The Accidental Altruist: Inferring Altruism from an Extraterrestrial Signal

Abstract

This chapter discusses the likelihood of an alien race concocting and transmitting a computer virus to Earth, and explores the possibility of determining the intent of an extraterrestrial signal using the Prisoner’s Dilemma as a framework. The fundamental question we must ask ourselves is this: How do we know whether the beings sending us the signal are friendly or hostile? Other questions follow from this premise: Is the signal meant as a greeting? A lure? A Trojan horse? Is the signal itself intended to disrupt our technology or society? Are any of these consequences possible despite the intent of the sender? Through an exploration of the costs and benefits of altruism, the author will attempt to answer these and other questions. The act of signaling will be explored separately from the content of the signal itself, and the impact of intent on each will be addressed.