Jan 09, 2026 14:00:00

The theory that advanced extraterrestrial civilizations communicate through light, like fireflies

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is a dream of humanity, but advanced extraterrestrial civilizations do not necessarily communicate in the same way as humans. A paper published on the preprint server arXiv on November 8, 2025, proposed the hypothesis that 'extraterrestrial civilizations may communicate by glowing like fireflies.'

[2511.06139] A Firefly-inspired Model for Deciphering the Alien
https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.06139

Could Advanced Civilizations Communicate like Fireflies? - Universe Today
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/could-advanced-civilizations-communicate-like-fireflies

Advanced alien civilizations could be communicating 'like fireflies' in plain sight, researchers suggest | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/space/extraterrestrial-life/advanced-alien-civilizations-could-be-communicating-like-fireflies-in-plain-sight-researchers-suggest

SETI has long been searching for extraterrestrial civilizations similar to humans by analyzing radio waves received by radio telescopes to search for transmissions from extraterrestrial life, and by searching for Dyson spheres , megastructures that encase stars.

However, some scientists believe that SETI efforts suffer from an anthropocentric bias, meaning that they seek out non-human civilizations from a human perspective, potentially overlooking the existence of aliens who have developed completely different civilizations from our own.

In response to this, a paper published by a research team including Arizona State University and the University of Colorado proposes a new hypothesis: 'Extraterrestrial civilizations may communicate by glowing like fireflies.'

Fireflies periodically emit light caused by chemical reactions in their bodies, and use these light patterns primarily to find mates. While these light patterns are simple, they help different species of fireflies distinguish from one another. The research team claims that similar light patterns may be used by extraterrestrial civilizations as a signal to let them know they are there.

To test this hypothesis, the research team analyzed more than 150

pulsars , celestial objects that rotate at high speeds and emit regular electromagnetic radiation, looking for ones with characteristics that differ from typical pulsars.

Although they found no evidence of alien signals, the team noted some similarities between the electromagnetic radiation of pulsars and the light patterns of fireflies, suggesting a way to detect alien signals in natural celestial bodies like pulsars in the future.

This paper is a reminder for those searching for extraterrestrial civilizations: just because humans don't use a certain method of communication doesn't mean aliens do. Continuing to rely on existing hypotheses and observational techniques could lead us to miss signs of extraterrestrial civilization.

'Communication is a fundamental characteristic across lineages of life, and it manifests itself in a surprising variety of forms and strategies,' said Estelle Janin , co-author of the paper and a doctoral student in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University. 'Our study is a provocative thought experiment, intended to spark a more direct connection between SETI and animal communication research, and to systematically leverage each other's insights.'