Editorial

Scientists Will Attempt To Send Messages Into Space To Contact Anything Out There

Aliens (Credit: Shutterstock/adike)

David Hookstead Sports And Entertainment Editor
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A group of scientists will apparently attempt to contact aliens out in space.

According to Popular Mechanics, a group of NASA scientists intend to fire messages into space in hopes of potentially contacting some kind of intelligent beings.

The group of scientists stated the following in part about the plan:

An updated, binary-coded message has been developed for transmission to extraterrestrial intelligences in the Milky Way galaxy. The proposed message includes basic mathematical and physical concepts to establish a universal means of communication followed by information on the biochemical composition of life on Earth, the Solar System’s time-stamped position in the Milky Way relative to known globular clusters, as well as digitized depictions of the Solar System, and Earth’s surface. The message concludes with digitized images of the human form, along with an invitation for any receiving intelligences to respond. 

While the plan definitely sounds interesting, Popular Mechanics pointed out there could be serious downsides if contact is actually made.

The publication stated the following about how this plan could go wrong:

Some experts have theorized for decades that we might not want their attention at all, which, they say, could explain why we’ve also never heard from another civilization ourselves. They could all be staying quiet on purpose.

If whoever’s out there is a nemesis in waiting, then what we’re doing is akin to, say, beaming out our exact locations and special vulnerabilities to the Nazis right before the Battle of the Bulge.

Are we really sure that we want to be contacting whatever is out in the universe? I’m not sold that it’s a very good idea.

As Popular Mechanics pointed out, there’s a chance that if aliens do exist, “we might not want their attention at all.” There’s no guarantee they’d be friendly, and I’m not sure I want to push the envelope to find out.

If aliens are capable of getting to Earth, we’re screwed in the event of a war. Any group that has the means to get here is far more advanced than any group on this planet.

So, it might be best to just let potential aliens keep to themselves.

Of course, this is pure speculation, and there’s no real concrete evidence aliens even exist. This entire situation will likely end up being pointless. However, in the off chance contact is made, we might end up regretting it!

H/T: BroBible