In 2012, Astronomy ran the article “What happens when we detect alien life?” to address these concerns. Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI Institute, described the science of such a discovery, overviewed SETI detection protocols, and explored the public’s uncertain reaction in that story. Read his thoughts by downloading the PDF.
Astronomy magazine subscribers can download the PDF for free. Just make sure you’re registered with the website.
