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This intentional astrobiological signaling typically involves embedding digital communications in powerful radio signals and transmitting those signals out into the cosmos in an explicit effort to make contact with extraterrestrial others. Some who criticize METI express concern that contact with technologically advanced extraterrestrial life could be seriously harmful to Earth or humanity. One popular response to this critique of messaging is an appeal to causal impotence sometimes referred to as the \u2018Barn Door\u2019 Argument\u2014we are already engaged in many other detectable activities not intended for cosmic communication. If the Barn Door Argument is correct, then those who engage in messaging arguably have a moral excuse. They are permitted to continue messaging because there is no point in abstaining. I develop three ways in which the claim of causal impotence in the Barn Door Argument could be understood. I evaluate each of these in turn and demonstrate that only one is appropriate to contemporary messaging. However, this interpretation does not generate the moral excuse on which the proponents of the Barn Door Argument rely; thus, the argument fails. Finally, I entertain and respond to candidate objections.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1007\/s10676-024-09751-z","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,6]],"date-time":"2024-03-06T06:01:55Z","timestamp":1709704915000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Intentional astrobiological signaling and questions of causal impotence"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"26","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4233-6739","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chelsea","family":"Haramia","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"9751_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.2307\/1354221","volume":"20","author":"L Alcoff","year":"1991","unstructured":"Alcoff, L. (1991). The problem of speaking for others. 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The barn door argument, the precautionary principle, and METI as prayer\u2014An appraisal of the top three rationalizations of for \u201cActive SETI.\u201d Theology and Science, 17(1), 16\u201328.","journal-title":"Theology and Science"},{"issue":"7","key":"9751_CR4","first-page":"260","volume":"73","author":"T Cortellesi","year":"2020","unstructured":"Cortellesi, T. (2020). Reworking the SETI paradox: METI\u2019s place on the continuum of astrobiological signaling. Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, 73(7), 260\u2013267.","journal-title":"Journal of the British Interplanetary Society"},{"key":"9751_CR5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/acprof:oso\/9780199665655.001.0001","volume-title":"Climate change and the moral agent: Individual duties in an interdependent world","author":"E Cripps","year":"2013","unstructured":"Cripps, E. (2013). Climate change and the moral agent: Individual duties in an interdependent world. 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