Scientists Worried That We May Accidentally Send Computer Virus To Aliens
A group of scientists working at the UK branch of SETI (the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) have warned researchers to be careful about what digital messages they send out into space in search for alien civilizations. They believe that they could mistakenly send out signals that could cause security problems and be interpreted as malicious software by another civilization’s technology, causing problems similar to a computer virus.
Speaking at the British Science Festival, Dr Anders of Oxford University warned about the possible implications of broadcasting digital messages into space. “The classic example of message would be a series of pulses which showed binary numbers, DNA, sketch of solar system or the number of humans,” he said.
“But it turns out there are some security problems. Languages can hide a lot of information. We’re worried about malware being sent to aliens. I am kind of split on whether it is a good idea. I see some problems. I favor it a little bit more. But I can see it going either way. Some people think we’re already spamming the universe with reality soaps.”
This could cause potential problems for mankind if they do encounter an alien civilization, as any messages sent could actually be considered to be an attack if they prove to have any malware-like effects.
