Reflections of a SETI Scientist

About the Author

Dr. Laurance R. Doyle, a Principal Investigator at the SETI Institute (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) in Mountain View, CA, became interested in astronomy at age 6, when his Dad gave him a map of the Solar System with stars in the background, and told him the stars were other people's suns.

After receiving his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Astronomy at San Diego State University, Laurance earned his Ph.D. in Physics in 1987 at Universität Heidelberg. Laurance has authored over 100 scientific journal articles on topics including extrasolar planet detection, animal communications and ancient African astronomy.

Laurance provided expert testimony to the United States Congress' Committee on Space, Science and Technology in 2013 on "Exoplanet Discoveries: Have We Found Other Earths?" He has also lectured as a Visiting Professor at Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, the University of California, Santa Cruz and the University of Paris' Observatoire de Meudon in France on a variety of topics, including Bioastronomy, Quantum Physics and Extrasolar Planets.

Laurance has appeared on many educational science programs, including "Through the Wormhole" with Morgan Freeman, "The Universe" with Michio Kaku and "Cosmic Odyssey" with William Shatner. He also coauthored and appeared on Richard Segay's "Humpback Whales and the Search for Alien Intelligence," which won the 2021 Webby Award for Science and Education.

A triplet, Laurance currently resides in northern California, where he enjoys reading, writing and expanding his vast and diverse library. He lives by the motto - "The Universe shows you what you're supposed to be doing by making you love it!"