Dr. Douglas Vakoch
Founder of METI, the disruptive scientific organization Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence.
Reviews
"Dr. Vakoch is a compelling storyteller, capable of catalyzing the imagination of an audience without the ponderous authority so often encountered in experts. He is a genuine public intellectual—a scientist-philosopher of the first order. In a single word, he is enchanting."
Jeffrey A. Lockwood
Professor of Natural Sciences & Humanities
University of Wyoming
"Doug's lecture titled 'Aesthetics for Aliens: Art, Music, and Extraterrestrials' engaged our audience in some of the most interesting and difficult questions facing humankind. After the talk and a lively Q&A session, the audience left having had their imaginations ignited."
Anthony Shostak
Education Curator
Museum of Art, Bates College
"A few hours in conversation with Doug will change the way you think about life, the complexities of otherness, aggression, and the evolution of societies. Thinking about aliens with Doug brings you right back to our human condition. My audiences always stay for every word."
Melissa Alexander
Director of Public Programs
The Exploratorium
About Dr. Douglas Vakoch
Disruption requires the courage to take risks. Drawing on his expertise as a leader, scientist, and psychologist, Dr. Douglas Vakoch shows how we can foster the mindset that leads to technological innovation. He is the president of METI, the disruptive scientific organization whose namesake activity is Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence—the controversial project that sends powerful, intentional radio signals to nearby stars, in the hope of provoking a response.
Speaking
Speaking engagement:
Keynote | Conference Speaker, Custom Video, Voice Over, Presenter, Interview | Debate | Panel, Advisory Service
Expertise:
Innovation | Creativity, Future | Trends, Environment | Sustainability, Science | College | Universities, Technology, Society | Culture | Education, Health Care | Medical, Food | Health | Wellness, Facilitators | Presenters | Moderators, Media | New Media
Field of Speaker:
Scientists, Innovators | Visionairs, Futurists | Trend Forecasters, Authors, Adventurers | Explorers, Health Experts, Mental coaches
Best Audience:
Csuite/ Executives, Managers/ Supervisors, Associations, Academics, Nonprofit, Medical/ Healthcare, Diverse, Women, Seniors, Young Professionals/ Young Talent, Young Professionals/Young Talent
Travels from:
United States
Language:
English
Fee range:
from $10000 up to $20000
Topics
Embracing Disruption: Science, Psychology, and Innovation
The history of scientific progress provides a blueprint for developing disruptive technologies. While much of the day-to-day work of scientists focuses on well-defined puzzles already identified by the broader scientific community, sometimes the standard assumptions that guide a field become obstacles to innovation. Progress requires jettisoning the old framework and tackling obstinate mysteries of the universe from a new angle. Even in the face of startling new revelations about previously unsolved problems, the majority of scientists may be unconvinced or even hostile to new paradigms, perhaps even unable to comprehend alternatives that challenge the ways their traditional methods and conclusions. Drawing on his own experiences leading the disruptive science of Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI), Dr. Vakoch highlights the categories of opposition we can expect both from peers and from the broader public whenever we reformulate old problems and offer new solutions. Disrupton elicits fear, and unless we address that fear directly, it can derail the most promising innovations. By embracing the emotional primacy of fear and identifying alternatives that provide engagement and security for individuals and organizations, we can find paths to overcome resistance and to foster transformation.
Calling the Cosmos: Telling Extraterrestrials We’re Here
For over fifty years, astronomers have used radio telescopes to listen for signals from advanced civilizations. So far, they have found nothing. But what if extraterrestrials are doing the same as us, simply listening and not transmitting? It would be a chillingly silent universe! In this talk, Dr. Vakoch explains why humanity should take the initiative to make contact by launching an ambitious, ongoing project to transmit powerful, intentional signals to nearby stars, in hope of a reply. Countering concerns that it’s dangerous to reveal ourselves to malevolent aliens, he argues for facing our fears of the unknown and acting without the guarantee of success. In the process, we will learn critical lessons in audacity and disruption that will transform our personal and professional lives. By focusing on what we can offer to extraterrestrials and to future generations of humans, we will demonstrate that we are ready to move beyond our technological adolescence and begin growing up in the universe as a civilization and a species.
