Extraterrestrial Self-Reproducing Probes May Already Be in the Solar System
According to research by Professor Alex Ellery of Carleton University, extraterrestrial self-reproducing probes could have already visited the Solar System and may even be functioning there right now. To confirm his hypothesis, Professor Ellery recommends that future SETI research pay attention to the distinctive technological signatures left by such probes. This information was reported by ScienceAlert. Photo from open sources.
In This Article:
- Carleton University Professor Explores Self-Reproducing Robot Technologies
- Motivation for Self-Reproducing Devices: Survival in the Cosmos
- Self-Reproducing Probes Move Faster, Use Fewer Resources and Require No Complex Life Support
- Technosignatures and the Six‑Stage Approach to Exploration
- A New Chapter in the Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Carleton University Professor Explores Self-Reproducing Robot Technologies
Alex Ellery is a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Carleton University and specializes in the study of self-reproducing robot technologies. The researcher suggests that sending self-reproducing devices could serve as the most efficient means of interstellar travel and colonization of space by advanced civilizations. Such devices could traverse vast distances by reproducing themselves and spreading their presence across the galaxy in a short time.
Motivation for Self-Reproducing Devices: Survival in the Cosmos
The main motivation for sending such devices is to ensure the survival of the species in the face of threats arising from stellar evolution or potential aggression by more advanced civilizations. Studying space will yield valuable data and help assess risks and opportunities for civilization development.
Self-Reproducing Probes Move Faster, Use Fewer Resources and Require No Complex Life Support
Probes built on the principle of self-reproduction would be able to move faster, consume fewer resources, and not depend on complex life-support systems required by biological organisms. This means that the only limitation on their travel would be the availability of construction materials, such as asteroids, comets, and other objects within a planetary system.
Technosignatures and the Six‑Stage Approach to Exploration
The process of exploring the system includes six stages. According to the researcher, such activity would leave traces of activity (technosignatures) that we can attempt to detect. For example, lunar samples with unusual ratios of radioactive element isotopes could indicate past probe activity. Ellery's research represents a new direction in the search for extraterrestrial life, focusing on specific technical signatures and possible traces of alien exploratory devices within the Solar System.
A New Chapter in the Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Humanity faces the prospect of revisiting its research strategy and actively seeking evidence of extraterrestrial beings among the celestial bodies we know. Perhaps, humanity will soon be able to confirm or refute the existence of traces of intelligent life beyond Earth.
