The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is one of human civilization’s most ambitious missions. For decades, scientists have scanned the skies, listening for signals and sending messages to possible alien civilizations across the galaxy.
But what if this quest is not only useless, but also dangerous?
Some experts have warned that contact with aliens could end all life on Earth, or at least lead to catastrophic consequences.
They claim that we have no idea what kind of creatures we might encounter, what their intentions are, or how they might react to our presence. They suggest that we should stop trying to communicate with them, and instead focus on hiding our existence from them.
One of the most prominent voices of caution is the late Stephen Hawking, who said in 2010: “If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much the same as when Columbus landed in America, which did not end well for the Native Americans.”
He added: “We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life could evolve into something we wouldn’t want to encounter.”
Hawking was not alone in his pessimism. In 2020, Mark Buchanan, a physicist and science writer, wrote in The Washington Post: “Contacting aliens could end all life on Earth. Let’s stop trying.”
He argued that whatever the UFO report says, it’s time to establish rules for talking to aliens. He pointed out that if aliens exist, they are likely to be much more technologically advanced than us – and therefore dangerous.
Buchanan mentioned several possible scenarios that could result from contact with aliens, and none of them were pleasant. For example, he said that aliens could be hostile and attack us because of resources, territory or ideology.
Or they may be indifferent and accidentally harm us with their activities or experiments. Or they may be benevolent and try to help us, but ultimately destroy our culture or ecology through their intervention.
He also noted that even if aliens are friendly, they might not share our values or morals, and might impose their own norms and values on us.
Buchanan gave the example of how European settlers tried to convert Native Americans to Christianity, often using brutal methods. He wrote: “First contact with aliens could end in colonization and genocide.”
Buchanan’s article was based on a statement by four scholars from the SETI Institute’s Indigenous Studies Working Group, who published an Indigenous Studies Working Group statement on the issue in 2021.
They warned that “first contact with aliens could end in colonization and genocide.”
They drew parallels between the history of colonialism and the potential risks of extraterrestrial contact. They urged SETI researchers to adopt an ethical framework that respects the diversity and autonomy of human and non-human cultures.
Other scientists have also expressed concerns about the wisdom of contact with aliens. In 2019, two German researchers from the University of Freiburg argued that we should abandon all attempts to communicate with potential aliens.
They said we can’t know if aliens are friendly or hostile, and that we should assume the worst until proven otherwise. They said sending signals into space is like “yelling in the jungle” without knowing what kind of creatures lurk there.
These warnings are not intended to discourage curiosity or exploration, but rather to encourage caution and caution. There are also other potential hazards that we may not have anticipated or prepared for:
– Contacting aliens could cause a war among us. If different nations or groups have conflicting interests or agendas regarding contact with aliens, they may resort to violence or sabotage to gain advantage or prevent others from communicating with them.
For example, some may want to establish diplomatic relations with aliens, while others may want to exploit them for technology or information. Some may want to share our culture and values, while others may want to keep them secret or isolated.
– Contacting aliens may expose us to unknown threats or dangers. When aliens send us messages or signals, they may contain malicious code or viruses that can infect our computers or networks, or even our brains or bodies.
If aliens visit us physically, they may bring with them harmful substances or organisms that can pollute our environment or cause disease. If aliens invite us to visit them, they may lure us into traps or ambushes.
– Contacting aliens could change our sense of identity and purpose. If we discover that we are not alone in the universe, and that there are other intelligent beings more advanced or different than us, we may lose our confidence or motivation as a species.
We may question our place and role in the cosmic scheme of things, and wonder if we have any meaning or value. We may also face ethical and moral dilemmas about how to treat and interact with aliens, and how to balance our own interests and rights with theirs.
These are just some of the potential risks of contact with aliens. There may be more that we haven’t imagined or considered yet. As Buchanan concluded, “We need to keep looking for signs of intelligence in the cosmos – but stop trying so hard to talk back.”