AESTHETICS FOR ALIENS: Art, Music, and Extraterrestrials
Do aliens have a sense of beauty? Could they understand ours? From Johannes Kepler’s Music of the Spheres to Hollywood’s alien symphony in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, we have pondered the link between the cosmos and creativity. Today scientists leading the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) point their telescopes toward the stars, seeking evidence of civilizations beyond Earth. If they find a signal from aliens, what should we say in reply? How could we let them know what it’s like to be human? Building on the language of mathematics and science, Dr. Vakoch shows how we might start telling extraterrestrials about aesthetics on Earth.
From the Big Bang to Us: Seven Steps to a Sustainable Civilization
Over thirteen billion years ago, the universe exploded into existence, eventually yielding a species capable of reflecting on its own origins and destiny. In this whirlwind tour of the history of the cosmos, Dr. Vakoch unpacks the seven milestones needed for our modern-day human civilization to arise. From the birth of stars to the advent of writing, humankind evolved into the only species on Earth capable of communicating with our counterparts on distant exoplanets. Drawing parallels between the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) and the age-old quest to understand our place in the universe, Dr. Vakoch explores the seven variables of the Drake Equation, used to estimate how many technological civilizations exist in the Milky Way galaxy. From the violent history of the first seconds following the Big Bang, to the contemporary conflicts between warring nations here on Earth, Dr. Vakoch shows how the survival of the fittest has given rise to our remarkable intelligence, while also threatening our very future as a species. To succeed, we’ll need to reinvent who are, finally deserving of the name Homo sapiens—the wise human.
Stressed out of This World: Lessons from Astronauts in Coping with Major Catastrophes and Daily Hassles
Stress and conflict are part of our everyday lives. But imagine you had to deal with the pressures of overwhelming work demands and tense relationships in the hazardous environment of outer space. In this talk, Dr. Vakoch draws on the lessons learned from astronauts to provide insights into how we can all lead more contented and successful lives back here on Earth. Dr. Vakoch uncovers secrets used by astronauts to cope with living in cramped spaces, far from friends and family back on Earth, and he explores preparations to help astronauts deal with future missions to the Moon and Mars that will be even more challenging. The practical wisdom and guidance we gain from these intrepid spacefarers helps us all deal more effectively with stresses ranging from daily hassles to major catastrophes that inevitably happen to all of us over the course of our lives.
Green Tranquility: Staying Sane through Moments in Nature
As we feel overwhelmed by the pressures of work, constantly slaves to the digital technologies that are supposed to make our lives better, we need a break. We feel exhausted, overburdened, with no way to escape. We might occasionally get a brief respite as we spend a weekend hiking in the mountains, but how can we bring that sense of renewal back into our daily lives? In this talk, Dr. Vakoch will provide practical guidelines for reclaiming nature in urban environments, starting with a one-minute experiential exercise that audience members can try during the talk itself. Drawing on ecotherapy and mindfulness meditation practices, he shows how connecting with elements of nature that already surround us can increase our sense of peace and serenity, wherever we live.
Media
Books
The Drake Equation: Estimating the Prevalence of Extraterrestrial Life Through the Ages
Visit websiteNews
San Francisco Chronicle, "In Search of ET: Fear of What’s out There Causes Big Split among Space Scientists"
Visit websiteBritish Psychological Society’s The Psychologist, "Interview: What Would You Say to an Alien?"
Visit websiteReviews
Jeffrey A. Lockwood
Professor of Natural Sciences & Humanities, University of WyomingDr. Vakoch is a compelling storyteller, capable of catalyzing the imagination of an audience without the ponderous authority so often encountered in experts. He is a genuine public intellectual—a scientist-philosopher of the first order. In a single word, he is enchanting.
Anthony Shostak
Education Curator, Museum of Art, Bates CollegeDoug's lecture titled 'Aesthetics for Aliens: Art, Music, and Extraterrestrials' engaged our audience in some of the most interesting and difficult questions facing humankind. After the talk and a lively Q&A session, the audience left having had their imaginations ignited.
Melissa Alexander
Director of Public Programs, The ExploratoriumA few hours in conversation with Doug will change the way you think about life, the complexities of otherness, aggression, and the evolution of societies. Thinking about aliens with Doug brings you right back to our human condition. My audiences always stay for every word.