''Alien Encounters'' is a science fiction mini series on the
Science Channel
Science Channel (often simply branded as Science; abbreviated to SCI) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel features programming focusing on science related to wilderness survival, engineering, man ...
. The series explores how humanity might react to first-contact with aliens. The fictional series is presented as a documentary intermixed with commentary from scientists and sci-fi writers. The series begins with an alien signal detected by the
SETI Institute
The SETI Institute is a not-for-profit research organization incorporated in 1984 whose mission is to explore, understand, and explain the origin and nature of life in the universe, and to use this knowledge to inspire and guide present and futu ...
and follows through alien contact and the creation of hybrids ("Brids") based on alien DNA.
Episodes
The series had the following episodes:
Season 1
There are 2 episodes in the first season.
Season 2
There are 2 episodes in the second season.
Season 3
There are 6 episodes in season three.
Recurring Commentators
Recurring commentators included:
* Anthony D. Call - Narrator
* Ariel Anbar - Director, ASU Astrobiology Program
*
Jeffrey L. Bada - Distinguished Professor of Marine Chemistry, UCSD
*
David Brin
Glen David Brin (born October 6, 1950) is an American scientist and author of science fiction. He has won the Hugo,[Paul Davies
Paul Charles William Davies (born 22 April 1946) is an English physicist, writer and broadcaster, a professor in Arizona State University and Director of BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science. He is affiliated with the Institute ...]
- Physicist, Director of the Beyond Center at Arizona State University
*
Alan Dean Foster
Alan Dean Foster (born November 18, 1946) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction. He has written several book series, more than 20 standalone novels, and many novelizations of film scripts.
Career ''Star Wars''
Foster was the ghost ...
- Author
*
David Gerrold
David Gerrold (born Jerrold David Friedman; January 24, 1944)Reginald, R. (September 12, 2010)''Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature, Volume 2'' Borgo Press p. 911. Archived at Google Books. Retrieved June 23, 2013. is an American science fic ...
- Author, Screen Writer
*
Kevin R. Grazier - Planetary Scientist
* Alex Lightman - Author, Entrepreneur, Futurist
* Malcolm Maciver - Neuroscientist, Mechanical Engineer, Northwestern University
* Hakeem Oluseyi - Astrophysicist, Florida Tech
*
Nick Sagan
Nicholas Julian Zapata Sagan (born September 16, 1970) is an American novelist and screenwriter. He is the author of the science fiction novels '' Idlewild'', ''Edenborn'', and '' Everfree'', and has also written scripts for episodes of '' Star ...
- Author
*
John Scalzi
John Michael Scalzi II (born May 10, 1969) is an American science fiction author and former president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He is best known for his ''Old Man's War'' series, three novels of which have been nom ...
- Author
*
Seth Shostak
Seth Shostak (born July 20, 1943) is an American astronomer and author, and is currently the senior astronomer for the SETI Institute.
Shostak hosts SETI's weekly radio show/podcast ''Big Picture Science'', has played himself numerous times in TV ...
- Astronomer, SETI Institute
*
Joan Slonczewski
Joan Lyn Slonczewski is an American microbiologist at Kenyon College and a science fiction writer who explores biology and space travel. Their books have twice earned the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel: '' A Door ...
- Microbiologist, Author
*
Jill Tarter - Author, SETI Institute
*
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson ( or ; born October 5, 1958) is an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. Tyson studied at Harvard University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Columbia University. From 1991 to 1994, he was a p ...
- Astrophysicist, author, and Director of the Hayden Planetarium
*
Douglas Vakoch - Psychologist, SETI Institute
See also
*
Astrobiology
*
Cultural impact of extraterrestrial contact
*
First contact (science fiction)
First contact is a common science fiction theme about the first meeting between humans and extraterrestrial life, or of any sentient species' first encounter with another one, given they are from different planets or natural satellites. The ...
*
SETI@home
References
External links
*
* {{IMDb title, 2257878
Television series about extraterrestrial life
Science Channel original programming