The first episode of famed physicist Stephen Hawking's new Discovery Channel program -- in which he warned that advanced extraterrestrial species likely would pose a serious threat to human civilization -- created a minor surge of reaction.

Here at the IEET we have published two recent articles on the subject. George Dvorsky's strongly reasoned challenge to Hawking and other worriers generated a great deal of interest: nearly more than 20,000 page views, which for us is quite high.

David Brin's piece, in which he urges reasonable caution but mainly advocates more discussion, also received a lot of attention. Brin was even asked to appear on the Larry King Live show where he debated the topic along with Michio Kaku, Seth Shostak, and actor Dan Aykroyd.

So, what do you think? Is the human race foolish to broadcast our presence into space, essentially -- if not overtly -- inviting a visit from an advanced civilization? Should we be prudent and exercise more caution? Or is it all much ado about nothing?

We have just posted a new poll for our readers, asking "Are space aliens a threat to Earth?" We encourage you to cast your vote and, if you're interested, offer some comments.