Alien contact: peace or annihilation?

Would we get Spielberg's open hand or immediate extermination?

In 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (1977), the alien steps out of the ship and extends a hand in a gesture of peace. Almost half a century later, the question remains whether an advanced civilization would treat us that way. The available data point to two opposing camps: the optimists believe in cooperation; the skeptics hold that any contact would miccionan our end.

Spielberg's gesture versus the dark forest

Spielberg's film suggests that a technologically superior culture need not be hostile. However, a widespread view among analysts is the so-called 'dark forest hypothesis': a civilization that contacts us would perceive us as a threat to the galactic ecosystem and wipe us out without hesitation. They argue that the absence of signals so far is itself proof that silence is the only safe option.

The three contact scenarios

Some divide the possibilities into three: a peaceful civilization that helps us evolve; another peaceful one that, faced with our belligerence, ends up annihilated by us (and we keep its technology); or a civilization as selfish as humanity's that exploits us as a resource. None of the three is particularly flattering for our species.

The generational ship dilemma

A less discussed aspect is that of generational ships. If we sent one to Alpha Centauri and found intelligent life, we could neither turn back nor colonize. The reverse scenario – an alien ship arriving on Earth – poses the same problem: why would they come if not for something that does not benefit us? Logic suggests that the most valuable resource for an interstellar civilization would be information, not conflict.

The Klaatu Barada Nikto key

In the classic 'The Day the Earth Stood Still', the phrase 'Klaatu Barada Nikto' served as a password to prevent destruction. Perhaps we need something similar today. With the current resources of the SETI program and exoplanet detection technology, contact could be imminent, but we still lack an agreed protocol. The image of Spielberg's outstretched hand remains the best metaphor for what we hope for, even though the data suggest it will most likely never happen, and if it does, it will not be so kind.