Bebo hoping to contact extra-terrestrials

12:20 Tue 29 July 2008

According to an article in today's Guardian, Bebo and the production company which inflicted Wife Swap on humanity have teamed up with an intergalactic radio communications expert, Dr Alexander Zaitsev, in the hope of making contact with extra-terrestrial life.

The project, entitled The Message From Earth, will see the good doctor use a radio telescope to beam messages to a planet 20 light years from earth which is believed to be capable of supporting life.

Bebo users will be able to submit their own messages for our little green brethren and vote for their favourites on a dedicated Bebo page which launches on August 4. The top 500 will then be sent to Gliese 581c in the hope of making contact.

It's a novel idea, but in an age in which the public vote has seen the likes of Will Young and Gareth Gates become 'stars' it doesn't bode well for our first contact with beings from another world. Messages such as, 'All right saucer eyes, how's the head after Saturday night?' might just finally see the Vogons decide to destroy Earth to build their hyperspace bypass.