To talk to interstellar strangers or not?

Professor Stephen Hawking has a point: it may not be wise to answer a metaphorical interstellar knock on our doors from spaces unknown. At a time when aliens -- even of our own kind -- are not being looked upon too fondly, responding to a possible if not immediately probable yoo-hoo from mysterious denizens from outer space with unclear intentions could indeed be very risky.

His example of what happened when Native American tribes interacted with Christopher Columbus's lot is well taken. As the physicist says, the aliens may not be nice guys. Moreover, having received or answered our eager electronic hellos, highly advanced extraterrestrial societies could indeed regard us as annoying bacteria, not beneficial probiotic ones, and act accordingly.

However, there is some hubris in the sweeping conjecture that like us, extra terrestrials, especially if from far more advanced worlds, would even be interested in knowing who else is out there. And even if they are, would whatever they garner from our part of the universe actually inspire them to send out expeditionary forces to either befriend or conquer us? The chances are they will decide to not probe any further.

Especially if they are not Beatles fans and did not appreciate NASA sending their eponymous song Across the Universe on a four century cosmic journey a few years ago.