Don’t Be Afraid of Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence | Douglas Vakoch | TEDxNormal

Dr. Vakoch is President of Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI). As astronomers launch ambitious projects for Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence, alarmists worry that transmitting intentional radio and laser signals into space may provoke an alien invasion. These critics overlook one fundamental fact: it’s too late to hide. Any extraterrestrial civilization capable of coming to Earth to do us harm already knows we’re here through the accidental radio and television signals that have been streaming out from our home world over the past century, travelling at the speed of light. Rather than cower in our corner of the universe, we should grow up and reach out, sending a clear message that we want to make contact with other intelligence in the cosmos. Dr. Douglas Vakoch is president of METI International, a nonprofit scientific organization that transmits powerful, intentional radio signals to nearby stars, in the hope of eliciting a reply. As an elected member of the International Astronomical Union and the International Institute for Space Law, he explores the scientific and societal dimensions of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, or SETI. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx