Contact Paradox: Challenging our Assumptions in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

When humanity makes contact with another civilization on a different planet, it will prompt questions about our nature, where we come from, where we are going, and who we are in the cosmic context of things. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) has found no evidence of extraterrestrial life, but researchers are transmitting more messages into space to provoke a response.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 18 March 2021
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

When humanity makes contact with another civilization on a different planet, it could be a transformative event that changes our understanding of the universe and our place in it. In 1974, a message was beamed towards the stars by the giant Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico, designed to alert extraterrestrial civilizations to our existence. While we don't know if such civilizations really exist, a small cadre of researchers has been on a quest to find out as part of SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

Despite more than a hundred billion stars in our Galaxy alone to search, SETI has found no evidence of extraterrestrial life so far. However, the silence from the stars is prompting some researchers to transmit more messages into space, in an effort to provoke a response from any civilizations out there that might otherwise be staying quiet.

The act of transmitting raises troubling questions about the process of contact. In "The Contact Paradox," author Keith Cooper looks at how far SETI has come since its modest beginnings and where it is going by speaking to the leading names in the field and beyond.

SETI forces us to confront our nature in a way that we seldom have before. It asks us questions about our origins, our destination, and our place in the cosmic context of things. This book considers the assumptions that we make in our search for extraterrestrial life and explores how those assumptions can teach us about ourselves.

Making contact with another civilization on a different planet could have profound implications for our understanding of the universe and our place in it. It could lead to new discoveries about the nature of life, the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence, and the future of humanity. It could also challenge our assumptions about the nature of reality and the possibility of other universes.

However, the process of contact could also be fraught with danger and uncertainty. It could lead to conflicts between different civilizations, or to the destruction of both civilizations. It could also raise ethical questions about the rights and responsibilities of different civilizations in the face of contact.

In conclusion, the possibility of making contact with another civilization on a different planet is a fascinating and exciting prospect. While the process of contact could be fraught with danger and uncertainty, it could also lead to new discoveries and a deeper understanding of the universe and our place in it. It is important that we approach this possibility with caution, respect, and an open mind, and that we work towards a future where contact with other civilizations is a positive and peaceful experience.

Weight: 234g
Dimension: 129 x 197 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781472960450