Debate on Sending Messages to Aliens

TLDR Elite scientists debate whether to send a message to aliens, with concerns about potential risks and benefits. A Doritos ad, Beatles song, and personal stories are among the messages considered for communication with extraterrestrial life.

Timestamped Summary

00:00 An elite group of British scientists meet annually to discuss the possibility of extraterrestrial life and whether or not they should send a message to outer space, with some arguing that reaching out to aliens is a bad idea.
03:59 An elite group of scientists debate whether or not to send a message to aliens, with some arguing that it could lead to the destruction of humanity while others believe it could potentially save us.
07:45 Scientists are undecided about whether or not to send a message to aliens, leaving a vacuum that others, like Matt Boron and his friend, filled by creating a Doritos ad that was beamed into space and could potentially be the first thing aliens see.
12:07 Messages sent to aliens include an audio recording of a ballerina's vagina contracting, a collection of Russian teenagers' favorite theremin songs, an advertisement for a Klingon language opera, and the entirety of the movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still."
16:09 Martin was able to get everyone on board with sending a Beatles song into space, and when it was played in the launch room at Mission Control, it was emotional and offered hope and comfort to the people who sent it.
20:58 Kelly, a runner who was attacked in a public bathroom, goes viral after posting about her experience on Instagram.
25:14 Kelly receives a variety of emails in response to her viral post, including messages from people who think she should have been carrying a weapon, people trying to promote their products, and survivors of sexual abuse who share their stories or find inspiration in her; overwhelmed by the volume of messages and the constant reminders, Kelly wishes someone could respond to them for her, which leads the host to consider enlisting the help of a hobbyist mediator named Gregory.
29:17 Kelly and Gregory discuss their plan to have Gregory respond to the overwhelming volume of emails Kelly has received, with Gregory offering to take on the emotional load and difficulty of the messages so that they are no longer Kelly's problem, and they work out a system to ensure privacy for assault survivors while still allowing Gregory to respond to their messages.
33:45 Kelly realizes that she doesn't owe anyone a response to their emails and that closure comes from the act of writing the email, not receiving a response.

Browse more Society & Culture