Two organizers of this workshop are conducting doctoral research around the sites, organizations, and communities involved in this workshop, below you will find details about this research.
The organizers have reviewed much of the existing interdisciplinary literature and scholarship on SETI. They hope to facilitate a conversation built on the interests and desires of Breakthrough Listen BSRC, other SETI scholars, and a broader scholarly community. Making Contact 2018 is intended to facilitate one instance of what they recognize is an ongoing process of cross-pollination, collaboration, and cooperation between social scientists, humanities scholars, et al. and other SETI researchers.
Lead Organizer
Claire Webb, is a doctoral graduate student in History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology, and Society (HASTS) program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As part of her doctoral fieldwork, she is doing ethnographic participant observation with Breakthrough Listen and the SETI Institute. She is organizing Making Contact 2018 on behalf of the SETI community. For this workshop, her role as to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration as an organizer-participant. Her position does not represent the positions of Breakthrough Listen scientists.
Download her Informed Consent Information packet here. You can also consent to participate in her research via this Google Form.
Co-Organizer
Michael P. Oman-Reagan is a Vanier Scholar and doctoral candidate in the Department of Anthropology at Memorial University, in Canada. He has been working with SETI researchers and other space scientists for several years, including at the SETI Institute, at Breakthrough Discuss and other conferences, workshops, and meetings, and with individuals across the SETI, space science, and interstellar exploration communities.
Michael Oman-Reagan’s ongoing anthropological research project has been reviewed by the Interdisciplinary Committee on Ethics in Human Research and found to be in compliance with Memorial University’s ethics policy. Please download and read the following information packet to learn about the research he is conducting, about your right to participate or not participate, and reach out to him with any questions (contact information enclosed): Click here to download the Informed Consent Information Packet for his research.
