Scientist reveals exactly what our first contact with aliens will be like

While astronomers around the world scan the universe in search of signs of extraterrestrial life, one researcher claims to have a clear idea of what our first contact with aliens will be like.

However, this encounter will be nothing like the “close encounters” portrayed in Hollywood movies.

According to the Eschatian Hypothesis, the first extraterrestrial civilization humanity encounters is likely to be in its final moments, on the brink of total collapse.

The reasoning behind the theory is that, much like dying stars and supernovae, technological civilizations tend to shine brightest just before they fade into darkness.

According to astrophysicist Dr. David Kipping of Columbia University, this means the first aliens we detect will likely be “exceptionally loud.”

In a video posted on YouTube, Kipping explains that Hollywood has conditioned us to expect one of two types of extraterrestrial contact: either a hostile invading force or a benevolent species willing to share wisdom with humanity.

But, he says, the Eschatian Hypothesis fits neither of these narratives.

In this scenario, first contact would be with a civilization in agony, a technological world violently thrashing in its final moments before the end.

In a new paper set to be published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Dr. Kipping argues that the search for extraterrestrial life should follow the same rules as all other astronomical discoveries.

This means that the first examples we discover are not typical of their class, but rather rare and extreme cases.

To understand how this so-called detection bias works, imagine looking up at the night sky on a clear evening.

Of the thousands of stars visible to the naked eye, roughly one third are giant, dying stars in the final stages of their lives.

This transitional phase lasts for less than 10% of a star’s lifetime, and only about 1% of stars in the universe are actually in this giant phase.

However, because dying stars are far brighter than their more typical neighbors, they make up a large proportion of the stars we can detect with the naked eye.

The same principle applies to even more extreme events, such as supernovae — the vast explosions that occur when massive stars run out of fuel and collapse.

These explosions are incredibly rare, with a galaxy the size of the Milky Way experiencing only one about every 50 years.

Although supernovae are extremely rare, astronomers routinely detect thousands of them each year simply because they are extraordinarily bright.

According to Dr. Kipping, there is no reason why our first discovery of extraterrestrial life should not follow the same principle.

By extension, he argues that the first alien civilization we detect is likely to be one that is producing an unusually large amount of signals.

Such behavior may not be typical, but its intensity would make it the most likely candidate for discovery.

This means that the first aliens we encounter may resemble a loud and unpleasant guest at a party: most people do not behave that way, but those who do inevitably draw everyone’s attention.

The picture becomes more troubling when we consider what might cause a civilization to become so noisy.

As civilizations advance, they tend to grow more efficient, wasting less energy and using their resources in a more sustainable way.

Just as a modern, well-maintained house loses less heat than an old and deteriorating one, healthy civilizations should not be emitting large amounts of excess energy.

In this context, the “loudness” of a civilization can be interpreted as a sign of extreme imbalance, often preceding an imminent collapse.

Events such as a nuclear war, for example, would release vast amounts of heat and energy, causing a planet to glow in ways detectable by sensitive telescopes.

Similarly, some scientists have suggested that rapid, human-driven climate change could be observed from afar as a signal of intelligent life on Earth.

Civilizations in total free fall might even begin deliberately transmitting signals into space in a desperate attempt to reach other forms of life.

In this sense, Dr. Kipping has suggested that the famous “Wow! Signal,” detected in 1977, may have been the final cry of a civilization on the brink of extinction.

Rather than focusing exclusively on promising star systems or patiently waiting for coherent messages, Kipping argues that scientists should continuously survey the entire sky.

Brief unexplained signals, sudden flashes, or systems undergoing rapid and anomalous changes could be indicators of a loud civilization in the midst of collapse.

While this may not be a comforting idea, the theory could help guide the search for the first signs of intelligent life among the stars.