What’s the proper conversation starter when greeting an alien? How about: “This is Earth speaking. We would like to know you. Please reply.”
Less gracious but perhaps more honest, you might offer: “Down here we are all confused.” And if you do come for a visit, please, “Don’t kidnap us and poke us. We hate that.”
These are all authentic, if occasionally crack- brained, suggestions for how we might go about opening a dialogue with an alien civilization.
The Seti Institute, the world’s best-known organization dedicated to the search for alien life, has launched a project called Earth Speaks that asks space enthusiasts around the world to think about what we should say when, or if, we finally get that cosmic phone call.
“Most conversations about this subject until now have been among academics,” said Doug las Vakoch, who is heading up the effort at Seti, which stands for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. “We want to really expand the discussion.”
