Aliens that visit Earth won't enslave or vaporize us, says E.T. hunter

Washington, May 26 (ANI): Sci-Fi movies like 'Battleship' and 'Men in Black 3' often depict aliens terrorizing our planet.

But veteran E.T. hunter Jill Tarter has said that science fiction is probably far from reality in its depiction of Earth-contacting extraterrestrials.

Tarter, who announced Monday that she's retiring after spending 35 years scanning the heavens for signals from intelligent life beyond Earth, has said that any aliens that visit Earth probably won't want to enslave or vaporize us.

"If aliens were able to visit Earth, that would mean they would have technological capabilities sophisticated enough not to need slaves, food or other planets," Live Science quoted her as saying in a statement.

Tarter's confidence in aliens' benign intentions puts her at odds with famed British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who has warned that extraterrestrial civilzations may venture our way to strip-mine our planet for resources.

"While Sir Stephen Hawking warned that alien life might try to conquer or colonize Earth, I respectfully disagree," Tarter, who is stepping down as director of the Center for SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Research at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, Calif. Said.

"If aliens were to come here, it would be simply to explore. Considering the age of the universe, we probably wouldn't be their first extraterrestrial encounter, either," she added.

Tarter, other scientists and a variety of artists and entertainers will gather next month in Santa Clara, Calif., to discuss such issues in depth. (ANI)