This DANGEROUS move by NASA can trigger invasion on Earth, warns scientist

NASA will broadcast information about Earth into outer space but an Oxford scientist has called it dangerous as this could trigger an invasion of Earth - by ALIENS.

A scientist fears an alien invasion after NASA decided to beam information about Earth and its location into the universe. (Pixabay)

Humans have always wondered if we are alone in the universe or if there exists other intelligent life-forms, in other words aliens, on different planets, just like on Earth. While physically checking the vastness of space for an answer is not feasible, a NASA-led team of scientists have come up with a solution to reach out to any extraterrestrial species that may exist. The team intends to broadcast a message, called ‘Beacon in the Galaxy' in short radio wave format to a part of the Milky Way identified as likely to be occupied by aliens. But an Oxford researcher has warned that sending a message like that will trigger an alien invasion on Earth.

Anders Sandberg, a senior research scientist at Oxford's Future of Humanity (FHI) institute, told the Daily Telegraph that despite the low probability of the message actually reaching an extraterrestrial civilization, “it has such a high impact that you actually need to take it rather seriously”. Sandberg also expressed that there existed a giggle factor around any mission looking for alien life which made discussions around it very difficult as people refuse to take anything seriously.

The message for outer space by NASA can lead to alien invasion

According to Sandberg, if the NASA message is received and decoded by an alien species, it is safe to assume that they are a highly advanced civilization. And once they receive all the knowledge about the solar system, planets, Earth's surface and humanity, it can serve as a “wish you were here” postcard. With absolutely no knowledge about the civilization or their circumstances the Beacon in the Galaxy will reach, we would not know if they would find the resource-rich Earth a suitable place for a hostile take-over.

Sandberg's colleague at the FHI, Toby Ord, shares similar views in a 2020 book called The Precipice, where he analyzed the risks of contacting an alien species. According to him, the biggest concern was our lack of knowledge on whether outer space contained more peaceful civilizations or the hostile one's. He said, “We have very little evidence about whether this is high or low, and there is no scientific consensus. Given the downside could be much bigger than the upside, this doesn't sound to me like a good situation in which to take active steps toward contact.

Notably, this is not the first time a message like this is being shared in the space. In 1974, the Arecibo message was sent to the globular star cluster M13 using a radio telescope in Puerto Rico. The message contained basic information about humanity. No reported response has come from it.