In 1983, two Japanese scientists, Masaki Morimoto and Hisashi Hirabayashi, pioneers in the field of radioastronomy and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), got inebriated as they celebrated the Tanabata star festival. They decided to use a radio telescope at Stanford to send a message to one of the brightest stars in the sky, Altair. In the message was information about our planet, our evolution, the human species, and even a high-spirited sign-off, sending both the English word "TOAST" and the Japanese equivalent, "KANPAI" (乾杯). And I love the playful sentiment. 40 years later, their scientific progeny are listening for a response. Spoiler alert. We haven't heard back... yet. But we also explore the nature of these and other messages to possible intelligent alien life out there listening like we are. We touch upon SETI, the Arecibo message, and a few other attempts at establishing a first contact with an extraterrestrial alien species. Thanks so much for watching. ▸ Want to leave a tip or connect?: