A pioneer in the field of astrobiology, Jill Tarter has dedicated her career to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. As director of the Center for SETI Research she and her team listen for signs of intelligent life amid the vast cosmic noise accumulated by the Allen Telescope Array. Tarter, who was portrayed by Jodie Foster in the movie Contact, has received numerous accolades for her work, including two public service medals from NASA. In 2004 she was named one of the Time 100, Time's list of the most influential people in the world.

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The Seed Salon: Jill Tarter + Will Wright

Portrait by Julian Dufort

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