Contacting Alpha Centauri B b

Earlier today, we imagined what we might reply to an alien civilization if that civilization contacted us here.  Let’s take that a few steps further.

The message we received was this one:

Greetings humans!  We, the beings of Alpha Centauri B b, would like to establish contact.

In order for us to decide whether or not to continue communications, please answer the following questions as they apply to Earth:

  1. What is Earth’s most important achievement?
  2. What is Earth’s greatest problem?
  3. What is Earth’s greatest strength?
  4. What is Earth’s purpose?
  5. What five questions would you ask us?

Pair up with another student to answer these questions.  They must be answered in complete sentences and in paragraphs.  You can use the internet for research.

  • What kind of information should we send?  Why should we send it?  Should we send anything in addition to the anwers to the question.
  • How would we send it (for example, using a spacecraft, a radio signal, laser beam, or some other means)?  Why should we choose that means?
  • In addition to that information, how should we introduce the planet.  Write out a brief message that would accompany the information, and explain why you think this is a good introduction.

15 thoughts on “Contacting Alpha Centauri B b

  1. 1-Earths greatest achievement was a very very very longtime ago, when all the contents continents where all touching.
    2- Not enough time to live, it doesn’t have an equal level/safe level of elements on the periodic table, but People=Earth’s Death.
    3- Having the properties to sustain life, as long as the planet exists.
    4- Earths purpose was people, figuring out how to survive and conjure problems.
    5- Can you help us save the earth, or take me to you planet if I can live/survive there? Do you live on a planet with every element to sustain life? Are you friendly, or a tending to hurt earth/us? Do you have allies/enemies? How many other planets are there, that sustain life and how far are they from your planet, or mine, and does this planet have any harmful toxins/creatures/elements on their that could harm human life?


  2. i’d say the biggest achievement we’ve gotten is technology because that’s something that we rely on, other than fossil fuels.

    The greatest problem that we have is gun violence, too many guns, very little control. Also, it’s how we use technology, some have more than enough technology, and some have none at all.

    Our greatest strength would have to be communication, we are able to communicate with other people even if we cant speak the same language, we find ways to get our message across to one another.

    Earth has no purpose, it’s the people on it that have purposes and that is to keep the earth running for the further generations, we also want to a good planet.

    What is your planet like?
    What goals do you have?
    What values do you have?
    How do your people live?

    We send these message and these questions through radio.
    We could possibly send sounds of earth’s natural resources.

    Earth is mostly made up of water, most of it is undrinkable.

    We use earth’s resources to benefit the people that live on the planet. There are many humans on earth. We rely a lot on our resources, so we have many of them. Most of us don’t speak the same language, but we find ways to communicate, just how we hope to communicate with you.


  3. One of Earth’s most important achievements is going into outer space. This is because, it gives us a step in the direction to where we can figure out what else is beyond earth’s atmosphere. For example the outer intelligence that we are receiving this message from.

    Earths greatest problem is population, because of air pollution, green house gases and global warming. This is what’s killing earth slowly that will harm the earth in the future and possibly could destroy everything on earth.

    One of earths greatest strength is that we are able to find a solution to almost every problem that comes to us.

    Earths purpose is to sustain life because with our knowledge earth is the only planet in our solar system that has life on it.

    1.What is your number of population on your planet?
    2.How civilized & organized is your planet?
    3.How long has your planet/race been existing for?
    4.What is your race?
    5. How do you survive?


  4. One of earths greatest Achievements is putting a man on the moon. Getting a man on the moon was a symbol that there is no limit. With this symbol is installs hope to everyone. Giving a whole plant hope has to be the greatest achievement anyone could accomplish.

    Earth has many Problems but the one I believe to be the worst is global warming. This is slowly destroying our atmosphere and having climate changing. This is a problem I know we can work through, we can get through anything.

    I strongly believe that the earth in a whole is strong willed, that is are the best trait for us to have. This shows that we bounce back from anything that my hit us, weather its hungry, sickness and greed.

    The purpose of earth is being a care giver. The earth feeds us, homes us, and protect us. The earth has many places where the soil is perfect to farm and it holds many animals to be hunted and eat. Without the earth we wouldn’t be here today, it is our huge house in space. The places we live on this plant protects us from danger that may lie out there in space.

    Now I will like to ask you five questions about you:
    1. How is your planet Like?
    2. Is there anyway you can help us with Global Warming?
    3. Is there anything we can help you with?
    4. Do you needs the same things we do to survive?
    5. Is there away we can send one of us up there to visit you?


  5. 1)Arguably Earth’s greatest achievement throughout time has been sending multiple men to the moon. This achievement served to make us in unison with the universe around us. Aside from reaching the moon, our technological advancement would also be a great achievement; one I’m sure the aliens would take a liking too.

    2) Taking care of the planet would probably be one of Earth’s greatest problems, an example would be pollution, in the air, water, all around us. Global warming would be another problem we have, taking care of the earth is something we have been trying to address in our human history, These problems are rather frequent, for our planet.

    3) Earth’s greatest strength is what came to it naturally. In other words, Earth’s greatest strengths are the water naturally bestowed upon us as well as being perfectly placed from the sun. These 2 factors seem so minor to us, but they are both essential to the humans that live here. Those 2 factors are Earth’s greatest strengths because they are what sets Earth apart from any other planet. No other planet in the solar system can say they have all 3 phases of water, but Earth!

    4)Earth’s purpose, would be to inhabit life, of all forms. An example of such would be, humans, animals, plants, and bacteria.

    5) The main question I would have to ask would be just how these “aliens” found out about us? I would ask if someone else told them or if they used some creative approach to contact us.


