Are humans ready to make contact with alien intelligence?

Project scientists at SETI are known for tracking what may be extra-terrestrial signals, but now it looks as though they are thinking about sending messages to aliens and giving them the position of humans of Earth. But are humans ready for making contact with aliens?

Researcher Asks Students Whether They Are Ready To Greet Alien Lifeforms

One researcher from the Spain’s University of Cadiz has questioned the idea after gathering results from a survey taken by students at the University, which revealed ignorance in general about the cosmos along with the influence of religion when it comes to dealing with these matters.

The SETI project, Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence was an initiative that started out in the 70s after funding was given from NASA. Today it has evolved to the collaboration of many millions of users on the internet for processing data from the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, home to the space tracking.

Stephen Hawking Warns Of Risks Of Sending Out Earth Invitation To Aliens

The project is controversial. However, members want to go a step further and not only search for possible signs of extra-terrestrial life but send messages out from Earth to try to find possible alien civilizations. Stephen Hawking, astrophysicists, has warned about the risks of making such a search poses for humanity, as it may favor any arrival of aliens with technology that is advanced and dubious intentions.

Gabriel G. De la Torre, a professor at the University of Cadiz, has analyzed the sociological and ethical implications of the proposal to send out a signal telling alien lifeforms where Earth and humans are located. He asked if a decision such as this could be taken on behalf of the planet. He went on to ask what might happen if it was a success and alien life did receive the signal, would the people on Earth be ready for contact.

Study Revealed Humans Are Not Ready For Contact With Aliens

The professor wrote and sent out a questionnaire to 116 university students of American, Spanish and Italian origin. The survey looked into their knowledge of astronomy along with levels of perception of the physical environment, the opinions of the place that things occupy in the cosmos along with religious questions. One question posed asked whether the students believed that God had in fact created the universe and the likelihood that humans could contract alien lifeforms.

The results, published in the journal ‘Acta Astronautica’, from the study suggested that humans are not ready to contact an extra-terrestrial civilization as they lack knowledge along with being unprepared. Due to this SETI researchers have been recommended to look for different strategies.

“This pilot study demonstrates that the knowledge of the general public of a certain education level about the cosmos and our place within it is still poor. Therefore, a cosmic awareness must be further promoted – where our mind is increasingly conscious of the global reality that surrounds us – using the best tool available to us: education,” De la Torre emphasised. ”In this respect, we need a new Galileo to lead this journey”.

It was said that the pilot study had shown that the general public’s knowledge of a certain education level when it came to the cosmos and the place of humans within it, was poor. Cosmic awareness needs to be promoted further where the human mind is conscious of the global reality that is surrounding us, using the best tool that is available, which is education De la Torre said.

It was found from the questions asked, which are going to be made available for everyone on the internet, that university students along with the rest of society, on the whole, lacks awareness about astronomical aspects, despite the progress of technology and science of today. It was said that many people think about the subjects based on religious beliefs and they may reply on politicians if there was a big crisis on a global scale that needed resolving.

So it does look like the people on Earth are not ready to welcome alien civilizations with open arms, even if SETI were to find them.