Astrophysicists Warn of Aliens Hacking Earth’s Infrastructure
There is a contentious, ongoing debate over whether attempts to contact extraterrestrial civilizations are a good idea or not. For those who believe there’s already an extraterrestrial presence on Earth the argument may seem silly, but for researchers at SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, the debate over the safety of interstellar messaging is a relevant one.
A recent paper published by astrophysicists, Michael Hippke and John Learned, explores hypothetical contact scenarios with a highly advanced extraterrestrial race, providing a warning that should be heeded in the event we do make contact.
The two focus on the possibility of a hyper-advanced civilization that deploys a Bracewell probe – an autonomous interstellar probe meant to find life in the universe.
In their paper, Hippke and Learned imagine an extraterrestrial race contacts us with a probe containing artificial intelligence, a ‘galactic library,’ and the ability to learn our language. In their scenario, the existence of this AI messenger is only known to a small group of people, i.e. some government, that keeps it on the moon surrounded by remotely-controlled explosives, in the event it needs to be destroyed to prevent it from contaminating Earth.
The authors warn of the possibility the AI would be clever enough to manipulate humans to bring it to Earth and allow it greater computing capacity by offering us something we desperately desire, like a cure for cancer. It might ask for 10 percent greater bandwidth in exchange, and from there it would continue to hack into our electronic infrastructure and eventually… take over the world.
Hippke and Learned make the very prescient point that for any civilization bent on conquering Earth, this would be a far cheaper solution than sending battleships and heavy artillery.
This somewhat humorous, but entirely possible scenario is hypothetical, but it provides another reason why we should tread softly when attempting to contact civilizations with intentions entirely unknown to us. The idea of making contact with a benevolent extraterrestrial civilization has been romanticized, but if we look at our own species and our predilections for war and imperialism, would we trust us?
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Is Rh-Negative Blood Alien In Origin?
As humans, we believe we evolved from apes, and the Rh factor in our blood even derives its name from the Rhesus Macaque. But when it comes to the antigens in our blood, there’s a small percentage of the population with a strange anomaly, leading some to question if Rh-negative blood is alien in origin.
History of Rh-Negative Blood
Discovered in 1940 by Dr. Karl Landsteiner and Alexander S. Wiener, the Rh factor, named after the Rhesus monkey, is a protein present on the surface of red blood cells. Blood that lacks this protein is classified as Rhesus-negative or Rh-negative.
There are 35 blood group systems organized by our genetic structure, each producing specific antigens—molecules that trigger immune responses. In the Rh system, there are 61 antigens, with the D antigen determining whether blood is Rh-positive or Rh-negative. This sensitive protein can react negatively if it encounters Rh-positive blood.
When an Rh-negative woman is pregnant with an Rh-positive baby, her body may see the fetus as a foreign threat and produce antibodies that attack it, leading to a condition called hemolytic disease. Fortunately, Rh-D immunoglobulin can prevent this reaction, ensuring the safety of both mother and baby.
Rh-negative blood plays a crucial role in blood transfusions and maternal-fetal health, underscoring its importance in understanding Rh blood groups and human genetics.
