We’ve long wondered whether we’re alone in the universe. In the past century, the
search for extraterrestrial life has gotten fully underway, as we look for signs within
our own solar system, as well as in other star systems. Evidence of alien life has eluded
us. But there’s a strong possibility that what we’re looking for will find us first.
This is Unveiled, and today we’re answering the extraordinary question: what happens if
aliens discover Earth?
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If other intelligent species exist outside our own solar system, it’s likely that they
too are searching for signs of alien life. Human intelligence and scientific achievements
have made us aware of our place in the universe, leaving us curious as to whether or not we’re
alone in such thoughts. Theoretically, intelligent life elsewhere would, at some point, face
the same questions. With 100 billion stars in the Milky Way, it wouldn’t be that surprising
to discover that life is abundant within our galaxy. Even if extraterrestrial civilisations
are unable to reach Earth, due for example to the sheer distances involved, we would
still expect to find signals sent by them, or biosignatures. Unfortunately, no such evidence
has been found, at least so far. Lacking evidence for sentient life beyond Earth, it could be
inferred that it’s very rare for a planet to develop life. This discrepancy, between
the lack of evidence for alien life and its high likelihood, is called the Fermi Paradox,
and there have been many attempts to solve it.
One of the common theories to explain our solitude in the universe is called the Great
Filter. The idea is that somewhere in the evolutionary process there’s a great barrier
that makes detectable extraterrestrial life incredibly uncommon. Currently, we can only
guess whether this filter lies before or behind our current stage of development. Historically,
humans have adapted their technology to expand outwards as much as possible. Life has always
dispersed and spread into new frontiers. Generally, human technology has always moved forwards.
So if we extrapolate to our future, we would expect ourselves to continue to expand outwards,
slowly colonizing the galaxy and learning to harness new forms of energy. But, with
the universe approaching its 14 billionth birthday, why does it seem like no other form
of life has left its mark on the universe?
This is what the Great Filter seeks to answer. The easier it is for life to evolve to our
stage of development, the less optimistic our future becomes, and the more likely it
is that the Great Filter lies ahead of us. This could be - for example - in the form
of nuclear war, or global warming. On the other hand, this filter could also be long
behind us, being at the earliest stages of evolution. Neither are particularly encouraging,
with one side saying we’re heading towards probable extinction, and the other suggesting
that we’re likely to be entirely alone.
There are other proposed solutions to the Fermi paradox however. One is that aliens
do exist in abundance, we just simply can’t see evidence of them. Another idea is that
it’s too resource heavy to expand through a galaxy, and space is really just too large
to traverse. It could also be the case that the galaxy actually is colonized, but Earth
resides in an isolated, backwater region too distant to be worth colonization. Additionally,
it might be the case that it’s dangerous to communicate with other civilisations, and
that many are actively hiding. Or perhaps the next stage of evolution won’t be to
expand outwards, but to focus inwards, in the form of virtual realities. Why bother
to explore space, which is harsh and dangerous, when we can create and enter limitless virtual
universes instead? Potentially all life ends up finding happiness in a simulated paradise,
and gives up on outward expansion. And that’s why we haven’t found anything.
If aliens did discover Earth, first off it would help us understand where the Great Filter
lies. It all depends on the manner of discovery. The idea of first contact, the first meeting
of humanity with extraterrestrials, is a common theme in science fiction. It was popularized
by H. G. Wells in “The War of the Worlds”, released in 1897. The novel tells the story
of Martians arriving on Earth, resulting in a brutal conflict that eventually ends with
them dying from bacteria. If aliens did discover Earth, their intentions might not be benevolent.
We know this to be true looking at our own history, especially with regard to colonialism.
There’s a high chance that if aliens came to Earth, it would be to harvest our resources
and control our planet. Of all first-contact scenarios, this is certainly the bleakest.
It could be that the Great Filter is actually, in itself, another civilization that works
to destroy all others. The signals we send into space might then be unwittingly inviting
destruction. It’s a real concern, for some.
Of course, there are other, more optimistic visions of first contact, too. The popular
franchise Star Trek portrays a future where humanity has abandoned all materialistic desires
in favor of learning and exploring the universe. When new intelligent life-forms are discovered,
humankind avoids interacting with them until they progress to a certain level - specifically,
when they develop space-faring technology. Perhaps aliens do the same thing in reality
to avoid interfering with other civilizations' development. In this scenario, it might be
the case that aliens have already discovered Earth, but deemed us not advanced enough to
justify making first contact. Maybe aliens visited Earth millions of years ago, when
dinosaurs controlled the planet, long before the dominance of primates. If this happened,
they would be unlikely to have any meaningful interactions with Earth’s past habitants.
For all we know, they may have left equipment behind to watch our planet’s growth, potentially
hidden on the Moon, elsewhere in the solar system, or even on our planet itself - according
to some theories. Currently though, no evidence supports this claim.
Then again, perhaps aliens will make first contact in our lifetimes, and it will be peaceful!
There are actually various protocols drawn up by researchers for what to do. There are
still potential problems, though. None of these protocols are binding under any nation’s
laws, and scientists therefore believe that they are likely to be ignored. The first was
created by the SETI Institute, and is called the “Declaration of Principles for Activities
Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence”. This protocol contains eight
steps. The first is that once a sign of alien life is detected, it must be verified. Once
verified, various global scientific unions need to be informed, and following on from
this... the discovery needs to be made public. The discoverer has the right to make the announcement
themselves, however no one is authorized to reply to any signals without international
agreement.
A separate protocol, called the “Proposed Agreement on the Sending of Communications
to Extraterrestrial Intelligence” has also been formulated. It recommends that an international
committee would be formed to create a reply, forbidding any messages being sent without
the committee's clearance. This is in case the alien life is deemed to pose a threat
to humanity, and aims to prevent replying in a fashion that would strengthen this danger.
This protocol hasn’t been made into law either however. Hopefully, extraterrestrials
are friendly towards humankind, and we may share knowledge with each other resulting
in benefits on both sides. Unfortunately, our own human history has many examples of
civilisations meeting new ones, and it usually leads to invasion and colonization. We would
like to think this age is behind us, but if other life has evolved similarly to us, it
may not be a feature exclusive to humanity.
If aliens discovered Earth there’s a chance it could usher in a new age of technological
advancements and developments. On the other hand, it could also bring about our destruction.
We will only be able to know for certain once first-contact is made.
What do you think? Is there anything we missed? Let us know in the comments, check out these
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