Scientist Reveals How Humanity’s First Encounter With Aliens Might Unfold
New York, NY, January 5, 2026 – Editor’s Note: The following story first appeared on the Uniladtech.com website on 12/23/25 by writer Rikki Loftus – the original can be seen here: https://www.uniladtech.com/science/space/scientist-reveals-humanity-first-encounter-aliens-unfold-445301-20251223
A scientist has revealed how humanity’s first encounter with aliens might unfold and it is probably not what anyone expected. While the images of grey intelligent beings zapping down to Earth from their flying saucers might be a popular depiction of aliens in pop culture, it isn’t reality according to experts. Instead, it will be nothing like the stuff of Hollywood movies and instead is likely to be very different.
This is according to Dr David Kipping from Columbia University who has cited the ‘Eschatian Hypothesis’ which argues that the first alien civilization that humanity will encounter will probably be in its final moments. Kipping has said that this is because they will likely be ‘unusually loud’.
As reported by the Daily Mail, the scientist stated: “Hollywood has preconditioned us to expect one of two types of alien contact, either a hostile invasion force or a benevolent species bestowing wisdom to humanity. But the Eschatian hypothesis is neither. Here, first contact is with a civilization in its death throes, one that is violently flailing before the end.”
Kipping argued in a new paper that the first examples of alien life we might encounter may not be typical but instead ‘rare, extreme cases’. This is much like catching a dying star in the night sky, which is easier to spot as they are much brighter than normal stars.
He continued: “So, by extension, we should expect that the first detection of an alien civilization will be someone who is being unusually loud. Their behavior will probably be atypical, but their enormous volume makes them the most likely candidate for discovery.”
The expert also believes that the famous ‘Wow! Signal’, from 1977 could have been a close encounter with extraterrestrials. The signal was a powerful, narrowband radio burst detected nearly 50 years ago by Ohio State University's Big Ear radio telescope, causing the leading astronomer, Jerry R. Ehman, to write ‘WOW!’ next to the printout.
According to Kipping, this signal could have been an alien civilization broadcasting a final scream into the void in an act of desperation.
So, what could cause an alien species to get ‘loud’? It turns out that things like nuclear war can cause a planet to light up brighter, making it easier to detect on sensitive telescopes. Meanwhile, aliens in distress might signal out to the universe in the hopes of getting a response from other lifeforms who may be able to help them.
While extraterrestrial beings are a common feature of pop culture, we are yet to find any proof that there is actually life outside of our planet. Due to the vast expanse of the universe, many experts share the belief alien life is very likely to exist, so if that is true, why haven’t they reached out?
A NASA scientist might have the answer. Astrophysicist Dr Robin Corbet has offered up a new theory known as ‘radical mundanity’, which could explain why aliens haven’t made contact with Earth. According to this theory, alien civilizations that may exist elsewhere in the universe are not significantly more technologically advanced than we are and likely use tech in a similar way that we do.
In a report by the Independent, Corbet argues that aliens likely lack the proper technology or motivation to be able to send out beacons powerful enough to be detected from Earth. While Corbet has said that there is a ‘reasonable chance’ we could one day make contact with an alien civilization, the discovery would likely be ‘slightly disappointing’ because they wouldn’t have any ‘super science’ capabilities like faster-than-light travel.
There are other theories surrounding why we haven’t found any ET civilizations yet, with some being more sinister than ‘radical mundanity’. Another reason why we haven’t had communications from aliens yet could possibly be explained by the Dark Forest hypothesis. This is a theory that suggests that the universe is a hostile place where alien civilizations must remain quiet and hidden in order to avoid being found and invaded by other alien civilizations.
According to this theory, we haven’t heard from ETs because they are remaining silent to avoid detection and potential destruction by other, potentially hostile, civilizations.
By broadcasting our whereabouts, it could be argued that we might be putting humanity at risk of invasion from alien life.
Humanity has been anything but silent though, as back in 1974, scientists sent a message out to space using the Arecibo radio telescope as a symbol of humanity’s technological capabilities. Aimed at a group of stars located a whopping 22,000 light years away from Earth, the message is still yet to reach its destination and it won’t arrive in our lifetime. Instead, it is expected to arrive in a whopping 222 centuries.
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