By 
April 1st, 2015
Credit: SETI Institute
A research project has been started designed to explore a critical question in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI):
“If we discover intelligent life beyond Earth, should we reply, and if so, what should we say?”
Earth Speaks is a project of the SETI Institute of Mountain View, California.
According to the Principal Investigator of Earth Speaks, Douglas Vakoch, people from around the world are invited to submit pictures, sounds, and text messages that they would want to send to other worlds.
The project aims to foster a dialogue about what Earthlings should say to extraterrestrial intelligence, as well as whether or not we should be sending intentional messages.
As Director of Interstellar Message Composition at the SETI Institute, Vakoch notes that, if we do detect an extraterrestrial civilization, one of the most pressing issues facing humankind will be “Should we reply, and if so, what should we say?”
Dialogic model
The Earth Speaks project is soliciting broad-based input from the global community, although it is often noted that a reply from Earth should be sent on behalf of all of humankind.
The SETI Institute’s project will identify the major themes that people address in their messages.
Rather than trying to identify a unified “Message from Earth,” the current project will help understand differing perspectives on the appropriate content of interstellar messages, drawing upon Vakoch’s suggested “Dialogic Model” for interstellar message design – how best to represent human diversity in messages to extraterrestrials.
The intent is that Earth Speaks will provide a more broadly representative view of our species to shape messages.
For detailed information on how you can take part, go to:
Posted in Space News
