Public Narratives of SETI, Astrobiology, and Signature Detections: Findings and Implications for Science and Risk Communication

The growing international public attention to astrobiology and SETI, combined with the immense costs of space exploration and the potential outcome, the discovery of extraterrestrial life, will likely increase the pressure for public justification and the need to address societal concerns about the risks of searching for, finding, or being found by extraterrestrial life. Understanding these perceptions and concerns warrants a more systematic inclusion of risk communication research in studying pre- and post-detection scenarios. In this presentation, I review the state of research in risk perception/communication as well as science communication research related to astrobiology and (bio/techn)signature detection. Based on three major challenges (social risk amplification/attenuation, misguided risk information seeking, ineffective risk message design), I outline the contribution of risk and science communication theories to future research and institutional preparedness for potential detections of extraterrestrial life.