It's a tug-of-war between a Romantic yearning for the stars and the sometimes harsh economic reality. As we listen for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence, who pays the phone bill? Jonathan sits down with Dr. Jill Tarter, the outgoing director of the Center for SETI Research, to talk about the long, uncertain road SETI has had to navigate in search of money. The panel this month is made up of Matt Barbacki, Anna af Hallstrom, and Dave Tsang of Astro McGill. Which basic research should be funded and by whom? We talk Ice Bucket Challenges, the Conservative government's War on Science, and alien autopsy videos.

The Astro McGill podcast can be found here: http://www.astro.physics.mcgill.ca/podcasts.php

The panel discussion was recorded on Carl Sagan Day. Go watch COSMOS!

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