If We Recovered an Extraterrestrial Vessel, Would We Only Be Able to Pilot It?

In the military context, it is frequently used when a country captures an enemy plane, a missile or advanced electronic equipment. For example, during the Cold War, the United States and the USSR analyzed opposing technologies to catch up or improve their own systems.

This process is also common in industry. It allows companies to decipher software, electronic circuits or even drugs, in order to reproduce innovative features.

But what if we should apply this method to extraterrestrial technology?

Understand the unknown

One of the first obstacles to the retro-engineering of an artifact of extraterrestrial origin would be to identify the primary function. Unlike an object designed by humans, there would be no user manual, no reference point known to guess its use.

However, Jasen Sappenfield, engineer specializing in the analysis of complex systems, recalls that the intention of design is essential: we always start by wondering “what is this object for?”. In the case of a non -human machine, the answer could be completely out of our understanding. Perhaps it is a device with a purpose which has no equivalent in our civilization.

In addition, such technology could be based on unknown scientific concepts. We ourselves find it difficult to master certain advances such as controlled nuclear merger. If a machine is based on a system of propulsion or energy still out of the reach of our knowledge, it would be impossible for us to reproduce it, or even to understand it.

Materials beyond our capacities?

Another major challenge would reside in the very composition of the materials used.

Retro-engineering often begins with an in-depth analysis of metallic alloys, molecular structures or electronic components of an object. But what to do if the materials discovered are completely absent from the periodic table as we know it?

Robert J. Stango, specialist in materials engineering, notes that each object is examined on a atomic scale to understand the properties. If extraterrestrial technology is based on nanostructures or unknown materials on earth, this would take a serious obstacle to their reproduction.

Not to mention the fact that these materials could be manufactured according to processes that we have never developed. A striking example is the advent of composite materials and carbon nanotubes, which were unimaginable only a century ago. An extraterrestrial artifact could be built from principles outside our current reach.

An insurmountable barrier: physics

Even if we manage to understand the structure of an extraterrestrial vessel and its materials, there would remain a fundamental challenge: the underlying physical laws.

Professor Philip Voglewede recalls a fundamental principle: engineering is an application of the laws of physics. If an object is based on a science that is unknown to us, we would be unable to recreate it.

Take the hypothesis of an antigravitational propulsion machine. Today, our knowledge of physics tell us that antigravity is not possible according to our current understanding of the universe. If such technology existed, it would necessarily imply a rewriting of the fundamental principles that we use to design our own devices.

In this case, simple observation would not be enough: it would first be necessary to understand the new laws of physics on which the object is based.

The secret around this research: why so much mystery?

If a retro-engineering program for extraterrestrial technology really existed, it is legitimate to wonder why no formal evidence has been made public. Several reasons could nevertheless explain this silence.

Access to advanced technology would notably give a major strategic advantage. If a country managed to master revolutionary propulsion, an infinite source of energy or an impenetrable defense system, it could indeed dominate its rivals and upset the global geopolitical balance. In this context, a government would have every interest in keeping these secret discoveries in order to prevent other nations from taking advantage of them. Uncontrolled disclosure could also trigger a frantic race for the appropriation of this technology, increasing international tensions and the risk of conflicts.

The official announcement of the recovery of an extraterrestrial vessel and the existence of a non -human intelligence would also cause a deep upheaval in our societies. Beyond curiosity, such a revelation could generate anxiety, even panic, in particular in the face of the idea that technologically superior beings observe us or visit us. Certain religious institutions and life philosophies would also be questioned, because this would force humanity to redefine its place in the universe.

Finally, the discovery of an extraterrestrial origin technology would question many scientific foundations. Our laws of physics could be incomplete or erroneous, forcing researchers to rewrite certain theories. Such a revolution would require considerable time and resources to be integrated, explaining why the authorities could choose to keep these advances secret until their full understanding.

An out of reach challenge?

Even with the best resources and the most brilliant minds, it is possible that we are simply incapable of understanding, and even less to reproduce, a technology resulting from a more advanced intelligence.

If such research really exists, it must be extremely complex and limited by our own knowledge. Perhaps we have already discovered fragments of superior knowledge, but are we only ready to understand it?

As it stands, we can only speculate … or wait a scientific breakthrough which could one day allow us to unravel these mysteries.

Source: Popular Mechanics