What does discovery of alien life mean to the average person?

I was talking to my wife about the upcoming Phoenix Mars lander event this weekend, and she brought up a question that was so basic that I never REALLY thought about it. Her response was simple:

"Why should I care if they find life up there in the ice? It won't effect ME."

I looked at her and stumbled for an answer. It totally caught me off guard since she tolerates my fascination with anything involving UFO's, space or EBE's but has never asked one question about it. I told her that it would turn the world on its side knowing that life extends beyond our planet, not to mention the world's idea of "God" would have to be re-examined. I wanted to delve into it more, but I really was at a loss to come up with the exact reasons why the average person SHOULD care if any form of life is found. .either now or in the future.

Help me out, I'd be interested in knowing what your opinions are on this. What would your response be?

I already accept that there is life beyond Earth. I also strongly suspect that we are not the masters of this planet that we like to imagine we are, and that there is a hidden race living here with us. This hidden race may in fact be indigenous however. Then there is also the possibility that perhaps we are the aliens. I have entertained the idea that humans perhaps originated on Mars, and colonized Earth after destroying the Marsian habitat.

I do not allow my ego to interfere with the logic that the universe is probably teeming with life.

But in the end, I will still be speechless when the day finally comes that the hard evidence makes the truth abundantly obvious.

Originally posted by amongus
I told her that it would turn the world on its side knowing that life extends beyond our planet, not to mention the world's idea of "God" would have to be re-examined.

Times are changing amongus. Specially now with the Vatican Announcement that it's "OK" to believe in ET's.

Castel Gandolfo, 14 May (AKI) - The Vatican’s chief astronomer has said that there is no conflict between believing in God and the possibility that life exists on other planets.

“Why should we not talk about an extraterrestrial brother, just as we consider earthly creatures as a brother, and sister? It would still be part of creation,” said Father Jose Gabriel Funes in an interview with the Vatican’s official newspaper L’Osservatore Romano.

Funes interview was part of a report in the paper entitled “The extraterrestrial is my brother.”

He outlined how the search for forms of extraterrestrial life are not a contradiction to a belief in God.

Source: salvationrevelation.com...

As far as an average persons reaction goes - I believe many more people than we imagine will react exactly like your partner. Then there will be those that say, "Oh - I've always believed that", then continue on with their day. Sadly there will be those that will go smash a shop window, steal a Plasma TV & some Womens Lingerie - then throw themselves off a cliff... LOL... Oh well, no major loss there!

Perhaps it's just us 'talking-it-up' and it will be an anti-climax when it does occur? Who knows ehh!

IRM

It is funny that I also was talking about this to my wife the other say and her response was something along the lines of:

1. If they come here hope they come in peace because if not we need to grab the shotgun and head to the mountains.

2. But if they come in peace at least I (her) would be glad if they tell our world leaders to get their act together because if not they would take over..

Then I ask her like how would she feel if we are told that there is alien life to what she gave me they most awsome answer:

COOL!!!

reply to post by amongus


Funny enough, I get the 'What difference does it make to me', and the 'I don't care' responses quite often when I talk on the subject. Perhaps it is just an attempt at shutting me up, or people really do not care.

I don't think there is anything one can say (that would have any effect) in situations like these. I think it stems from the fact that most people are caught up in modern day life, and are focusing on other things. I think it has to do with a limited imagination with which one can comprehend this. I personally believe an imagination is key when it comes to this subject.

Maybe we can blame the secretive governments for taking away our power of belief

When I read the replies here I get the impression that when humans find extraterrestrial life its going to be huge. When I say huge I mean more intelligent more civilized, stronger and perhaps dangerous.
The chances are, if we find life in our solar system its going to be either the beginnings of life or the endings of life,. Whichever way in my opinion it's going to be similar to bacteria, if not actual bacteria.

This discovery to the average person (somebody who is not interested in space, ET or the like) will mean nothing, or very little. If somebody tells the world “We have found life on Mars, it's a bacterial lifeforms that live off the rock 6 feet under the surface of Mars” then who is going to loot a shop?
Even to religion, it will only mean that god has created life elsewhere. Religion and science always manage to tie in together.

