28 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} thusiastically as a board member of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI), headquartered in Mountain View. “This is the most exciting unsolved mystery in the universe,” he says. “I want to find creatures to talk with about philosophy. I have been able to put this organization on the map as we search for life and messages. This has been offers classes like “If There Are Planets Everywhere, Where Are the Aliens?” and one on simplifying the theory of relativity without math called “Einstein Without Tears.” His commitment to communicating scientific concepts in layman’s terms has culminated in his free, online astronomy textbook that has become the most widely used volume on the subject. Andrew doesn’t just write textbooks, he’s also tried his hand at science fiction. His childhood passion for the genre of the fantastic and intergalactic is still burning bright all these years later. “I have been keeping a notebook of ideas for decades,” he confesses. Despite what he calls “rejection slips from all over,” eight of his sci-fi stories have been published. Andrew now pays it forward to the next generation of future astronomers by writing the kinds of stories that captured his imagination as a young immigrant—a little inspiration for anyone else who wants to reach for the stars. a gratifying part of my career.” He also wants to set the record straight when it comes to unidentified flying objects. “There is not a shred of evidence of UFOs.” In the search for intelligent life on other planets, Andrew cites Artificial Intelligence as a gamechanging technology when it comes to listening for messages. “You have to look through many stars, through many channels, over a long period of time,” he describes. “With AI, computers and telescopes can work together, while the astronomer sleeps. AI can search for pattern recognition, which is key to searching for messages from space.” Andrew’s passion to teach the marvels of the universe keeps him on the lecture circuit promoting space education for all. He currently teaches at San Francisco State University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and
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