You read that right, a group of alien enthusiasts are using new technology, i.e. the blockchain, to store alien messages from Mars – that is, if we ever get into contact with them.
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI) in Silicon Valley is one of the world’s most recognisable ‘alien hunting’ organisations who is leading this interstellar mission.
SETI recently introduced a new project called ‘A Sign In Space’, where the group simulated an alien message from Mars, decoded it, and finally stored the decoded message on the blockchain. This is one hundred percent serious, by the way. They transmitted the alien message using the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, a satellite owned by Europe’s and Russia’s Space Agency that’s been in space for over 7 years.
Scientists, astronomers, engineers also came together for a two-hour livestream to discuss the cryptic simulated message, and the importance of documenting alien civilisation.
Alien: They come in pieces (we hope)
Unfortunately, unlike Amy Adams in Arrival, there were no strong actual signals picked up during the livestream, and nobody squared up face-to-face with an alien.
Nonetheless, the simulated alien message was encoded onto the blockchain via Filecoin, a decentralised data storage marketplace. Why the blockchain? This is because a decentralised, distributed ledger is secure and cannot be tampered with – perfect for a historic event, i.e. recording what E.T. is saying to us here.
Besides storing alien messages, the blockchain is also used in many industries, with the most known use case being cryptocurrency.
The alien message is now available on the project’s website for those who are interested in deciphering what little green goblins would be saying to us. Fans of aliens are also invited to submit their own interpretations of the simulated message to contribute to SETI’s ongoing research, which can be done here.
