Exploring the universe and searching for signs of life have always been fascinating quests for mankind. A seemingly eccentric idea would be to create Art specially designed to be interpreted by non-human intelligence.
To address this question, researchers, exobiologists and artists would formulate hypotheses about the senses, perceptions and artistic motivations of these beings, then ask artificial intelligence to generate works of art based on these hypotheses. AI is a tool that can help us push back the boundaries of our understanding and create new and unprecedented works of art.
Creating messages for extraterrestrials may not be so eccentric, since a team, the “METI International” (Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence), founded in 2016, brings together a global community of researchers in natural sciences, social sciences, humanities and arts to design messages for extraterrestrial intelligences and investigates the means of transmission.
It’s worth noting that this initiative is taken very seriously by Starfleet‘s highest authorities, since the fictional character Captain Christopher Pike is on board.
The seventh art, i.e. cinema, perhaps gives us the most food for thought on inter-species communication, with masterpieces such as “Encounters of the Third Kind“, Carl Sagan‘s “Contact” and Denis Villeneuve’s “First Contact“.
Once this message has been conceived by the consortium, how can it be broadcast, and on what medium?
Carefully modulated radio signals can be used, as in The Message from Arecibo, which was a unique radio transmission designed to communicate information about Earth and Humanity. The message was conceived by astrophysicist Frank Drake and transmitted in the direction of the Messier 13 star cluster.
Another exciting project, the Breakthrough Starshot, could provide ideal support. It envisages the creation of ultralight robotic micro-spacecraft weighing just a few grams. These nano-crafts will incorporate miniaturized electronic components, including cameras, photon thrusters, state-of-the-art power, navigation and communication systems. For propulsion, phased arrays of lasers (combined) from the ground will send their photons towards an extremely thin light sail, only a few hundred atoms thick. Thanks to this revolutionary technology, a space mission could reach Alpha Centauri in just over 20 years.
We could also exploit high-power lasers to emit light signals to other star systems, and even target gravitational lenses to reach other galaxies. METI International’s Optical SETI does the opposite, searching for brief but powerful laser signals from extraterrestrial civilizations.
Other futuristic methods of communication would be the use of gravitational waves or entangled particles, provided that quantum entanglement works at very great distances.
Ethics
These messages to other stars raise important ethical debates.
For some, like astronomer Alexander Zaitsev, the transmission of information into the cosmos is considered one of the urgent needs of an advanced civilization. Failure to meet this need, or forced withdrawal into self-imposed isolation, could lead to the extinction of civilization.
For others, like Liu Cixin in her science-fiction trilogy entitled “The Three-Body Problem”, the dark forest hypothesis dominates. Like hunters in a dark forest, an extraterrestrial civilization can never be certain of the true intentions of another extraterrestrial civilization. The extreme distances between stars create an insurmountable “chain of suspicion”, with two civilizations unable to communicate to dispel mutual distrust, so the first civilization to detect another will be driven to pre-emptively destroy it to avoid the opposite risk. This desire of galactic civilizations to remain hidden would explain Fermi’s paradox.
This question may seem abstract, since the chances of receiving a message launched into the cosmic ocean are minimal. However, if we discover that the probabilities of reception or contact are higher than expected, this question would become far more central. Nevertheless, since this precautionary principle has been flouted by numerous attempts, we may well ask ourselves whether it has become obsolete.
In short, this reflection invites us to ask whether art is universal or dependent on human culture. The dissemination of these works in space represents a form of cosmic archaeology, prompting us to reflect on the durability of Art across time and space. Interweaving Art into our messages can enable us to share the best of humanity. Artificial intelligence can act as a bridge, helping us to push back the frontiers of our understanding to create links beyond our current imagination.
Main picture: Image by Peace,love,happiness from Pixabay