How do you think the world would react to confirmation of Alien life ?

32 comments

  6. Probably try to attack them. Then try to have sex with them. Then we would forget about them with the next news cycle.

  9. A very large number of people wouldn’t believe it even if the evidence was right in front of them and completely undeniable. About an equal number wouldn’t care. The rest would somehow try to monetize it, and probably succeed.

  11. It depends on the circumstances. Are these aliens here? On their way? Did we receive a radio signal from 400 light years away? Do they know about us? Are we talking UFP or Vogons? Big difference.

  12. Based on the events of recent years, a lot of people’s main concern would probably be how it impacts the economy/stock market.

  13. Intelligent alien life?

    That would really depend on if they had the ability to travel here or not.

  14. Exactly the way we reacted when the US military confirmed the existence of UFOs. “Neat. What else is on TV?”

  15. Mass chaos. Would be similar to War of the worlds with Tom cruise. Back in the days of radio HG Wells broadcasted War of the worlds without disclosure it was fiction and people went nuts! Look it up. That’s an awesome book btw.

  18. Half of people would react in a normal way, the other half would wait for their reaction and take the opposite stance.

  19. Pretty sure the reaction for most people would be almost nothing. Most people believe that life exists somewhere else in the universe already, so they’ll all think they were smarter than the scientists who discovered it.

    The most likely confirmation we would have would be something like discovering algae growing in Martian permafrost or some sort of simple bacteria on Europa. It’s not going to be Klingons or Vulcans. So while a lot of nerds and biologists are going to be wetting themselves, most of the population will have lost interest by the end of the week.

  25. The first alien life we discover will most likely be bacteria found in ice. I think it would be a pretty cool thing people would make small talk about and then forget about quite quickly.

  27. In today’s world, I expect most people to be like the idiots that went to the top of the building to “greet” the aliens in the movie Independence Day. Then they all get blasted into oblivion.

  28. Non-sapient alien life: scientists would go nuts, expeditions would be funded to view and bring back samples if possible, the space program would be reinvigorated if not, and common people would post A LOT of speculative articles where armchair theorists would ponder on what that meant for the possibility of intelligent aliens.

    Sapient/intelligent aliens, discovered accidentally (no “first contact”): scientists would go nuts, the space program would be reinvigorated, a number approaching infinity of cults would be formed worshipping the “superior beings”, and there would be a host of articles, documentaries, etc. on what the aliens were like.

    Sapient/intelligent aliens, “first contact” situation, peaceful: material/technical advancement the likes of which we’ve never seen before. Aliens intentionally share (or unintentionally reveal, by mere dint of their presence) various social and technical artifacts that become useful in improving quality of life for humanity. Reactionary contingent of humans arise, become violent, feeling that the aliens are trying to enslave us or weaken us as a species; minor wars ensue. Massive numbers of cults arise. Former social/political/racial tensions lessen.

    Sapient/intelligent aliens, “first contact” situation, invasion situation: humanity loses. There is no possible way for humanity to defend itself from a species that is intelligent and long-thinking enough to traverse interstellar distances (if faster-than-light travel is impossible), or has technology able to defy our known theories on the laws of physics (if FTL travel is possible). Humanity is either destroyed, becomes a slave race, or it and its planet is used for material, depending on the reason that the aliens are invading.

  29. Evangelical Christians would deny it at first. I guess a lot of it would depend on the circumstances of that confirmation. Fossils on Mars would be received quite differently than a prime number radio sequence emanating from a distant star.

  31. The world would go insane. Then, if we survived, we’ll all get along great in case they attack us while we’re warring amongst ourselves.

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