Typing out a text message while driving is incredibly dangerous, but NASA and other space enthusiasts don’t think sending text messages to an alien planet can possibly bring harm to Earth.
I disagree. The potential for disaster is tremendous.
The Coalition for Space Exploration, in conjunction with NASA and Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, this week broadcast 25,880 text messages to a planet about 20 light years away.
See the blog at the Coalition’s site for the full story.
I have to wonder where the benefit is in this for the human race. Can you imagine if the first contact we have, when it finally happens in 20 years when the message arrives on Giliese 581d, with an alien race is texts? Hell, I can barely understand what people text, and I’m from this planet.
What will these poor people who’ve never met a human think?
My theory is they will consider us a much lower life form, ripe for the picking and immediately launch an invasion fleet.
So, in the end, texting while driving is still very unsafe, but at least it will not lead the extinction of the human race.
