In her recent interview with Journalist Martin Wein, published on 29th of December 2024 in the General-Anzeiger Bonn, our Fellow Chelsea Haramia is shedding light on the “time after discovery”, focusing on ethical responses to alien technology and communication.

Haramia advocates for proactive thinking to avoid moral missteps, emphasizing that any rational, autonomous being—alien or not—deserves ethical consideration.

While contact could bring risks, such as hostility, it also offers transformative possibilities. Haramia stresses the need to learn from Earth’s history of hierarchy and oppression to approach this encounter responsibly.

Her work with the SETI Post-Detection Hub develops protocols for handling such scenarios, emphasizing the importance of consensus and ethical foresight. Even without contact, these discussions deepen our understanding of ethics on Earth.