For several years, specialists have been closely engaged in research on the development of a special language for communication with alien civilizations, called METI (Messaging to ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence).
Are scientists seriously waiting for official contact with alien life forms? The famous Petersburg researcher of anomalous phenomena Sergey ORLOV agreed to talk about the likelihood of contact with aliens from the stars, its consequences and the real possibilities of developing a universal language of communication between our civilizations.
Sergei, do you think humanity has already reached the level of development at which it will be able to communicate with alien guests?
- I think not, especially if we want to communicate on equal terms. Our civilization is too young and underdeveloped for this. We do not even have our own universal language. Attempts to develop it were undertaken, but unsuccessfully, let alone a language for communication in the Universe.
But earthlings can develop a language in which potential guests from the stars will at least understand us?
- It is hard to say. After all, gestures and language are different even for different peoples of the Earth, the same gesture can be interpreted in different ways on different continents. What can we say about communicating with representatives of other worlds.
Basically, in the era of radio communication, our planet has become like a huge speaker that broadcasts in all directions.
I am sure that other civilizations have noticed these signals long ago and were able to decipher them. Yes, the power of our transmitters is insufficient, we broadcast at a relatively short distance from the Earth. But at the same time, in the solar system we are like a beacon, inside it it is very easy to detect earth signals. I believe that alien guests have long ago caught and decoded our signals, and not only radio, but also television. And this is a powerful source of knowledge about us.
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Then why are they hesitating to visit?
- Would you like to go, say, to an Egyptian resort during the revolution? After all, having looked even part of the terrestrial video sequence, representatives of other planets will understand how poorly developed our society is: wars, rebellions, bad ecology - these are just a few reasons why, if we can be attributed to intelligent life, it is only nascent and unpredictable.
That is, they know about us, but we are not interested yet?
- Of course they do. The facts of the presence on Earth of aliens from other planets - at least during the existence of ancient civilizations - are enough. However, the moment of official contact is not chosen by us. I believe that contact will take place in the next 50-70 years, as soon as our invisible observers decide that we are ready for dialogue.
So isn't it too early for the Earthlings to start developing the language of communication with other civilizations?
- A universal language of communication is a very complex formation, which includes not the alphabet, but words, feelings, terms and much more. When communicating with alien guests, you cannot use sounds, images and words. They can be misinterpreted. There is always a risk that the recipient will understand our peaceful message as a call for aggression or just an insult.
A similar situation arose on Earth, when travelers met tribes in the jungle and tried to explain to them using gestures and words, and eventually ended up at the natives' dinner as a roast. So everything is on time. Developing a universal language is a daunting task, and it takes time.
Developers of the language of communication with aliens are most likely waiting for humanoids to visit. What if reptiles, plasmoids, or even silicon creatures come to us?
- The developed language is aimed at communicating with an intelligent creature, which is recognized as such throughout the Universe. If we can develop a universal language that will allow us to communicate with a representative of one civilization, then with the same ease we will be able to communicate with other intelligent beings. Regardless of the appearance, mode of movement and other differences, they will still understand us. Well, contact with unreasonable civilizations is simply impossible - due to the fact that they will not be able to fly to us.
Is the type of civilization with which contact is most likely known?
- It is hard to say. Most likely, these will be humanoids, which are located from us at a distance of no more than two or three diameters of our solar system.
There is a lot of information that world governments have been communicating with aliens from the stars for a long time and not unsuccessfully. Why then develop a separate language?
- The information that world governments communicate with representatives of other civilizations is still unprovable. But if we assume that communication is taking place, then it is possible that the current developments are nothing more than declassification of a part of the universal language that is used by governments to communicate with aliens. Moreover, the communication of governments secretly from the population of our planet suggests that we are not dealing with a highly developed civilization, but with some kind of merchants. The fact is that highly developed creatures are not interested in natural exchange and secrecy, communication is important for them - both with humanity as a whole, and with individual representatives of our species.
Did you draw this conclusion on the basis of facts?
- Yes, such a conclusion suggests itself, one has only to pay attention to how the growth rates of scientific and technological progress on our planet have sharply increased. Over the past century, we have achieved what we could not have achieved in previous centuries. This suggests that the government was exchanging earthly resources, including human, for some technology from some alien civilization.
The METI project is a continuation of the SETI project, which searches for extraterrestrial civilizations. So SETI tested positive?
- Search (SETI) and transmission (METI) are just two interrelated processes in attempts to establish contact, SETI still did not give any real results. Several signals were recorded that can be attributed to reasonable, not accidental, but nothing more. The new project is an attempt to shout out to other civilizations, thereby initiating them into contact.
How will it look, in your opinion?
- Most likely, representatives of several states will come into contact. It is possible that the contact will take place in the area of the great pyramids or Stonehenge. Most likely, the aliens will not stay long on our planet and will leave it, leaving instructions and means for further communication.
The famous scientist Stephen Hawking scares everyone with the aggressiveness of the aliens. Do you exclude such a development of events?
- The likelihood of military action is excluded. In order to destroy our planet, it is not at all necessary to communicate with us. In general, the visit of representatives of other worlds will launch a mechanism for changing society. The changes will affect all industries and areas of our life. New sciences will begin to develop, which are now not officially recognized. Humanity will take a fresh look at many things. And messages about the arrival of UFOs will be perceived as mundane as the weather forecast.
Interviewed by Dmitry SOKOLOV