  6. 1) We believe that the earth doesn’t have a major achievement. One of the reason that we believe this to be true is, because we haven’t made other interactions with species out side of those that are on earth at this time. Another reason that we believe that this is true is, because no one has made a far enough advancements to rule over all living creatures on earth.
    2) People are earth’s greatest problem. People make technology which causes pollution. People also cause deforestation. Also over populate the earth, which makes us want more of earths resources for food, or to make technology.
    3) Earth’s purpose was people, figuring out how to survive and conjure problems. Hopefully people can help the earth adapt to its problem.


  7. 1) Albert Einstein a German scientist in 1915, summed the theory the mass can warp both space and time which allows large masses like stars, to bend light.
    2) earths greatest problem will have to be pollution for example throwing toxic chemicals, oil, grease heavy metals from urban runoff and energy production.
    3) earths greatest strength is an adventure back to our natural elements, for example exploring the forest, swimming in the sea and mountain streams, getting back in to your elements.
    4) earths purpose is to unite many people for different cultures for a single purpose care for the earth and eliminate the problems of pollution, war, poverty, injustice, and conflicts.

    1) how many years has your planet been around?
    2) do you need oxygen?
    3) do you guys use gravity?
    4)about what is the population in your planet?
    5) do you guys use technology? if so what type and if its more advance then ours?


  8. 1.What is Earth’s most important achievement?
    Earths most important achievement is the discovery of fire. This is most important because it let the human race cook food, as well as use it for light purposes. The discovery led to farther advances in its use. It now has been incorporated in stoves, lamps, trains used fire as well as steam boats.

    2.What is Earth’s greatest problem?
    The largest problems on Earth are world peace and hunger. Our planet has had a rough history with wars and violence. There has never been a time where there was no war. But now it has gotten to an extreme an innocent people are dying. Hunger is the other problem some of our planets countries have a shortage. While others have an abundance and live the high life. We need more support for the countries that suffer.

    3.What is Earth’s greatest strength?
    Our greatest strength is our ability to survive. There have been wars, natural disasters and sicknesses but never has this planet been left with out a single human being. The habitants of earth have always been able to bounce back and resolve their differences in war time. The people of earth have been able to survive for so long cause of their ability to adapt this is the key to our survival.

    4.What is Earth’s purpose?
    Earth’s purpose is to maintain life on earth and make sure it doesn’t not die off and become extinct. As I said our strength is to survive so we want to keep that going. Its our purpose to keep life going and try to better human life. If we maintain life long enough we can discover other beings out there.

    5.What five questions would you ask us?
    Are you guys friendly?
    Are you technologically advanced ?
    Does your food supplies last longer that earths ?
    Do you have water on your planet?
    Do you have star wars?


  9. 1) Earth’s most important achievement thus far was the technological advancement we experienced over the last century. It has aided our people in great measures and has contributed to the general well being of humanity.

    2) Earth’s greatest problem is peace. We have a tendency to resort to war as soon as we face hard times, whether financial or a fight for power; war always seem to be the answer for humans.

    3) Earth’s greatest strength is architecture. Humans exceeded what any other life forms thought we could do. We as a people have created structures 100’s of times larger than ourselves that inhabit thousands upon thousands of people.

    4) Earth’s purpose is to inhabit life and keep it running smoothly. All in all Earth’s purpose is to keep humanity running’ the Earth provides us what we need to efficiently keep running and operating effectively.

    5) What is it like at your planet? What do you look like? And aside from these questions I would like to ask you and your people where you have been as far as the places of the universe you have traveled.


  10. The Earths greatest achievement is the ability to sustain life on earth. The greatest problem on the Earth is the environment considering unstable climate and global warming. The Earths greatest strength is gravity. The Earths purpose is to maintain life.
    The five questions I would ask is how do you maintain your life form? What do you eat? Is there any water source on your planet? How do you age ? how are you not taken away into space considering that you have no gravity?


  11. We should send them information stating our problems of a civilization and how our planet’s atmosphere functions . We should send this information to show our struggles as a society and the conflicts our people face among one another because maybe they would have a solution or information to solve these problems we face. We would tell our atmosphere to see if we could both live on each others planet and survive on each others environment. No we should not give any more information because they might lose interest in our planet and not visit. Also we would leave our self defenseless against a invasion by their planet’s military.

    We should send our message through a laser beam because it would seem like the fastest way of getting to their planet. We would also see which way they send their message to us and see if we have the same resources to reply a message back the same way.

    We would introduce our planet by saying ” Hey extraterrestrials, We our humans trying to also contact another living species from another planet. We live on the planet earth which haves a magnetic force filed around it”

    The reason why this is a good introduction is because it explains how our plant atmosphere is and shows that we our interested in their planet, civilization and their way of living.


  12. 1.The Earth’s most important achievement is the ability of the planet’s life source since earth is the only planet that gives of humans life.

    2.The Earth’s greatest problem is the world wide wars that countries fight against each other and the worlds greatest environment gives up to survive us humans against the solar radiation.

    3.The Earth’s greatest strength is the earths gravity for preventing us not to fall out or to not being pushed down in the ground. Another reason of earth’s greatest strength is the earth’s trees for fighting against the air pollution that factories or cars make.

    4.The Earth’s purpose is to maintain life for people and plants on earth living today.

    5. *What planet do you guys come from?
    *How do you guys live without life oxygen?
    *Is their any water or food source back in your planet?
    *Is their some force that keeps you on your planet?
    *How do you guys feel about living in your planet?
    *Is your planet safe from comets or meteorites?


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