public understanding and appreciation of astronomy. In January 2010 he was elected as a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), and in October 2019 was a featured speaker at the organization's annual conference, CSICon. He has been an observer for Project Phoenix (SETI) as well as an active participant in various international forums for SETI research. He served as chair of the International Academy of Astronautics SETI Permanent Study Group from 2002 to 2012. Shostak has been nominated by the SETI Institute to be one of the USA Science and Engineering Festival's Nifty Fifty Speakers, who will speak about his work and career to middle and high school students in October 2010. Personal life Seth became interested in electronics and amateur radio as a young student. Shostak's hobbies include film making, railroading, and computer animation. While working at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, he founded DIGIMA, a computer animation company. He is a brother of Robert Shostak, developer of the Paradox relational database. In the spring of 1988 Seth left Groningen to help his brother, who was then working on image database software in Silicon Valley. According to his C.V., Shostak has a considerable body of creative writing, mostly for corporate clients. He was also "idea man" behind a plan to build a large space and technology theme park in The Netherlands and also the Air and Space Exhibit at the California Science Center, where he also serves on the board. Bibliography Life in the Universe, Jeffrey O. Bennett, Bruce Jakosky and Seth Shostak, 1980, . Sharing the Universe: Perspectives on Extraterrestrial Life, Seth Shostak, foreword by Frank Drake 1998, . Cosmic Company: The Search for Life in the Universe, Seth Shostak, Alex Barnett, 2003, . Confessions of an Alien Hunter: A Scientist's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, Seth Shostak, foreword by Frank Drake 2009, . References External links Seth Shostak biography at the SETI Institute SETI Institute Homepage "Are We Alone?" Radio Show Should We Keep a Low Profile in Space? "Boldly Going Nowhere" by Seth Shostak, The New York Times (April 13, 2009) Shostak interview (40:47) - RadioLIVE New Zealand (May 10, 2010) Shostak testimony - U.S.Congress: "Using Radio in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence" (May 21, 2014) 1943 births Living people American astronomers American skeptics Jewish American scientists Astrobiologists Search for extraterrestrial intelligence American talk radio hosts California Institute of Technology alumni Princeton University