--- title: "Astronomer Warns Against SETI: “Maybe They Will Come and Eat Us.”" description: "In a new interview with The Times, University of St. Andrews astronomer Martin Dominik cautioned against sending messages into the unknown of deep space." date: "2019-02-09" modified: "2019-02-09" authors: - name: "Jon Christian" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc" url: "https://futurism.com/astronomer-warns-against-seti-maybe-they-will-come-and-eat-us" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Exobiology" - "Space" tags: - "aliens" - "dark forest" - "SETI" - "space" --- # Astronomer Warns Against SETI: “Maybe They Will Come and Eat Us.” ![In a new interview with The Times, University of St. Andrews astronomer Martin Dominik cautioned against sending messages into the unknown of deep space.]() ## To Serve Man For decades, scientists have used radio telescopes to listen for cosmic signals that could originate with an extraterrestrial civilization. Increasingly, they're also broadcasting messages to the stars in hopes that someone is listening. But in a [new interview]() with *The Times*, University of St. Andrews astronomer Martin Dominik cautioned against sending messages into the unknown of deep space. "Maybe," he told the paper, provocatively, "they will come and eat us." ## We Come in Peace The Arecibo Observatory beamed out a message to potential aliens [in 1974](). Next year, scientists intend to [send a signal]() to the stars representing the period table of elements. In 2008, the maker of Doritos chips [shot a 30-second advertisement]() to a system in the Ursa Major constellation. And we're constantly beaming radio waves of old music and sitcoms in every direction. "Anyone can just beam messages into outer space, and nobody has any right to stop them from doing it," Dominik told *The Times*. "Some people feel uncomfortable about it. For the first time astronomers are facing an ethical question. Should we send messages out to others? Is this dangerous? Should we keep a lower profile? What is the better strategy?" ## Last Thing Dominik's comments allude to the terrifying "[dark-forest theory]()," which holds that astronomers haven't spotted extraterrestrial signals because other civilizations are hiding from killer aliens that wipe out any galactic competition they spot. "Some say \[alien contact\] is the greatest thing we should do," Dominik told *The Times*. "Some think we should be very quiet and this should be the last thing we should do — and it might indeed be the last thing we will do." **READ MORE:** [Don’t invite aliens to lunch, warns astronomer Martin Dominik]() \[*The Times*\] ***More on aliens:*** [Yes, a NASA Scientist Said Aliens May Have Visited Earth. But There’s Some Nuance]() ## Author I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()