Have They Been Here?

Although scientific research about biological signs within and beyond our solar system (exoplanets and star systems light-years away) has been conducted for decades, inquiry into technological signs has lagged behind: not because our methodology or equipment is rudimentary, but because we are not ready to accept the possibility of any form of extraterrestrial technology—designed by another civilization—that we are ignorant of until now.

The logic is straightforward. On the billion-year-old planet Earth, humans are the most intelligent creatures who, with their rapid advancement in civilization and knowledge, have brought about breakthroughs in the field of technology, inventing unprecedented tools and continuously modifying existing technologies to deeply understand infinite space. Suppose such an advancement is within our grasp. Isn’t there a possibility that somewhere in this infinitely large space, and sometime during the enormous timescale ranging from billions of years ago until now, there might be another civilization—whose biological signs we are looking for—that has already developed technical devices and—just like us humans—sent them to explore their extraterrestrial zones?

Yes, the possibility is worth considering, no doubt. Then why doesn’t the scientific society talk about or research the detection of tech signatures within our solar system as much as they do when it comes to investigating planets light-years away from ours?

Abnormal phenomena have been recorded multiple times within our solar system, but those were later found to be purely natural after deep investigation. Yet, we cannot rule out the possibility mentioned earlier by counting on just two or three examples. It is as rare for any scientific literature to write about something neighboring our planet as it is common to focus on lives living in distant stars’ solar systems. Furthermore, the non-scientific community is far less concerned about something like the former.

However, an investigation regarding this matter will work in our favor even if its result comes back negative. We can rule out the possibility more confidently if we fail to detect any signs even after deploying all our existing technologies—such as rovers, satellites, and high-tech cameras—to search for tech signatures in the space around our solar system. Therefore, we should not overlook this possibility only because our social paradigm forces us to resist accepting any presence of such objects or technology beside us. We should be strong—for science, for knowledge. Whatever the result is, it would be beneficial in both ways.

This summary is based on Ravi Kopparapu’s essay “Have They Been Here?” (Aeon), which argues for the serious scientific exploration of potential extraterrestrial technologies within our solar system. Main essay link: https://aeon.co/essays/why-were-searching-for-alien-tech-in-the-solar-system