Scientists suggest protocol for messaging to aliens

[Ichingcarpenter]

snip


In their study, which will be published in a future issue of Space Policy, the researchers say that a METI protocol should provide constraints and guidelines for factors such as signal encoding, message length, information content, anthropocentrism, transmission method, and transmission periodicity. Currently, there are three antennas that have the capability of transmitting messages to planets anywhere in our galaxy; these telescopes are located in Arecibo, Puerto Rico; Goldstone, California, US; and Evpatoria, Crimea, Ukraine.

snip

The scientists also emphasize that searching for and attempting to communicate with extraterrestrials is as much about understanding ourselves as it is about finding aliens. Once a protocol is developed, the researchers hope to test it in different human cultures throughout the world in order to minimize cultural bias and make the message as universal as possible. The researchers also plan to create an interactive website at which users can create, send, and decrypt messages to each other that follow the protocol. The researchers explain that, even if most of these messages are never sent into space, they will still allow people from different cultures to better appreciate our human diversity.


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http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-02-scientists-protocol-messaging-aliens.html

[xchrom]

1. i think they should send out and ask for recipes and cleaning tips. nt

[txlibdem]

2. Recipes like "How To Serve Man?"

Stephen Hawking would be shocked to hear you say things like that! ;-)

Cleaning tips would be very helpful: "hey, mister bug-eyed monster, how do you remove 500 years of Capitalism from the face of your planet?!?!"

[xchrom]

3. ...

:spray: