Scientists have spent years hunting for alien life by listening in on the radio signals that bombard our planet from outer space to see if they can detect transmissions beamed using extraterrestrial technology.
But this search method has a flaw: It relies on what we can easily spot, in other words, radio signals. What if a highly developed alien civilization has figured out a way to communicate instead in encrypted code using particles of light?
This question is not the stuff of sci-fi. In fact, it is at the heart of a recent preprint study that makes the case for expanding our search for extraterrestrial life to include quantum communication.
Quantum communication uses the properties of quantum physics to relay encrypted messages from point A to point B.
This is a technology that aliens may have already conquered.
Ravi Kopparapu, a researcher at NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center, explains to Inverse that scientists typically look for signs of alien technology based on what we have right now on Earth. As quantum communication becomes increasingly sophisticated here on Earth, it would be a good one to add to the arsenal, he says.
“I would say it’s a good way to communicate and send a lot of information to another civilization,” Kopparapu says. “So it’s an interesting idea to propose.”
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