If We Receive a Message From Aliens, Should We Delete it Without Reading it?

Univerese Today ^ | Feb 12, 2018 | Matt WIlliams

[BenLurkin]

Roughly half a century ago, Cornell astronomer Frank Drake conducted Project Ozma, the first systematic SETI survey at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia. Since that time, scientists have conducted multiple surveys in the hopes of find indications of “technosignatures” – i.e. evidence of technologically-advanced life (such as radio communications).

...But according to a new study, such a message could also pose a serious risk to humanity. Drawing on multiple possibilities that have been explored in detail, they consider how humanity could shield itself from malicious spam and viruses.

The study, titled “Interstellar communication. IX. Message decontamination is impossible“, recently appeared online. The study was conducted by Michael Hippke, a independent scientist from the Sonneberg Observatory in Germany; and John G. Learned, a professor with the High Energy Physics Group at the University of Hawaii. Together, they examine some of the foregone conclusions about SETI and what is more likely to be the case.

To be fair, the notion that an extra-terrestrial civilization could pose a threat to humanity is not just a well-worn science fiction trope. For decades, scientists have treated it as a distinct possibility and considered whether or not the risks outweigh the possible benefits. As a result, some theorists have suggested that humans should not engage in SETI at all, or that we should take measures to hide our planet.

[PGR88]

This is the same sort of thinking that tells you that anonymous Russians spending $100k on Facebook ads is a threat to our Democracy.

[m422001]

Read, then chunk, then duck(you may want to duck while raading.)

[m422001]

Reading. Sorry

[JohnG45]

Since liberals here on earth “know it all,” what could we possibly learn from aliens?

So, I say delete it.

[wally_bert]

I’d consider it for $200 a day plus expenses.

This is Jim Rockford. At the tone, leave your name and message. I’ll get back to you. [Beep]

[bgill]

I’d just as soon aliens not know about Earth. Look what Darth Vader did to Alderaan. Bam! and no more.

[GingisK]

It is the Periodic Table of the Elements. Their version contains one more constant for each element than does ours.

[Enchante]

I would be glad to open an alien transmission if the subject line promises me millions of dollars from a deceased Minister of Mines.

[DanielRedfoot]

Drink your Ovaltine

[M Kehoe]

If the subject line is: puny humans. BLOAT.

If the subject line is: 1001100110. It’s the Russians

If the subject line is: You didn’t build that. Fart in their general direction.

5.56mm

[Oatka]

I would be worried if we decoded “Let’s have lunch sometime soon.”

"We like humans, preferably raw."

[SunkenCiv]

:^D

[gogeo]

Just don’t click on any attachments!

[SunkenCiv]

Our signals have been going out for 125 years; trying to hide them now is pointless, and is secondly a sure sign that we're worried about being seen, or have managed to get destroyed (by other listening aliens, or natural causes, or did it ourselves), and that is bound to attract additional attention.

Besides all that, if an alien civ' has the means to reach us, it's a good bet that we don't have the means to reach them, so we can do exactly zero about it. We'll just have to continue to rely on the kindness of strangers.

[Chode]

that's kinda my point wi aliens, wouldn't we hear years and years of garbage before we ever heard a "message"

[SunkenCiv]

We have no idea whether they'd be using radio any longer, for that matter.

[SunkenCiv]

"But I am not really willing to accept your premise, because it may well be that the means of communications they have are of a kind that we do not know how to receive, and that they would not have the means of communicating with sufficiently powerful radio or optical signals. That is something which, technologically, is too difficult for them but they would have some other means we would not recognize." -- Thomas J. Gold, 'Communication with Extraterrestial Intelligence' (Sagan, ed)

"To consider the Earth as the only populated world in infinite space is as absurd as to assert that in an entire field of millet, only one grain will grow." -- Metrodorus, 4th c BC Greek philosopher

"Heaven and earth are large, yet in the whole of space they are but as a small grain of rice. How unreasonable it would be to suppose that, besides the heaven and earth which we can see, there are no other heavens and no other earths." -- Teng Mu, 13th c AD Chinese philosopher

[xp38]

We need to tell them they have a comical PR guy here on earth.

[SunkenCiv]

I had one more modest contribution to make to this topic, then found this one as well:

If We Receive a Message From Aliens, Should We Delete it Without Reading it?
Universe Today | 2/13/18 | Matt Williams
Posted on 02/13/2018 1:12:06 AM PST by LibWhacker http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3631672/posts

[SunkenCiv]

10 SETI Messages That We May Not Want to Receive An exploration of alternative SETI messages that may not say hello. | Published on Nov 6, 2017 | John Michael Godier | from his Patreon page -- "I am passionate about all science fiction, however with my own writing I want to create hard science fiction stories that blow people's minds but stay within the confines of the scientifically possible. Plus, I just want to spin a good old fashioned entertaining yarn in the process. In addition, I am an aspiring documentary filmmaker and maintain a science and technology based YouTube channel showcasing interesting and unusual subjects from the realm of hard science and futurism." John Michael Godier