Scientists are preparing for the moment Earth receives a message from extraterrestrial life. Researchers and scientists have come together to prepare a set of protocols for the people across the globe to follow if and when such an encounter takes place, according to a group of scientists.
In a statement by University of St Andrews in Scotland, John Elliot, a computer scientist, said, "Science fiction is awash with explorations of the impact on human society following discovery of, and even encounters with, life or intelligence elsewhere."
The university has set up a new Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Post-Detection Hub which will act as a coordinating centre for bringing together diverse expertise across both the sciences and the humanities for setting out impact assessments, protocols, procedures, and treaties designed to enable a responsible response. Mr Elliot is also the coordinator of SETI Detection Hub.
He further goes on to say that the new research group will "go beyond thinking about the impact on humanity" of a potential alien encounter and start focusing on how we should respond instead. "And the time to do this is now," he adds.
The only accepted "contact" protocols in use right now are those created by the SETI community itself in 1989 and last updated in 2010. They are ineffective for managing in practice the complete process of searching, handling candidate evidence, confirming detections, post-detection analysis and interpretation, and potential response because they are solely focused on general scientific conduct.
According to a report in Live Science, in the event of confirmed alien contact, the protocol's main practical tip for scientists is to seek instruction from the United Nations or another governing body.
Instead of concentrating on communicating with extraterrestrial life, the new SETI detection hub would monitor signals for possible messages delivered by extraterrestrial life forms and create a framework for interpreting those signals. Additionally, they will produce impact analyses, present reports outlining the impacts of specific policies, and build protocols and treaties for reacting to hypothetical alien messengers.
"Will we ever get a message from E.T.? We don't know. We also don't know when this is going to happen. But we do know that we cannot afford to be ill prepared - scientifically, socially, and politically rudderless - for an event that could turn into reality as early as tomorrow and which we cannot afford to mismanage," Dr Elliott added in the statement.
