Florida Tech Astronomy Lecture Set for Feb. 22

MELBOURNE, FLA.—The next Astronomy and Astrophysics Lecture Series presentation at Florida Institute of Technology is Feb. 22, 8 to 9 p.m. The presenter will be Doug Gobeille, University of South Florida (USF) Department of Physics.

Gobeille will draw upon the ideas of Frank Drake, considered by many as the “father” of the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI). The free lecture will be in the F.W. Olin Engineering Complex, Room EC118, on campus. There will be rooftop public star viewing following the presentation, if weather permits.

While establishing one of the hubs of modern radio astrophysics at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, W. Va., Drake proposed a brilliant yet simple experiment to search for alien radio transmissions from two nearby star systems. In 1960, he conducted the first SETI search. A year later, Drake organized a scientific conference at Green Bank and introduced what has become known as the Drake Equation. The equation, a generally accepted tool in the scientific community, identifies specific elements that play a role in the development of intelligent extraterrestrial civilizations.

Gobeille received his bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College in New London, and his master’s and doctorate degrees from Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. He joined USF in 2011.

The F.W. Olin Engineering Complex is located on West University Boulevard. For more information, call (321) 674-7207or visit www.fit.edu/aapls.