The Dark Forest Theory: Should We Contact Alien Life Forms or Remain Silent?

Are we alone in the universe? This question has baffled humankind since ancient times as we look for evidence of past or present life beyond our planet. With the technology that we have right now, scientists have become more eager in their search for extraterrestrial life.

It is estimated that there are between 100 and 200 billion galaxies in the observable universe, according to BBC Sky at Night Magazine. Each galaxy contains at least 100 to 200 billion planets. With this vast number of planets in the universe, scientists consider that there might be some life form on at least one of those planets. As to why the Earth has still not encountered other alien lifeforms, scientists have proposed numerous explanations. One of these is the Dark Forest theory.

Alien Contact as Explained by Dark Forest Theory

The idea of the Dark Forest came from the science fiction novel The Dark Forest by Chinese author Liu Cixin. The novel discusses the best way to interact with potentially hostile life.

The Dark Forest theory presents an analogy that our universe is like a dark forest filled with unknown things. The Earth is a hunter lurking in the dark while making sure that no sound is produced. Inside the forest are other hunters, analogous to extraterrestrial species hiding from one another. This theory suggests that if another hunter within the forest finds a hunter, they will immediately kill each other to ensure survival.

In short, the Dark Forest theory implies that we are better off alone in the dark forest than to alert the aliens about our location. Although this theory suggests that aliens could be purposefully keeping themselves quiet, there is also a possibility that if these aliens locate our planet, they could kill us and take our resources.

Finding alien life could have negative consequences on our planet. Because of this, scientists debate the dangers of sending signals into space. This is due to the concern that any contact with extraterrestrial life might harm humankind or result in more fighting among humans.

Sending Messages into Space

Over the past few decades, efforts have been made to contact extraterrestrial beings. The first attempt was made by scientists from the Yevpatoria Planetary Radar in 1962, where radio transmission was sent to Venus as Morse Code. The second attempt was created in 1974, where astrophysicist Frank Drake composed a visual message of binary digits and sent it from Arecibo Observatory to globular star cluster M13.

Other privately-funded projects followed between 1999 and 2016, targeting stars 17 to 69 light-years away from the Earth. In official space probes by NASA, messages were also included, such as the Pioneer Plaque, which was sent during Pioneer 10 and 11 missions. The message depicts the location of our planet in the galaxy and drawings of a man and a woman.

Meanwhile, Voyagers 1 and 2 carried the Voyager Golden Record, which contains sounds and images that portray life and culture on Earth. As of now, none of these attempts have resulted in a reply message. Experts believe that there is a low possibility that these messages will reach alien civilizations. If ever there is extraterrestrial life in our star system, the outcome will depend on their ability to listen to radio signals and their mode of sensing the universe.

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