Have aliens already visited Earth? Nasa book suggests that ancient rock art could have been created by extraterrestrials

A new book details the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (Seti)

In it the authors discuss the methods through which we might find aliens

These include searching for signs of life on planets or finding messages

The book details some of the challenges ahead for making first contact

But ultimately the authors say it is something that might happen one day

Each month a new planet is discovered that bears similarities to our own - and it is becoming increasingly apparent Earth is not unique. So it stands to reason that of the billions of Earth-like planets in our galaxy alone, there might be another that hosts life. It’s a thought that is gaining more credence all the time, and now Nasa has released a fascinating book detailing how, or if, we might communicate with some of these worlds.

A new book made for Nasa called Archaeology, Anthropology and Interstellar Communication details the methods through which we might communicate with aliens. Although this artist's illustration is a bit fanciful, the authors suggest that Earth may already have been visited

Some of the most interesting chapters tackle the issue of alien communication in the past, present and future.

In one section, for example, William Edmondson from the University of Birmingham considers the possibility that rock art on Earth is of extraterrestrial origin.

‘We can say little, if anything, about what these patterns signify, why they were cut into rocks, or who created them,’ he writes.

‘For all intents and purposes, they might have been made by aliens.’

The book is titled Archaeology, Anthropology and Interstellar Communication.

It was edited for Nasa by Douglas Vakoch, Director of Interstellar Message Composition at the Seti Institute.

With the help of other experts he tackles a number of topics including the prospect of life on other planets and the means through which we might send or receive a message.

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Comment by Oliviero Mannucci: THE TIME IS RIPE