If the Bug-Eyed Monsters do send a message, would we really want to reply at all?

Should we advertise our existence and publish our address to the cosmos, or is that just asking for trouble? Many of the scientists present backed a declaration that a 'worldwide scientific, political and humanitarian discussion must occur before any message is sent.'

There’s certainly no harm in just looking for signs of the existence of other civilizations elsewhere in the galaxy. There is 'no bigger question in science,' said the late Prof. Stephen Hawking, who was an adviser to the project. But if you find such a civilization, an enormous debate will immediately erupt over whether we should reply or not. Hawking thought not, writes Gwynne Dyer. Illustration courtesy of PxHere

Opinion

BY GWYNNE DYER

August 5, 2019

LONDON, U.K.—“There is absolutely no procedure enshrined in international law to respond to a signal from an alien civilization,” said Martin Dominik, an astronomer at the University of St. Andrews. “It makes sense to create a legally binding framework that is properly rooted in internationa...

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