The first contact with aliens may be a loud cry in the dark: a new hypothesis.

According to ТСН: The first contact of humanity with extraterrestrials may not be at all what it’s portrayed in movies: instead of a friendly greeting, it could turn out to be alarming and tragic.

This idea was expressed by astronomy associate professor David Kipping from Columbia University in his new scientific article.

eschatological hypothesis

He proposes an eschatological hypothesis that humanity will likely meet not a stable and highly developed civilization, but rather an unstable one that is on the brink of extinction.

Kipping believes that mature civilizations may remain unnoticed by us, leaving no obvious traces in space. In contrast, civilizations experiencing a crisis may send out powerful signals that we are capable of detecting.

The scientist draws a parallel with astronomical observations: initially, humans noticed bright, rare phenomena such as supernova explosions or exoplanets in pulsar systems, which are not common in the Universe.

“The first confirmed detection of another intelligent life could be the result of the existence of an unstable, temporary, but extremely ‘loud’ example,” Kipping notes.

Temporal anomalies

He also emphasizes that in the final stages of development, a civilization may use a significant part of its energy and become aware of its judgment. At that point, this civilization may actively send signals into space in an attempt to be heard.

Kipping believes that the search for extraterrestrial intelligence should focus not only on stable signals but also on sharp and short-lived anomalies that may arise and disappear within a short time.

Therefore, the first contact with extraterrestrials may not be the beginning of a dialogue, but rather a “loud cry in the dark,” indicating the tragedy of a disappearing civilization.

Moreover, scientists express suspicions regarding the possibility of life in the subsurface ocean of Jupiter’s moon Europa. Israeli physicist Yosef Ashkenazi from Ben-Gurion University assessed the surface temperature of this moon, and researchers believe that life may exist in the subsurface ocean of this celestial body.

Thus, Kipping's proposed hypothesis, if confirmed, could significantly change our understanding of the possibility of first contact with extraterrestrials. These new perspectives may open new paths for the search for extraterrestrial life and help us understand why we have not discovered it yet. Also, interest in Europa as a potential place for life under new research remains extremely relevant.