From Close Encounters of the Third Degree to Arrival, Hollywood has long been fascinated by the idea of communicating with space aliens.
But is it possible? Or is it reasonable?
In recent years, a fierce debate has erupted over the advisability of sending a laser beam of Earth information towards distant solar systems.
Until now, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence has been limited to listening to radio signals from other galaxies. Unable to detect a single squeak, some scientists want to take revenge and start broadcasting messages from Earth into deep space.
But this creates two dilemmas.
First of all, it is the possibility of communication with hostile civilizations. Is it worth the risk of announcing the location of Earth to those who in reality could be the Klingons from Star Trek or stormtroopers from Star Wars?
Back in 2010, physicist Stephen Hawking warned: "If aliens get to us, the consequences can be compared with the arrival of Columbus in America, which ended badly for Native Americans."
But, in a new project submitted for discussion, scientists say it's unlikely that alien life forms can see or hear humans. Even on our own planet, vision fluctuates widely. Bats perceive the world using echolocation, Indian pythons have infrared vision, and honeybees move using polarized rays of light.
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In 1977, NASA launched two Voyager spacecraft into space. On board each of them is a gold plate with a variety of data about the Earth, including recordings of animal sounds, wind noise, rain, surf, poetry reading, as well as a music library from classics to Chuck Berry.
There is even an anecdote in which the aliens intercepted the Voyager and transmitted only four words to Earth: “Send another Chuck Berry”.
“In truth, Voyager's audio package will surely shock any interstellar astronauts who stumble upon it,” said Professor Don Hoffman of the University of California.
“We can't even understand the language of dolphins, despite decades of effort. The chance that aliens will decipher our messages is zero,”added the professor.
Voronina Svetlana