Alien Contact Preparation: A Scenario

Here's how I think I'd do it.

I'd make an announcement that one of our satellites or maybe a SETI program has detected a signal from very far away that has has passed all the tests that indicate it's probably from an intelligent alien civilization. I'd tell everybody that the situation was under study. I'd release recordings of the signal, and ask for help from various scientific organization.

After a year or so of having the data out there cooking away, I'd reveal that the signal was a misinterpretation. Maybe an echo of an encrypted Earth-based signal from a natural object located outside the solar system.

The trick, or course, that it would all be fake. The signal would be prepared by the government, and maybe a couple of scientific groups would be in on it in secret.

The point would be to gauge the reaction of the population to discovery of an alien signal. There really hasn't been a good study done on it. People infer a lot of things from the 1938 "War of the Worlds" broadcast, but that was a dramatization of an invasion in a nation already jittery about the war overseas.

I think such a scenario would be useful to determine possible reactions to a real discovery, and determine public reaction to the disclosure of any information the government might already have. Having some kind of precedent to use as a guide would definitely come in handy in the event of a real discovery, which, depending who you ask, could happen either tomorrow. It may never happen for real, but it couldn't hurt to be ready.

Just wondering what it would take to create a realistic "hoax" like that, and what the reaction might be.

Sounds complicated. I would just let the UN announce that the cover up is over and the aliens are willing to make first contact.

Then TV channels around the world run it on the news, everybody starts talking about it, and a few weeks later its accepted as reality that we are not alone and that they are friendly.

Done. Nobody would frigging panic over it these days, specially if they are informed of the alien intentions to help mankind.

Of course if Bush does the disclosure, it will be pure hell... "aliens have come to destroy us"...bla bla bla.... and another 9 trillion dollars for fighting the aliens and making lots of money.


[edit on 16-10-2007 by Copernicus]

Originally posted by Copernicus
Sounds complicated. I would just let the UN announce that the cover up is over and the aliens are willing to make first contact.

I suppose that would work if there was a real coverup, which obviously is tough to prove if it's properly covered up. But I think something to test the waters would be a good idea either way. It would open a mainstream dialog about the possibility, and if there is a coverup, and it's determined that people would get too freaked out, full disclosure could always be delayed until people get more used to the idea.

And if the bugs showed up in huge ships like in "Independence Day," then it might not be quite as much of a shock, and we could continue going about our lives without the entire planet falling to pieces. Couldn't hurt.