Prepare for an alien invasion
It was only a couple of weeks ago that Stephen Hawking was warning us to be careful about looking for alien life. He feels that finding alien life is a dangerous proposition.
“If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn’t turn out well for the Native Americans,” he said. “We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet.”
A valid point, perhaps, but a theoretical discussion at best. Since they left the planet after helping build the pyramids (sarcasm, please note), mankind has been watching the skies for visitors through increasingly powerful means of technology. To date, nothing can be confirmed. Thus, Hawking’s warning is largely a point philosophical debate.
Or is it?
Voyager 2, one of the furthest man-made objects from Earth (the other being Voyager 1), has suddenly, after 33 years and travelling over 8 billion miles into space, started sending back messages in a new format scientists cannot decipher.
According to the Associated Press, Voyager 2 sends back two streams of information — scientific data and engineering data. The engineering data, consisting primarily of the status of the space probe, continues to broadcast regularly. The scientific data has mysteriously changed into an unknown format.
Obviously, it is the work of aliens. Because, you know, a computer should be able to run continuously for three decades with out a malfunction.
Ask German academic Hartwig Hausdorf (yes, a real name; yes, a bit of a fringe author and UFO believer). He claims the strange messages from Voyager 2 are due to the fact it has been taken over by extraterrestrials.
He told the German newspaper Bild: “It seems almost as if someone has reprogrammed or hijacked the probe – thus perhaps we do not yet know the whole truth.”
If that is the case and our German crackpot is correct, Hawking was right. Aliens are not very nice: our first conversation with them, and it’s a crank phone call.
We were all warned, back when Star Trek: The Motion Picture came out.
With any luck at all the first humans they stumble into will be at a tea party extravaganza. It would be a win/win situation.
“No intelligent life here…returning to home planet.”
Because, you know, a computer should be able to run continuously for three decades with out a malfunction.
I’m lucky to go three days.