We still don’t know for sure if we’re alone in the universe, and while some people would like to welcome any aliens we might make contact with, others are worried about how defenseless and vulnerable we are in the face of the unknown.

A new study proposed that we use a laser defense system to conceal the entire planet Earth, should any advancing alien civilizations spot our solar system and us in it.

Several prominent scientists have long debated the possibility that intelligent life on other planets – if it does exist – could be doing the same thing we are – looking for life outside in the universe.

One of the most popular techniques is analyzing the way light varies when a planet moves in front of a star it circles. By using this method, the Kepler mission has already found more than 1,000 planets, many of which are similar in size to Earth. These researchers speculate that alien civilizations could be using the same technique and locate Earth.

Moreover, our planet is at the right distance from our Sun, making it an ideal ‘habitable zone,’ which means the Earth is a promising new place for relocation, should anyone need one.

If extraterrestrial life and if does find us, several scientists are concerned their arrival could mean an utter depletion of the Earth’s resources.

So why not find a way to protect ourselves? According to Professor David Kipping and graduate student Alex Teachey from Columbia University, we could use a laser defense system to hide our planet from any unwanted attention (we’re looking at you, aliens).

When and if the laser’s controlled beam is directly pointed at an alien-populated star, it will make up for the difference in light. Researchers believe that “a consistent emission of 30 MW laser for 10 hours once a year could mask the transit signal (dip in light),” at least in visible light.

Roughly the same amount of energy is collected by the International Space Station (ISS) every year. For a chromatic mask that would be effective in all wavelengths, it is required a much larger tunable laser array that’s capable of 250 MW of total power.

Alex explained that we could also cloak the atmospheric signatures that show there’s biological activity on Earth, such as oxygen, which would need only a peak laser power of just 160 kW per transit.

This way, we could make Earth look lifeless to another civilization, should such a civilization be searching for life in the amazing vastness of space.
Image Source: Space