Despite the clear warning by eminent astrophysicists like Stephen Hawking, scientists are planning to send messages to aliens. However, the imminent danger of such a move is far too evident. Far off alien civilization could be many eons more advanced than mankind and could view us just like we view bacteria. Such a move could also lead to the destruction of humanity. The latest project has been christened as METI, which is the acronym for Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence and will start from 2018. It intends to get in touch with aliens instead of waiting for them to contact us.
The scientific community is divided over the outcome of such contact with alien civilization. Eminent physicists compare the quest for aliens much akin to the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus and its fallout which has not been very good. NASA had earlier tried to message alien civilization by radio signals and other means. Its Pioneer 10 and 11 space crafts that carried messages written onto plaques and a record, along with the sound of a child crying and some basic mathematical derivation. It is hoped that in the future some alien civilization will come across the disc and know about the existence of a blue hued planet in the solar system.
Till date, no regulation are in place about how such messages must be sent into space or what the message must be composed of. It means that METI or any other group or individuals are free to send out signals overruling all objections. However, the creators of METI contend that it will be used as a means to increase knowledge and share it for the benefit of mankind.
Another factor which could come into play is what scientific community calls the Fermi paradox. By the time the message reaches the nearest alien civilization, maybe in a couple of thousand years, mankind must have become extinct. Considering the state of the planet, this can happen in the next thousand years.
Comments are closed.