Why? Interstellar travel, Xenolog and civilisational diplomacy

This paper justifies the need to develop interstellar technologies and tools for detecting civilisations, in particular the portable scanner “Xenolog”. It is shown that physical colonisation of other planets by Homo sapiens sapiens is impossible because humans are inseparable from the Earth’s biosphere. Humans cannot adapt to an alien biochemistry, microflora, and immune environment without completely replacing their own biology, which would mean the end of the species. Consequently, the only realistic goal of interstellar travel is not resettlement, but contact and the transfer of knowledge (civilisational diplomacy). Xenolog is not a hunting detector but a risk assessment tool for contact. It allows one to determine the type of civilisation, its activity and potential danger, and to choose a protocol: observation, formal contact, immediate retreat, or avoidance. Without such a tool, any contact would be a lottery, dangerous for both parties. The paper also examines the position of Alexander Belik, according to which humanity is not a genuine civilisation but a “perverted, mortally ill social system”. If there is any truth to this, then the priority should be solving internal problems (ecological, social, ethical) rather than making contact with other civilisations. Therefore, Xenolog should be used not only for assessing external civilisations but also for humanity’s self‑diagnosis. Preparing for contact takes generations, and a technological breakthrough (such as the Belik effect) could happen quickly. The theoretical foundations, classifications, and protocols must be created today.