What it means to me: If life was found, be it bacterial or other I would be over the moon as long as it wasn't a threat to humanity. I don't know why I'd be happy, I just would be.

So ultimately, the discovery of basic life will mean nothing to the vast majority unless the discovery has major ramifications for humanity itself, which it probably wont short term.

Cheers,
Jab0rnal

A very good reason to care would be for our own safety.I think what people need to realize is that with any species be it animal,human,alien etc there is good and bad.What if the bad has every intention on attacking or even wiping us out?

I think the most important thing that we need to find out about the other life forms is what their intentions are with us.The problem with this world and us as a species is the "i don't care" attitude.You really should care because things could turn very serious very fast.

reply to post by xXMakaXx


I see your point, and it is a valid one. It's important to know where we stand with foreign species.
But let's say hypothetically that they are up there minding their own business, and the world is informed about this. Apart from knowing, how would life change?

I think Jab0rnal is more or less accurate in his thoughts. We still have some serious problems to deal with on our turf. The existence of Aliens will ultimately mean different things to different people.

Unfortunately they aren't up there minding their own business.They are here minding ours.If they were up there just playing golf or something and never came to our planet then it wouldn't be much of a big thing to any of us.

The exciting thing about an advanced life form would be what we can learn from them.Look at all the technology we have thanks to them.What i find most disturbing is the fact that people get excited when a new species of animal is found or even the fossils of a dinosaur that we never knew existed but yet could care less if we find advanced life forms.


Here's something i think about.What if these life forms could help us prevent certain diseases or maybe even extend our lives?Bet people would care then.

I guess my point is that we could obviously learn quite a bit from them and i guess learning isn't as popular as it used to be since 80% of the population seems to know it all as it is.

On the other hand i wouldn't be too excited if they turned out to be a species that was crawling around different planets looking to conquer them or even use us for food.Either way i think we should care because in the long run it will affect us in some way due to the fact that they have been here,are currently here and we have no idea why.

reply to post by InfaRedMan


Heh, I think the Vatican also made mention that the aliens might not yet know of Jesus, and that only humans have had the whole Jesus 'thing'. In the far future, if there still is a Vatican, I'd make a bet they'd be sending space missionaries to convert the heathen aliens.

But I don't think the average person cares, at least if it doesn't impact them directly. Everyone is too preoccupied with mortgages, fuel prices, yadda yadda, I don't think something so fundamental to us as a species wouldn't mean all that much.

Sorta sad in a way, but I think that is what it'd boil down to.

[edit on 23-5-2008 by mattguy404]

Originally posted by xXMakaXx
The exciting thing about an advanced life form would be what we can learn from them.Look at all the technology we have thanks to them.

What have we learned from "them". Is it too difficult to believe that we have advanced by ourselves. Look at the long term human advancement, from Roman times and before to now, is all this alien technology? I don't think so.

I would like to know specifics Maka. Cheers, J

It's very difficult for me to believe that we have advanced that much.I believe there were some quotes from scientists stating that we have had "help" developing technology.I hate to say this and state the obvious but we aren't as intelligent and advanced as we would like to believe we are and the evidence to that is everywhere.Look how we act,behave and think.

Our main downfall and extinction will most likely be something we have caused or done.Do you call that intelligent or advanced?

That's so funny, and exactly what my wonderful good ole' Mom keeps saying to me after I make her watch a new video or UFO documentary

She's said things like "I can understand why the U.S. government covers it up! And I think they SHOULD!" Which just floors me. Then she talks about all about the 1940's, about how life was so rough during WWII, with the rationing of sugar, coffee, among other things and talks about the mentality of people back in the 1950's.

And she asks me all the time..."Why do you care so much about UFO's? What will it change for you if the government held a press conference today and acknowledges it?? What would it change?? It won't change one thing at all in the scheme of things."

Is she right? I haven't a clue, but it's amazing to hear someone say that and I guess she represents someone who believes in UFO's, thinks like your "average Joe-ette" and could care less that the government, military and whoever else has covered it up. Interesting.

It would cause a sensation immediate aftermath of such an announcement or discovery, but in the short-term, it wouldn't matter to the average person. They still have to go to work, get their kid to their little league game, worry about the bills, and so forth. In the long-term, some of the discoveries and advancements that science would make would filter into our daily lives, but the changes would be so gradual we would not notice them as they happen.

@Maka-
I don't know why its difficult for you to believe, I'm not being ignorant I would just like to know why.
Some people act, behave and think inappropriately on occasions, and some people do it all the time. Some people would be completely useless when or if asked to design something to rectify a problem.
Ask me how to stop a sky scraper from plummeting to the floor in the middle of an earthquake and I wouldn't have a clue. If humans face a problem more often than not there is some intelligent person that has the answer. You cant deny that just because the likes of me and you cant do that.

The fact we have the ability to blow our selves up or melt the ice caps and drown or cause other environmental disasters doesn't mean we are intelligent, of course not. It makes us arrogant to our own development. On the other hand a non-intelligent animal, say a slug (sorry slugs), hasn't got the mental capacity to spoil the environment or blow itself up. Therefore we do have the intelligence to have advanced to where we are now, or at least some of us do and I probably wouldn't include myself in that group of people.

Still, you haven't commented on which technology we use that is alien.

Sorry I have digressed from the original posting question.

All the best,
Jab0rnal

[edit on 23/5/2008 by Jab0rnal]

I would be more than happy to discuss this further with you but we probably shouldn't hijack this persons topic.Feel free to make a thread to discuss this in and i will do so.

reply to post by xXMakaXx


Well said Maka I respect your point there.

However, I don't feel there any any objects in todays society that are alien so that kind of rules me out of starting a thread of that nature.

So with the risk of throwing that straight back at you, if you start a thread of that nature I will enjoy the discussion.

All the best,
Jab0rnal

[edit] - I couldn't actually find any discussions like that on the forum......

[edit on 23/5/2008 by Jab0rnal]

reply to post by amongus


Great post(Starred and flagged),we need to re-examine this "issue"of disclosure every once in a while.Hey nice avatar(those are the Grey's that always scared me most of all,lol)

I think that alot of people would have the"Oh well"reaction AFTER the initial SHOCK of actually seeing live Grey(example)with a government official on live TV.I mean think about it for a second,you know for some minutes after seeing no-doubt proof and a live,living alien you would be speechless.

Overall I think the majority of the planets population will accept it and move on-I think we are advanced enough to accept the fact that we are not alone.Ofcourse there will be some who will make a bigger deal out of it than needed,but overall I think it would be an evet similar on scale of the Moon landing-well a little more serious,but not much IMO.

Rent the movie "The Gods must be crazy".
Some thoughtless soul tosses a Coke bottle from a small airplane, only to be found by an indiginous tribesman who has never seen glass, never mind a bottle, thinks it to be a gift from the Gods, and all hell breaks loose.
My point being we don't really know anything, as smart and/or savvy as we think we are. Their simplicity is our profundity.
As mentioned in another thread, we are ants in comparison to whatever intelligence is flying these things.
That is why I want to know what is going on.
WE are not ants, and I believe disclosure would have a major impact across the industrialized world.

When you look at what happened to indiginous cultures confronted with a more technologically advanced culture it's no wonder people exepct extra-terrestrial life to make a big impact on Earth.

If (when?) humans make contact with intelligent life I expect it would most likely turn out to be a battle, with the winner being the most aggressive and adaptable species.

But of course, as has already been raised, it really depends on what's discovered. If we find some single celled organisms it's hardly the same is if we made contact with a planet inhabited by intellegent beings who claimed to be humans that fled the Earth 200,000 years ago and have since evolved to suit the conditions of their new home planet.

I'm not saying either of these scenarios is going to occur, just making the point that the answer would be , that it depends on what the 'alien life' would be and how the contact would be made.