The First Contact with Aliens: Why Humanity Will Only Hear Their Last Scream.

According to ТСН: While astronomers around the world continue to search for signs of extraterrestrial life, one recognized expert has shared his vision of a possible first contact between humanity and an alien civilization. He believes that this moment may look very different than it does in Hollywood movies.

These thoughts are outlined in a study by Dr. David Kipping from Columbia University, which will soon be published in the scientific journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Apocalyptic Hypothesis

According to the so-called apocalyptic hypothesis, the first extraterrestrial civilization that humanity discovers will most likely be in the final stages of its existence, in a state of collapse. The scientist notes that civilizations, like stars, often exhibit the greatest activity just before their impending demise.

“This means that the first aliens humanity encounters will be ‘unusually loud,’” says Kipping.

In his opinion, mass culture has shaped distorted expectations regarding possible contact.

“Hollywood has trained us to expect either a hostile invasion or a friendly civilization that will share wisdom. But the apocalyptic hypothesis does not predict either of these scenarios. In this case, the first contact is a meeting with a civilization in agony, flailing chaotically before extinction,” explains the scientist.

Loudness as a Sign of Instability

Kipping emphasizes that the search for extraterrestrial life should follow the same patterns as other astronomical discoveries. The first discovered objects are often rare and extreme examples.

To explain this, he compares it to the night sky: of the thousands of stars visible to the naked eye, a third are giant stars in the final stages of life, which, although they are in less than 10% of their life cycle, are visible due to their brightness. The same goes for supernovae.

“Therefore, we should expect that the first discovered alien civilization will be extraordinarily loud. Its behavior will be atypical, but it is this ‘loudness’ that will make it the most likely candidate for discovery,” he notes.

This ‘loudness’ can be likened to a loud guest at a party: most people behave quietly, but it is those who create noise that attract attention.

Despite this, such ‘loudness’ has a disturbing explanation. Mature civilizations typically become frugal in their resource use. Like a well-insulated modern home, a healthy civilization should not waste energy.

Thus, the first contact will most likely not be an attempt to communicate with humans, but rather a final call from a dying civilization.

“For example, a nuclear war would generate a massive energy release that even sensitive telescopes in other star systems would detect,” Kipping says.

The scientist believes that instead of focusing on specific star systems, researchers should regularly scan the entire sky, as brief signals or anomalous changes could indicate a ‘loud’ civilization in collapse.

Although this perspective may seem pessimistic, Kipping believes that it could significantly increase humanity's chances of detecting life beyond Earth.

Fermi's Paradox

Fermi's Paradox raises the question: why, given approximately 200–400 billion stars and at least 100 billion planets in our galaxy, has humanity still not noticed any signs of alien life.

This contradiction was formulated by Italian physicist Enrico Fermi in 1950, who stated that with such vastness in the universe, it is strange that no signals or projects of extraterrestrial origin have yet been discovered.

Fermi suggested the existence of some barrier preventing the development of intelligent technological civilizations, which he called 'the Great Filter.'

This filter could be located in the past or could await us in the future. For example, Professor Brian Cox believes that advances in science and technology could ultimately lead to the self-destruction of a civilization.

“Perhaps one cannot manage a world that has the potential to destroy itself. The development of science and engineering may outpace political responsibility, leading to disaster,” Cox notes.

Other explanations for Fermi’s Paradox include the vast distances between civilizations and the existence of the zoo hypothesis, which suggests that intelligent extraterrestrial life consciously avoids contact with Earth.

Thus, the search for extraterrestrial life may require new approaches and an understanding of what signs may indicate such civilizations.