.1 Brian Schmidt: astrophysicist
05:36

1.4.2 Charles Cockell: astrobiologist
05:40

1.4.3 Jill Tarter: radio astronomer
09:13

1.4.4 Steven Dick: historian of "Are We Alone?"
05:42

1.4.5 Genevieve Bell: anthropologist/technologist
09:22

1.4.6 Martin Rees: Astronomer Royale
05:07

1.4.7 Stephen Wolfram: theoretical physicist/founder of Mathematica
04:03

1.4.8 Julian Burnside: barrister/human rights advocate
02:18

1.5.1 Meet Students
17:48

1.5.2 Student Discussion
04:44

1.5.3 Advice for Students

Week 1

What does “Are We Alone?” Mean?

1.1.1 Questions

1.1.2 Origin of an Are We Alone Course

1.1.3 The People We Surveyed

1.1.4 Are We Alone? Yes? No? Maybe?

1.1.5 Who is "We"?

1.1.6 Is "Are We alone?" an Important Question?

1.2.1 Our Earliest Animistic Views

1.2.2 The Greeks and Romans

1.2.3 Augustine to the Enlightenment

1.2.4 HG Wells to the 1950s

1.2.5 Ithaka: Poem by C.P. Cavafy

1.3.1 Jochen... Are We Alone?

1.4.1 Brian Schmidt: astrophysicist

1.4.2 Charles Cockell: astrobiologist

1.4.3 Jill Tarter: radio astronomer

1.4.4 Steven Dick: historian of "Are We Alone?"

1.4.5 Genevieve Bell: anthropologist/technologist

1.4.6 Martin Rees: Astronomer Royale

1.4.7 Stephen Wolfram: theoretical physicist/founder of Mathematica

1.4.8 Julian Burnside: barrister/human rights advocate

1.5.1 Meet Students

1.5.2 Student Discussion

1.5.3 Advice for Students

Full Interviews

Brian Schmidt

Charles Cockell

Jill Tarter

Steve Dick

Genevieve Bell

Martin Rees

Stephen Wolfram

Julian Burnside

Additional Videos

Le Voyage dans la Lune (1902) - Georges Méliès - (HQ) - Music by David Short - Billi Brass Quintet

1918 " Himmelskibet " (A trip to Mars) par Holger-Madsen (Danemark)

Day the Earth Stood Still Trailer

'50s Adventures of Superman - Intro

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY - Trailer

Alien (1979) Trailer

Yoda Explains the Force to Luke - from Empire Strikes Back

Independence Day

Contact (1997) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers

Men in Black (1997) Official Trailer 1 - Will Smith Movie

Arrival Trailer (2016) - Paramount Pictures

Jill Tarter: Why the search for alien intelligence matters

Martin Rees - The Origins Podcast with Lawrence Krauss - FULL VIDEO

What We Still Don't Know - Are We Alone (Episode 1)

Is Alien ‘Life’ Weirder Than We Imagine: Who Is Out There?

Alien Life: Will We Know It When We See It?

SETI: Are we alone in the universe?

Universe: Beyond the Millennium - Alien Life

Carl Sagan on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson (full interview, March 2nd 1978)

Additional Readings

When surveyed about the question "Are We Alone?" most people...

When asked about what "we" means in the question "Are We Alone?" popular answers include...

In video "1.2.1 Our Earliest Animistic Views” it is argued that...

In video 1.2.2 and 1.2.3, what does the phrase "plurality of worlds" refer to?

During the first half of the 20th century, aliens seemed very interested in...