Modern science claims that the universe is 14 billion years old and that there are 200 billion trillion stars. So...where are all the aliens? 

In this class, we learn how modern scientists are searching for intelligent alien life, in a kid-friendly format. Topics we'll discuss include:

1) The history and current state of our search for intelligent alien life
2) How and what exactly we're looking for (habitable planets, mega-structures, techno-signatures...)
3) The Drake Equation and Fermi Paradox (the MANY possibilities as to why we haven't found any aliens yet)
4) What may happen if (or when) we make contact, or find evidence of a present or past civilization.
5) Alien contact in popular books, movies, and media

The class will use an image-heavy slideshow, and will focus on our search for intelligent life (not microbes). No prior knowledge or experience is necessary; only an interest in space, space travel, or astrobiology / "aliens".

Students will be encouraged to give their opinions about likely scenarios, and potential future developments, as well as interacting and building on each other’s ideas.