Alien message: Do you think this is a good idea?

[David1967]

Read this article this morning. This Scientist thinks that if we received an extra terrestrial message that we should reply by sending them the entire internet. Is this a good idea?

How Do Scientists Respond To Alien Messages?

 

[Kemosloby]

No, make them pay for internet access like everybody else.

 

[SabahTheLoner]

If we're okay with da memes defining humanity, sure.

Yeah that's how aliens will learn about us if we do the internet thing.

 

[George-ananda]

Read this article this morning. This Scientist thinks that if we received an extra terrestrial message that we should reply by sending them the entire internet. Is this a good idea?

How Do Scientists Respond To Alien Messages?

My thought is that these scientists are making some wrong assumptions such as aliens are something totally independent of earth and human life and have never been here and don't have a clue about us. To me, these scientists have their noses in this project while aliens are flying right over their heads.

I think aliens can get our internet access if they wanted to already.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

One half of me thinks we should be optimistic and send messages out.
The other half realizes "blind shot in the dark" doesn't even begin to describe the minute chances our messages will be received by any one or anything.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Read this article this morning. This Scientist thinks that if we received an extra terrestrial message that we should reply by sending them the entire internet. Is this a good idea?

How Do Scientists Respond To Alien Messages?

If we receive an alien transmission we should return the message in such a way that they do not know our location and/or in such a way that we seem much farther away than they anticipate. The biggest risk to us is any sort of diseases they might have, any nanotech, any small creatures or any bacteria. If we allow anything near to us, let it be large, let it be clean and let it be dead.

 

[Guy Threepwood]

There is also the theory that since ancient times, some in power have been able to access alien transmissions also, and try to use them for their own furtherment, I'm not generally a conspiracy theorist, but there is some pretty compelling evidence out there

 

[Polymath257]

If we receive an alien transmission we should return the message in such a way that they do not know our location and/or in such a way that we seem much farther away than they anticipate. The biggest risk to us is any sort of diseases they might have, any nanotech, any small creatures or any bacteria. If we allow anything near to us, let it be large, let it be clean and let it be dead.

It's almost impossible to fake location in this way, unfortunately. Given the distances involved, it would be quite clear that anything we send comes from our solar system.

 

[David1967]

My thought is that these scientists are making some wrong assumptions such as aliens are something totally independent of earth and human life and have never been here and don't have a clue about us. To me, these scientists have their noses in this project while aliens are flying right over their heads.

I think aliens can get our internet access if they wanted to already.

You may have a point.

 

[Jumi]

I think it sounds short-sighted to the extreme.

 

[Polymath257]

Let's also consider the practicality aspect of this proposal. Even if we *wanted* to transmit the whole internet, this is another thing that seems incredibly difficult to do. For interstellar distances, it would take tremendous wattage and to get a decent bandwidth would be difficult, to say the least. There wouldn't be fiber optic lines, after all. I have a suspecion that the growth rate of 'the internet' would outstrip the rate we could send it.

That said, I don't think a 'hello' message with some basic facts would be a significant problem. Transmission time alone would be in years (at least) and likely decades.

 

[Father Heathen]

Transmit them the internet? Why not send them a rocket carrying a few metric tons of excrement as the payload while we're at it?

 

[VioletVortex]

Yes, but please remove Facebook and Twitter beforehand....

 

[Quetzal]

Read this article this morning. This Scientist thinks that if we received an extra terrestrial message that we should reply by sending them the entire internet. Is this a good idea?

How Do Scientists Respond To Alien Messages?

I will give them my email address. There is no need for this...

 

[The Holy Bottom Burp]

My thought is that these scientists are making some wrong assumptions such as aliens are something totally independent of earth and human life and have never been here and don't have a clue about us. To me, these scientists have their noses in this project while aliens are flying right over their heads.

I think aliens can get our internet access if they wanted to already.

I kind of agree with you George, there are so many assumptions that SETI make about another "advanced" species having evolved in a similar way to us, having developed similar technology to us etc. There may be another species out there, way more 'advanced' than us, yet they are not even aware of "radio waves"; they might communicate by telepathy for example, so why would they be interested in investigating radio waves? I think Hollywood has a lot of influence on the assumptions people make, that is not a flippant remark, I just mean to say that kind of thinking is deeply ingrained into our 'global' culture because of what we see on the TV screen or the cinema screen. I think to deny that is being a little dishonest.

Also, we project ourselves on to everything; other mammals, inanimate objects and, of course, deities!

To answer the question the OP asked, yeah, send them the internet, why not? They may be appalled by our obsession with sex and celebrity but at least they'll get to read my wise words and know there is intelligent life on Earth!