--- title: "Oxford Scientist Worried NASA Project Will Attract “Hostile” Aliens" description: "Not everybody is thrilled about the idea of giving away our location to extraterrestrial civilizations, who may be listening in." date: "2022-04-19" modified: "2022-04-19" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/oxford-scientist-nasa-hostile-aliens" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Exobiology" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "aliens" - "extraterrestrial civilizations" - "first contact" - "the digest" --- # Oxford Scientist Worried NASA Project Will Attract “Hostile” Aliens ![Not everybody is thrilled about the idea of giving away our location to extraterrestrial civilizations, who may be listening in.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* ## First Contact Some scientists are eager to make first contact with extraterrestrial civilizations — if there are even any out there. Last month, for instance, a team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory [published ideas for an updated memo]() to broadcast to potential aliens, a "binary-coded message" that "has been developed for transmission to extraterrestrial intelligences in the Milky Way galaxy," according to [their study](). But not everybody is thrilled about the idea of giving away our galactic location. In fact, some experts believe it's extremely risky business. Anders Sandberg, a senior research fellow at Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute (FHI), [told British newspaper *The Telegraph*]() that sending out a message "has such a high impact that you actually need to take it rather seriously." Sandberg likened such a message to "a postcard saying 'Wish you were here.'" Besides, "the poor aliens might already be getting various messages sent for all sorts of reasons," he told the newspaper. ## Wish You Were Here Sandberg and his colleagues are calling for public discussions before broadcasting our location to any extraterrestrial civilizations that may be listening in. "These dangers are small, but poorly understood and not yet well managed," Sandberg's colleague at the FHI Toby Ord wrote in a 2020 book called "The Precipice" on the topic. "The main relevant question is the ratio of peaceful to hostile civilizations," Ord wrote, as quoted by *The Telegraph*. "We have very little evidence about whether this is high or low, and there is no scientific consensus." "Given the downside could be much bigger than the upside, this doesn’t sound to me like a good situation in which to take active steps toward contact," he argued. **READ MORE:** [Broadcasting Earth’s location could provoke alien invasion, Oxford scientist warns]() \[*The Telegraph*\] **More on aliens:** *[NASA Scientist Creates New Message for Aliens, Including Human DNA]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()