There is an official protocol for the day humanity detects a signal of extraterrestrial intelligence. It was drawn up by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), and it has just been updated for the first time in more than 15 years. This is not science fiction: it is a real document, with concrete steps for scientists to evaluate the evidence, verify it, and announce it to the world in an orderly way.
The point that has generated the most debate is what the text calls the “consensus not to respond”. The rule is categorical: if an extraterrestrial signal is detected, no nation, no space agency, and no scientist may send a response on their own. The declaration makes it clear — transmitting any message back is a decision that belongs to all humanity and must be made only after international consultations through the United Nations.
The question left hanging in the air is inevitable: if they have spent decades preparing this protocol in such detail, what real level of possibility do scientists assign to that moment actually arriving?
