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

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

First of all, I know that they are already here and it's nothing new to me. The "official" First Contact won't affect me at all. Of course I would be concerned whether or not they will be hostile, but I also assume that the First Contact/Second Coming/etc will be a gathering of many extra terrestrial representatives of many allegiances.

I also know that humans will be prepared for the "official" First Contact, so it won't create mass panic.

[edit on 23-5-2008 by Spooky Fox Mulder]

I have always been extremely fascinated in ufos, aliens etc. since as long as I can remember 30+ years. But I can never get the enthusiastic responses from others when I discuss the topic. I get the same responses as others such as " What does it have to do with me?" I'm floored when I hear this.

If I were a "youtube" film director I can imagine a news story with a Nasa official denouncing any possibility of other life in the universe. All the while, in the background ships are crashing in an "attack from mars" type fashion. People running and screaming while those funny aliens are shooting at people. But yet the news report goes uninterrupted and the Nasa official continues on babbling that there are no such things as flying saucers.

Back on topic, I think the majority of the Western hemisphere would get over it rather quickly if it were suddenly proven that we are not alone. We has humans tend to adjust rather quickly to any situation.

To some, alien life means there is no God.

To others, alien life encourages the notion of God.

So it would mean an enormity of things to each and every one uniquely. And I feel it would create a whirlwind of ruckus across the globe.

What I mean is, religious zealots would be very active in certain, lesser educated places on the globe. While in the industrialized nations, people may panic or cause disturbances. Definitely would be what everyone is talking about. It would be bigger than the moon landing .. bigger than our first moment in space.

reply to post by amongus


I don't doubt there's some kind of life on Mars, probably nothing more then bacterial, wether we will find it is another question. However I'm fairly confident there's nothing intelligent there. Regardless, I think if we get evidence of life it will be a big deal for all those Ufologists cause they will finally be able to say, look life exists out there so it's not that much of a stretch that advanced intelligent life exists in other places in our universe that could/have visited Earth. Right now, most people laugh, especially in the media at these people.
For me personally, I'd be happy cause I've always believed that life is universal...
As for the average person, well life goes on as usual..

I think it would be pretty cool if aliens were proven to be real, of course as long as they are friendly. To think of them being hostile makes me frightened.

It would be fun.

Do you think there would be drama? Like, for example instead of people being upset over interracial dating, they would be upset about inter-special dating?

Would make a great new neighbor on wysteria lane.

..

All joking aside, I think it would be exciting and I would enjoy it! (of course that is if they are friendly)...

if they are hostile.. idk

First the world was flat, then we were the center of the solar system, eventually we were just a speck in an immense universe. Perspectives change and life goes on. Most people would probably think "Oh cool." then go back to American idol, or watching sports.

Well attendance to churches, mosques, and synagogues will increase. And sales of alien action figures will skyrocket. Putting the funny aside...sorry..we all assume that the human race is rready because we have been so smothered with documentaries, specials and news reports of possible alien life in the universe. This couldn't be further from the truth. Most of the people on here and alot of people throughtout the world wouldn't be shocked , but the majority would. As much as we would like to make it sound like most of humanity KNOWS and AGREES that there is life out there...the truth is they don't, because of religious zealots, false scientific ideals and just really bad IDEAS. If it happens I have a REAL serious fear that humans WILL go the way we have always...ATTACK THE UNKOWN!.

If it is simple life forms, it will probably not mean much except for the enthusiast.

A positive proof of intelligent alien life, as in aliens landing in the middle of New York telling debunkers to "debunk this" will be quite different.

The average person might be fascinated for a while and go on with their lives but the governments will probably be in a state of fear and confusion. Government reaction to an intelligent alien presence will probably affect the average person more than the aliens themselves.

I really doubt the fact that we can al live a normal life after this discovery. I also doubt we will be able to live in peace with these creatures. Humanity has suffered through racism, discrimination and long wars in the name of religion. We are the most violent and the most selfish creatures in nature. Why would another life want to be sucked into our own dramas on earth at the moment. We are definitely going to fear creatures who are more intelligent than us because as far as we know at the moment, we are the most intelligent life forms in the universe.

Personally, I think any discovery of life besides the life on this planet will be huge! Not only does it knock a certain aspect of society down a peg, but it could have the power to humble the world as well as destroy it. Like most people have said, it really depends on their intentions. But, it also depends on what kind of stance the governments take.

If it's merely a discovery of bacterial life frozen in the poles of Mars, it won't be too horrendous. People will be most interested, of course, but it will merely be a bump in the scientific community. However, if we have contact with an intelligent species, more intelligent than our own, we might have serious complications, but thankfully, at first, the majority of the world will be too shocked to do anything. Especially if it's revealed that everything we think we know about existence is completely wrong.

Call me cynical, but I would expect to see lots o' riots in the bigger cities and probably mass-suicides/deaths in the more wide-spread areas.

