First contact with aliens could end in colonization and genocide if we don’t learn from history

Three Indigenous studies scholars draw from colonial histories and explain why listening for alien life can have ethical ramifications.

By: David Delgado Shorter, University of California, Los Angeles; Kim TallBear, University of Minnesota, and William Lempert, Bowdoin College, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: October 5, 2026

Words: 1,453

Last Updated: 1 week, 5 days ago

Body Text Preview

By David Delgado Shorter, University of California, Los Angeles; Kim TallBear, University of Minnesota, and William Lempert, Bowdoin College

When Christopher Columbus first came ashore in the Caribbean in 1492, he made first contact with what was, to him, an unfamiliar world. While his journey took place on ships rather than spacecraft, across an ocean rather than the cosmos, it can offer a cautionary tale for first contact of a modern, extraterrestrial kind.

Several …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

About

FAQ

Email Us