In the scientist’s view, humanity will likely receive not a greeting, but a desperate cry from a perishing civilization, similar to the famous “Wow!” signal.
Astrophysicist David Kipping from Columbia University believes that humanity’s initial contact with extraterrestrial civilizations will most likely be tragic in nature. In his opinion, scientists might encounter not a meaningful message, but a powerful, inexplicable distress signal.
Kipping suggested that this could be a desperate message from a civilization on the verge of collapse. He allows that the renowned “Wow!” signal, recorded in 1977, might have been precisely such a final impulse.
The scholar noted that the prospects for peaceful dialogue with an advanced alien race are slim, as they probably do not conduct active broadcasts, except during moments of extreme peril. The enhancement of telescopes increases the probability of detecting such “farewell” signals, yet a response to them could have unpredictable and potentially devastating consequences for humankind.
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