It would mean absolutely nothing if life was found out there. It would just mean that there is or was other life in the galaxy besides us.

The implications of finding life outside of our biosphere are huge, even if it's just a bacteria. We've always been led to believe that people, and the Earth, were a special product of God - something unique in all the Universe - something special.
Life existant elsewhere completely kills that ages-old notion.
The Catholic church has a hideous history of manipulating doctrine, that's what didn't suprise me about The Vaticans announcement last week. Adapt or die, I guess. I think the main problems that would be encountered are only if it came down to alien life being sentient. That would really screw a lot of people up; especially if they already had religion! Even worse scenario is, what if they take the conversionist stance of the Catholics, and start trying to convert Earthlings? Any threat to the Catholic or Muslim power-base is going to result in extreme hostilities.
The same could be said if aliens were resource hungry. Governments won't like that at all. That said, it could also work in their favor if they can use it as a bargaining chip.
I have my fingers crossed that aliens won't be religious.
I could imagine the Vatican getting them to lie about it anyway - "Just say you're Catholic, and we can work out a great deal for your people....what do you say?" WOuldn't suprise me at all :|

Hey Nasa has already said that the lander might not stand the impact, they're already priming us by planting that thought. Cause we all know that we won't get any information from it, they will say that it malfunction or some other crap, then start receiving the hidden from the public photo's that only a few previlaged few will see.
We all know there has been and probably still is life on Mars, not to mention the backside of the moon.
If Nasa screws us again, all funding for Nasa should be cut off.

reply to post by RSheafer


That's kinda tough on NASA, considering all attempts to land on Mars has resulted in a 55% failure rate. Are you saying NASA needs to be 100% successful to keep it's funding? ALso, this is an experiment in landing a very large craft on legs, not airbags. They're relying on thrusters to get this thing landed, as it's too big for air bags. Any future manned mission will depend on them being able to land a craft via thrusters.
I for one have my fingers crossed everything will go well, regardless of wether we ever see any of the data it collects.

reply to post by amongus



That's sad that you can't converse with your spouse on such a subject.

She's distracted anyways. Just remember to bring home a paycheck and remember..."The best things in life aren't things!"

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.

I doubt that those who truly believe in God would have to re-examine their beliefs... Because those of us that have "found" God, KNOW that God is real...

Anyone who claims to 'believe' says so, because there is still an element of doubt in their minds.

A good friend of mine, taught me that when one comes to know God, you have no doubt in your mind about God.

As such, through my search for truth and fact, I have learned to accept that God is so powerful and infinite, that there is more than likely going to be life on other planets. Otherwise He would have made a rather dull and empty universe for us to explore... In addition, I do not for one monent, believe that life is as 'straight forward' as we are led to believe.

It is my opinion that life (and intelligent life at that) has evolved more than once on this planet. I also reckon that some of that intelligent life once left this planet, and colnised other bodies in our solar system. Then for some reason, that life was extinguished. I am only regretful that our governments do not see that we should explore the areas of interest at Cydonia in more detail, and so on...

But as an often quoted part of the Bible says; eventually "there is nothing hid that shall not be laid bare"...

One day mankind will know all, and our eyes will really be opened on that day. I just hope that I am around to see it.

reply to post by cruzion


Why is it hard on NASA? You cannot tell me that with all of the launches in a year, that there are 'top secret' ones that the public has no knowledge of. Further, NASA as a publicly funded organisation, should NOT have so much bloody secrecy about its missions, and operations.

The public has a right to know what NASA is up to, and it is almost impossible to get straight answers from the organisation.

I would also say that many of these 'top secret' launches are looking at signs of life in our solar system right now!

reply to post by amongus


if they find something it would not surprise me at all...when you know you know..

things are not as basic as it seems...life is way more complex than most people realise

..it's about nature,love,understanding,etc.


i wish i could expalin what you want to know,but you just need to realise it yourself or maybe someone else is better at letting you know.

i would suggest listening to this series....
www.youtube.com...

or

www.youtube.com...



[edit on 24-5-2008 by Skipper1975]

even if they dont see anything,they should say they do

we need to get the ball rolling on life

i heard that at no time were our astronauts ever alone while in space...on every mission there were crafts watching them

reply to post by dampnickers


Firstly, NASA is a government funded institution. It has nothing to do with the public. Where did you get the idea it was a publicly funded institute? By your same logic, the CIA and FBI and Pentagon are all also publicly funded, so we should also know everything that they do too, huh?
You complain about NASA being this introverted, suspiciously invisible entity....Yet all the worlds space administration departments are like this. You make it sound like NASA is an exception, which it isn't.
I'm sure all the other space administrations would love to get their hands on NASAs' research and engineering data.
That would be your tax dollars doing really good work, huh?
I speculate that the secret missions are most probably putting up military equipment.