It would be sensible for our most brilliant scientists to spend their time trying to understand what would be contained in those encyclopaedias, and the current scientific debates would be replaced by debates of interpretation. In effect, our scientists will have become theologians, trying to interpret a text handed down from on high. If we detect an ET signal, the civilisation sending it is almost certainly at least millions, or more likely a few billion, of years in advance of ours. The impact on basic science Premises There are unknown discoveries waiting to be made. These can be discovered by the researcher with the right skills, equipment, insight, or persistence.
Every new discovery made is added to the store of human knowledge.
Succeeding generations build on the discoveries of those that came before them. Basic science is driven by curiosity, but most of our major technological breakthroughs come from this curiosity-driven science rather than targeted or strategic science. How to do good science after the detection Best to find out what the other civilisation has already discovered. Replace scientific debate by debates of interpretation.