Scientists, be on guard ... ET might be a malicious hacker

Guardian UK ^ | November25, 2005 | Ian Sample

[billorites]

As if spotty teenagers releasing computer viruses on to the internet from darkened rooms were not enough of a headache. According to a scientific report, planet Earth's computers are wide open to a virus attack from Little Green Men. The concern is raised in the next issue of the journal Acta Astronautica by Richard Carrigan, a particle physicist at the US Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois. He believes scientists searching the heavens for signals from extra-terrestrial civilisations are putting Earth's security at risk, by distributing the jumble of signals they receive to computers all over the world.

The search for extra-terrestrial intelligence (Seti) project, based at the University of California in Berkeley, uses land-based telescopes to scour the universe for electromagnetic waves. Just as stray radio and TV broadcasts are now zooming away from Earth at the speed of light, the Seti scientists hope to pick up stray signals, or even intentional interplanetary broadcasts, emitted from other civilisations.

All signals picked up by Seti are broken up and sent across the internet to a vast band of volunteers who have signed up for a Seti screensaver, which allows their computers to crunch away at the signals, when they are not at their desks.

So far, the only signals detected are bursts of radiation from stars and a murmur of background noise left over from the big bang. But, says Dr Carrigan, improved telescopes and faster computers mean scientists are ever more likely to detect a signal from extra-terrestrials.

In his report, entitled Do potential Seti signals need to be decontaminated?, he suggests the Seti scientists may be too blase about finding a signal. "In science fiction, all the aliens are bad, but in the world of science, they are all good and simply want to get in touch."

[RightWhale]

they would know what 'code' we use

Likewise we need to know their transmission encoding. If they are transmitting the Gettyburg Address we could figure it out, but otherwise it could be a while.

[GOPJ]

"He believes scientists searching the heavens for signals from extra-terrestrial civilisations are putting Earth's security at risk, by distributing the jumble of signals they receive to computers all over the world."

Don't thrash about in the ocean until you're ready for the shark.

The SETI people could show their mettle by communicating with the other life forms here - the ones we evolved with - the easy ones. When they do that, they can call the shark...

[GOPJ]

bump

[Rebelbase]

My son was telling about the Slashdot comments on this same article last night.

Funiest one he told me was about all the intergalactic Nigerian Scam letters we can soon expect.

"Hello, Greetings from Beta X 93712. I am P3X92-2, son of the late P3X92-1. My father controlled a bazillion qadruon private account in the Solaria system for use in illicit activties of several corrupt alliance officials who were vaporized in the Lesbora purges. I seek you in confidence to assist in the transfer of these funds............."