Aliens will never invade us...heres why!

So all this talk of aliens invading, it comes up a lot and usually causes a good debate.

I want to pose some reasons why they WON'T invade us, and why its so unlikely.

I would like to break it down in to the main "arguments" about why they would come here, and choose to wipe us out, and finally why they won't

The main cause of an invasion that comes up the most is "resources". They need some resource that only the earth has got, and we are in the way. Not a chance. Lets see what resources we have:

Oil: I dont think aliens would want this, firstly we arent even a class ZERO civilization. That requires the harnessing of an abundant, "unlimited" energy source thats non-polluting...any alien that came here would have to be a "class 2" civilization, and certainly wouldnt use oil. Additionally, its not got enough calorific value for anything like space travel, is messy, "difficult" to use, and well, its running out

Water: Nope, theres water everywhere, and even if there wasn't its easy to make, you burn hydrogen and oxygen...again a "class 2" species would know this. If you cant be bothered with that, just fly to a couple of nebulas, theres a few that have TRILLIONS of times the amount of water on earth, just floating about...easily harvestable.

Minerals: Better, but still probably unlikely, and alien species that advanced would certainly be able to mine any number of planets, asteriod belts and other mineral resources without having to deal with us.

Human Slaves: Really?? You are an advanced species and want to have smelly, lazy, biological beings that you have to feed and water to do your hard work....just build some robots!

Next, they need a new home.

This is at least plausible, and it is of course possible that the earth is the only (aside from thier home planet, and whatever happened to that) planet within travelling distance that can support life and thats suitable for them. Personally I think there many planets out there like earth, maybe even common, and that we just haven't found them yet.

If this was the case, I would imagine that we would be contacted first, and attempt to work out a deal to co-exist, you wouldnt come blowing up the very planet that you wanted to live on if it was the only one in range, that would be rather idiotic!

I know that we kick this ball of rock and water on a daily basis, but thats not even a spec compared to the destruction required to rid it of humans and would result in an un-inhabitable planet....hmmm

"They just want a fight" Ive heard a few times, and its easy to side step. Any aggressive species that just wants to go around having a fight isnt even going to get to a "class 2" status required to travel around the galaxy/universe etc They would wipe themselves out way before that level of technological achievement was even close. I strongly believe that us, as a species has at most 100 years left in it without some major shakeup and wake up, we are too aggressive and that is going to be our downfall.

So what if one of the above (aside from they wanted a fight) was true, and they came, bearing arms, wanting to kick our ass? If I was an alien, I would be thinking twice, wrong millenium!!

The time to take this planet, if you were an alien species has been and gone, and the only other chance of doing it is when we have probably killed ourselves. 1000 years ago, it could have been done, less population, zero weaponry (unless you REALLY want to count bows, arrows and rocks), the populous would have bowed down believing they were Gods.

Today though, different story, I read all the time that "super advanced technology", yeah, great, but unless you have the power to change the laws of physics, a xxxMT (add as many numbers as you want, H-Bombs are unlimited) nuke going off 10 meters from your "mother ship" is going to give you a bad day, and unless said mother ship can sit in the middle of the sun and not get a tan, sorry, go home.

Despite all of our incapabilities, one thing I would consider us advanced at for our age is weapony and reaking havok. We have every kind of destructive vehicle imaginable, incredibly accurate missles, nuclear weapons that can burn the world in an instant....the rules of engagement and tactical manoveurs don't change wherever in space you are from, and we are well versed in war!

We, humans, are the hooligans of the universe, and woe betide anyone that wants to have a bust up!

i usually just ignore the "invasion imminent" threads... people just want to feel special... "oh no the aliens are comin' to get us!"...yeah right, because we have so much they want and need... if you can travel interstellar space you can probably just create most of what you need out of "thin air". If not, there are plenty of planets more rich in minerals than our own, and with no resistance.

plus, killing species is a human trait, we might be the only ones in the universe who are this violent. I'ts possible.

im definitely not going to start fearing whats in the sky, stopped that when i left Christianity at 14 haha..

exactly my point, the aliens should be afraid of US!

I have no doubt there are aliens, I can even "stretch" to the odd visit/scout party over the millenia, but an invasion is too risky no matter what you are coming for. Better to just find it elsewhere and save yourself a headache, the universe, hell even our own galaxy, is plenty big enough

reply to post by fuserleer
they dont need our resources hey, what about if we were put here(humanity) to multiply until there is enough of us to harvest.mabe to some we taste good...just putting it out there.

They will stay as far away as possible if they are intelligent....

Agent Smith said it best....

Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area.

There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern.

Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You're a plague and we are the cure.

Fair point

Looking at it logically (the eating us thing), I think 15000 years waiting for a mature "steak" is a bit of a long shot!

