Next year, scientists will send messages to search for aliens

cnet.com ^ | Daniel Oberhaus

[RoosterRedux]

For the last half-century or so, astronomers around the world have been scanning the cosmos with massive radio telescopes in hopes of finding some sign of intelligent life. This network of alien-hunters comprises the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), but despite all their efforts, the interstellar radio waves have remained quiet. One might even say too quiet.

Depending on who you ask, first contact with an extraterrestrial civilization might happen any day now. Seth Shostak, director of the SETI Institute, has famously predicted that we'll hear from ET within the next two decades. Others, such as the Cornell University astronomer Yervant Terzian are less optimistic -- his probabilistic calculations place first contact in about 1,500 years, assuming there's anyone left on Earth to receive the call.

But many SETI astronomers aren't content with only scanning the airwaves for signs of ET. Instead, they think we should also be actively reaching out to the cosmos on behalf of planet Earth.

These astronomers occupy a controversial niche within the SETI community known as Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligences, or METI. At the forefront of this group is Douglas Vakoch, president of METI International, a research group dedicated to designing and sending messages intended for extraterrestrial recipients.

Vakoch and his colleagues at METI International are fighting an uphill battle. Aside from all the technical problems that come with trying to contact aliens, many SETI astronomers think it's a bad idea.

The METI opposition group, which includes scientists like Stephen Hawking, argues that since we have no idea what ET might be like, sending a message into the cosmos comes with a huge existential risk. If the aliens happen to be friendly, no problem. But if they're hostile, that means we're essentially sending out a beacon that says "ATTACK HERE."

[Thibodeaux]

Until we learn to communicate with honey bees we can not expect to communicate with extraterrestrials.

We barely understand there is order to the colony. The colony is intelligent and makes decisions. We know that bees have races but don’t know if the different races have different languages.

Bees are here and now. Extraterrestrials may be also and we don’t know it

[PIF]

The METI opposition group, which includes scientists like Stephen Hawking, argues that since we have no idea what ET might be like, sending a message into the cosmos comes with a huge existential risk. If the aliens happen to be friendly, no problem. But if they're hostile, that means we're essentially sending out a beacon that says "ATTACK Exterminate HERE."

[Ancesthntr]

I know that Harry never suggested betting on that assumption - but these “scientists” are essentially doing just that by wanting to broadcast the “here we are” signal.

It is just a stupid idea. If “they” are there, somewhere in the Cosmos, then we’ll eventually come across them...hopefully, very far from Earth, and without any info about where the home planet is located. Given the age of the galaxy, I wouldn’t even want to come across aliens in 10,000 years (even if our technology keeps increasing at a geometric rate), as they could easily be a million or 100 million years ahead of us. The fact is that we just don’t know...and it is best to be cautious. Any other spacefaring race WILL be the apex predator of its home planet.