Astronomer Royal tells ‘cranks’ to stop writing to him about aliens
Lord Rees issues plea to refrain from contacting him, as any extraterrestrial life will be nothing like us
IF YOU have been abducted by aliens, the Astronomer Royal would not like to hear about it – Prof Lord Rees has urged “cranks” to stop writing to him.
“I get letters from people who say they have been abducted by aliens, they have met them. I respond with cynicism saying, ‘Is it really likely that if the aliens had made an effort to get here, would they just have met one or two wellknown cranks and gone away again?’”
If extraterrestrial life does exist, Lord Rees said, it is not likely to be in the form of little green men.
“If we do detect something, it is not likely to be flesh and blood. It is far more likely to be an electronic entity.
“It is unlikely to be synchronised with us – it could be a million years ahead of us,” he told the Hay Festival.
And if we do make contact with aliens in a distant galaxy, conversation will be impossible because there will be light years between us.
“There is no scope for rapid repartee,” Lord Rees said.
He also predicted that humans who settle on Mars, as Elon Musk plans to, will become a race of cyborgs within a couple of generations.
Lord Rees said: “Let’s imagine by the end of the century there are little communities away from the Earth. By that time, genetic modification and cyber techniques will be far more advanced.
“One hopes they will be regulated here on Earth but these intrepid explorers on Mars will have every incentive to modify themselves. They will use all these techniques to adapt themselves and within a generation or two they may become a different species, a mix of flesh and blood and robot.
“So a scenario for the next millennium could be that some of the progeny of the pioneer Martian explorers will become cyborgs.”
The idea of a non-human race is not at all far-fetched, Lord Rees said: “Most of us, unless we live in Kentucky or somewhere, know we are the outcome of four billion years of evolution.”
Lord Rees said Mr Musk’s vision of mass emigration to Mars was a “dangerous delusion”. “It is a doddle dealing with climate change compared to terrafirming Mars,” he said.
“The phrase ‘space tourism’ should never be used because it will never be risk-free. It should be called ‘space adventure’ for people who like high risks, people who like hang gliding.”
The 79-year-old also told the audience that the wonder of the moon landings is lost on the younger generation.
“I have been fascinated by space since childhood and I am old enough to remember Neil Armstrong’s ‘one small step for man’ in 1969,” he said.
“For my students, the idea of men on the moon – so futuristic to my generation – is ancient history.”