I can't see any purpose for us as a species that anyone could take advantage of, we are pretty rubbish when it comes to most things, we know that ourselves....hence all the automated machinery we make to do jobs better than we can

reply to post by fuserleer


Afraid of us? doubtful, pity maybe.. fear is another strong human emotion that we can't just assume other species posses to the same degree or about the same thing. our fear is based on pain, death, and loss. an aliens max fear may only be akin to a deer, or a cat.

havent u seen the movie Avatar?

or looked at America's birth and history?

imperialism & colonization may be universal endeavots as they are how one ruler or government maintains and/or expands control.

resources, slave labor, tax payers = power and success.

locally, us is the alien invading the rest of the world. even slaughtered some 'races' as subhuman.

and we aren't even carnivores.. imagine how interstellar carnivores (ie, reptilian, feline) greet & "meat".

reply to post by BiggerPicture


interstellar carnivores probably farm livestock on their ships.... if a strict carnivore can even survive on its planet long enough to achieve interstellar travel.

@ BiggerPicture

true, but you can bet your life on it that the invading parties wouldn't have if the fight was fair.

In history its always been an grossly unfair fight where colonization is concerned. And no matter who came here, that disadvantage to us (if any) wouldnt be that great.

You can't take over a planet with air supremacy alone, you gotta get down and dirty on the ground at some point, and theres were any technological, mass destructive weaponry is no use.....then its a real fight, and its a fight we could stand up to!

reply to post by fuserleer


When it comes to the questions of aliens, I take a multifaceted view.

1. If we ever meet aliens, I suspect they would also be type 0 or in the early stages of type 2. Anything beyond that, and we'd essentially be equivalent to bugs, or microbes with nothing really worthwhile to offer other than possible passing distraction.

2. In observation of #1, due the overwhelming vastness of the universe with ~500 Billion stars in just our own galaxy. even a significantly more advanced than us type 0 or type 1 would need survey those ~500 Billion stars across not only space, but also time to find the very tiny razor thin speck of space and time we occupy.
It'd be equivalent to finding one specific grain of sand out of an entire beach of sand over the course of several years of sand where that specific spec of sand is only there at a certain very limited time.

In this respect, i think it quite unlikely that we'll ever actually meet any other aliens.

3. Detecting alien cultures of significant type 1 advancement, and type 2 maturity would be more probable due the footprint making use of a whole star or galaxy would potentially make.
Talking to such, making contact, or actually having any engagement, I think would most likely go unanswered, ignored because, what could we possibly have to offer in any exchange?

Such alien cultures would likely already be aware that other life does indeed exist, but, has already learned it's lessons on that horizon and is now either busy with working it's way up to type 2 status, or in the case of type 2 civilizations, whatever it is that comes with type 3 status.


This isn't to say there's a possibility somewhere we could come in contact with another culture in which case we come down to the arguments in the OP about resources which are plentiful everywhere in the universe, even more so than on this rock, such that invasion is unlikely.

I see philanthropy as a possible potential with some early type 1 civs that may want to celebrate their new wealth in possibly sponsoring uplift or advancement of some poor hairless monkeys, but, me thinks that if they worked hard to get there, they'd be more inclined to let others work equally as hard to make their own progress.

Never say never

reply to post by fuserleer


probably not, easiest way to kill humans is an airborne virus. don't believe the movies...

reply to post by fuserleer


If we had the capability to reach planets that we had discovered light years away from us, and we found primitive but intelligent life there, do you not think that we would stick our great big interfering noses in?

Why would a more advanced species, on discovering us, not do exactly the same?

Maybe it is just for tourism! I can hear them saying, there but for the grace of God..........

Sometimes I think they could be watching us, purely for the entertainment value.

To an outsider, we're probably quite amusing.
We are a weird bunch.

reply to post by Argyll


because of the fact that we can actually defend ourselves to some degree and a take over wouldnt be a "walk in the park"

As per Art of War, "if you can choose your battles, choose wisely and only those battles you know you can win"

Look at it another way....

You are a heavyweight boxer, champion of the world, walking home after some night out....you got 2 choices....take the short cut which involves walking through an undesirable part of town, full of miscreants, constantly fighting among themselves, safe in the knowledge that you could "probably" fend off any trouble.

Take the long route, knowing you will get home safe and sound with no mither and not that much later.

Me, I would take the second option, not because Im a wuss (Im Heavyweight champion remember) but simply because I dont NEED to go that way, and I would rather not have the hassle or the possiblity that I may get into a sticky spot and cause myself embarressment.

Heh the thought of us kicking some aliens ass, them going back home and all the other aliens laughing and poking fun "HUMANS KICKED YOUR AAAAAAASSSS!! HUMANS KICKED YOUR AAAAAAAAS!!!" is kinda funny

reply to post by snowspirit


true, but it depends on if another species finds violence as amusing as we do haha.

maybe there is another usage of oil we dont know yet?
maybe they are created life in earth for gather oil after few 100m years?
maybe there is another earths they created life for oil?
periodicly they are visiting and gathering?

you know nothing and yes me too there is million question and we dont know answers yet :p

reply to post by OUNjahhryn


Could be, but then a species as violent as us, probably wouldnt make it to that level of technology required to travel such vast distances.