# Seth Shostak on Reddit (u/sshostak)

Part of Scientists on Reddit, researched with Autumn (https://www.autumn.ai) from public sources. Updated 2026-11-07. Interactive version: https://www.autumn.ai/resources/scientists-on-reddit/seth-shostak

Seth Shostak: Senior astronomer at the SETI Institute.

- Reddit account: [u/sshostak](https://www.reddit.com/user/sshostak/) (AMA only)
- How we know it's theirs: [The 2012 r/IAmA AMA, posted from this account](https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/qwv9g/)
- Where they post, in the records we retrieved: r/askscience (181), r/science (97), r/IAmA (74), r/Futurology (38), r/FuturologyTest (6), r/technology (4)
- Known activity in the posts we found: 2012 to 2019
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Shostak

## Moments

### u/sshostak in r/science, Aug 28, 2014 · Explains things

Replying to a redditor:

> Considering that human beings have been around for 200,000 years or so and we have been communicating through radio waves for about 100 years, isn't it kind of naive to think that aliens that could have 1 million years on us would still be using radio communication? What else…

> I still use the wheel every day.  It's old, but it never ceases to be useful.

Full thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/2eta6t/comment/ck2y279/ · 106 points as of Nov 7, 2026

### u/sshostak in r/askscience, Jan 5, 2017 · Personal story

Replying to a redditor:

> If we're pinged, what will be your personal reaction? Where will you go, and what will you do?

> In the case of the 1997 false alarm we had, I just got very nervous, and worried about canceling all the meetings on my calendar for the next two weeks.  And then realized that this was going to change my job for a lot longer than that!

Full thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/5m68zo/comment/dc1ekxm/ · 46 points as of Nov 7, 2026

### u/sshostak in r/IAmA, Mar 14, 2012 · Explains things

In the thread "I'm Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer at the SETI Institute AMA.".

> Our galaxy has roughly a trillion planets.  Hard to imagine that they're ALL sterile.
>
> Traveling between galaxies is hard ... typical distances are millions of light-years.  That's a trip that, even with our fastest rockets, would take longer than the current age of the universe.  That's a long time to be sitting in the middle seat ...

Full thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/qwv9g/comment/c413k9o/ · 159 points as of Nov 7, 2026

### u/sshostak in r/askscience, Jan 5, 2017 · AMA answer

Replying to a redditor:

> Hi Seth, Do people work at SETI who lack the faith that you have regarding aliens? Thanks

> Actually, I've never asked them this!  But I don't think any of the scientists would work here if they didn't think that biology is more of an infection than a miracle.  Heck, this is the Silicon Valley.  There are better-paying jobs across the street ...

Full thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/5m68zo/comment/dc1f8b8/ · 39 points as of Nov 7, 2026