What Do We Do If SETI Is Successful? | One of the major changes in the upcoming update to the “Declaration of Principles” suggests that researchers should absolutely not send any reply to a direct Extraterrestrial message until after the issue is discussed at the UN
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/what-do-we-do-if-seti-is-successful
14 Comments
If SETI is successful lol. This reads like a plea for funding, why is there no plan for when Megazord emerges from the planet? Because as far as we can tell, that is exactly equally likely.
Three Body Problem is now permeating the zeitgeist.
What’s to stop a North Korean like state that doesn’t give a fuck from killing us all by attempting to send a signal?
If the signal is a response to [this unwise action](https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-come-up-with-a-new-message-to-let-the-aliens-know-were-here) then it will not matter what we do.
Interstellar travel is so improbable that its hardly a concern
I always thought that replying to an extraterrestrial contact or intentionally “pinging” our location in to the void is a monumentally stupid thing to do. To me it is very akin to a child wandering around a wild forest at midnight, shouting in to the darkness in hopes of finding a friend. Does it feel more likely to you a friend will be found by such actions rather than a predator?
How about we develop our capabilities and expand our reach to the point where we as species can at least survive losing our homeworld to a random rock, let alone a potential conflict with an entity we haven’t even a concept of understanding, before poking it with our signals. How about we stalk and *look* quietly instead of shouting in to the darkness. How about finding the *others* on our own terms, preferably without them ever knowing we are there? Why do we want to attract attention of the *others* from a position of weakness? So suicidal.
As it would take the ETs thousands of years to get here, there’d be just enough time for the UN to establish a committee, some sub-committees, and submit a draft report
Isn’t there a video of Carl Sagan saying not to reply? But didn’t he also organize a radio telescope broadcast to announce our presence?
Whoever finds it first should be able to reply. The UN can’t even tie their own shoes without peeing their pants and falling over.
If some broadcast it might be a chance that they are picking any radio/TV being broadcasted around. The UN is not going to be able to hold enough comitees to explain everything so we might just send “sorry about that”.
We receive a response. Great, we now know we are not alone in the universe. The question is answered.
[5 seconds later]
Prepare the great fleets of interstellar war machines. We were safe when we were alone. The illusion is shattered, and all external life is an existential threat.
“It’s a trick. Send no reply. Send no transmissions of any kind.”
The idea 1) that the location in the sky would not be leaked and 2) that humanity would act in a united manner is laughable.
The UN is lead by the US, Russia, and China – three authoritarian oligarchic idiot regimes (China being the most practical, at least, in terms of scientific/economic/infrastructure investment prioritization). There is no intelligent benefit gained from a UN-sanctioned response.