How would the world react if we found conclusive proof of extraterrestrial intelligence?

[Mr.Kobayashi]

A spin off of this interesting thread in GQ where ChrisBooth12 asks if the U.S. government has any planned response for aliens/UFOs.

So, I want to broaden the question slightly - but try and keep it somewhat on the harder side of the Mohs Scale, no intergalactic overlords taking a bizarre interest in our pale blue dot (which would also be a pointless question - after Independence Day, I imagine everyone would either soil themselves or try and attack the unlikely guests). Rather, I’ll try and put forth two scenarios.

The first is a kind of 2001 Monolith/Rendezvous With Rama type encounter. In our own solar system, one of our flyby probes discovers a mysterious, yet benign, artefact which can only be the result of an alien intelligence.

The second follows on from the ‘Wow! Signal’, the famous SETI radio signal. But ramp it up to eleven - we detect with our radio telescopes something broadcasting prime numbers over and over (or any other kind of first contact math), from light years away.

For starters, we’d have to figure out how the pros would deal with either discovery, the Feds may decide to hush them up if they don’t voluntarily keep their gobs shut.

But since that’s boring (and therefore wrong), how would the world react if the news was made public (or if the Feds simply couldn’t cover it up)? What, if any, effects would there be on society, culture, religions?

The first I think would be simultaneously humbling and terrifying. Humbling on the discovery that we’re definitely not the only intelligence in the universe. Since we hold ourselves on a lofty pedestal over the rest of Earth’s organisms, this would be a significant knock to our collective ego. Terrifying in its implications, due to their presence in our solar system and questions that would be raised. I think it’d lead to a lot more nutcases making claims of abduction, and ‘see, we were right all along!’

The second is more intriguing, although still has the humbling elements. I think our curiosity would get the best of us and we’d try and do as much as we could to find out about the signal’s origins and reciprocate. Although I think many would voice caution, wondering if it’s some kind of trap - or if they’re just like us and curious about other intelligent life.

[XT]

For starters, we’d have to figure out how the pros would deal with either discovery, the Feds may decide to hush them up if they don’t voluntarily keep their gobs shut.

How would they do this? If someone was continuously broadcasting then everyone with the appropriate equipment would be able to listen in. Word would leak out, no matter what the Feds did, if nothing else from all the other countries out there who would hear the signal too.

But since that’s boring (and therefore wrong), how would the world react if the news was made public (or if the Feds simply couldn’t cover it up)?

I don’t think the Feds could cover it up, to be honest, or would even seriously try. They might try and delay the release of the data until it’s confirmed (even that would be difficult for anything longer than a couple of days or a week or so), but in the end it would get out.

What would the public do? Probably go nuts, but in a good way (mostly). It would generate tons of interest in the public. A lot of flying saucer CT folks would be nodding their heads and saying ‘told you so’ (even though they would be wrong :p). I could see a rush by Discovery, TLC, Science Channel, etc to get a show produced and out there to talk about it (sort of like the shows on Science and others about the artificial life and other discoveries). Lots of news would get generated, lots of interest, lots of speculation…until it faded into the background as the scientist and engineering types told them that, while the signal tells us there is intelligent life out there, we don’t actually know what the signal says (which, I presume we wouldn’t). There would probably be a lot of interest generated in telescopes and such pointing at where ever the signal came from.

But eventually the real public furor over this would fade back a bit and life would go on. I think the public is already more than half convinced that intelligent life is out there somewhere, so confirmation wouldn’t have people going totally nuts.

As for religion, I think that most of them would adapt, as they have had to with all the other scientific discoveries we’ve had in the last couple hundred years. Some people and even formal (or informal) religions would probably go a bit nuts, deny stuff, make it all a CT or whatever, but I think by and large people would incorporate the new information into their world view, and it would expand their view point.

I know, personally, I’d go completely nuts…I’d absolutely LOVE it, and would probably be watching every show, blog and web page with any information on it that I could get my hands on, follow the discovery, read the views of the various talking heads to see what they think, look at the imagery of the various telescopes that would invariably be pointed at the location of the signal, and follow the efforts to decode. I’d be in space geek heaven! Especially since I think this would be a HUGE boost to the space program, manned and unmanned.

-XT

[Chimera]

Don’t ever forget that a large part of the world consists of superstitious and ignorant morons who believe the most absurd conspiracy theories you can imagine.

They simply wouldn’t believe it, or more likely, they would invent ten thousand new conspiracy theories about why the Americans are trying to perpetrate such a lie. Like saying we’re doing it to undermine Islam or some such nonsense.

[Mr.Kobayashi]

@xtisme

How would they do this? If someone was continuously broadcasting then everyone with the appropriate equipment would be able to listen in. Word would leak out, no matter what the Feds did, if nothing else from all the other countries out there who would hear the signal too.

I don’t think the Feds could cover it up, to be honest, or would even seriously try. They might try and delay the release of the data until it’s confirmed (even that would be difficult for anything longer than a couple of days or a week or so), but in the end it would get out.

I thought about this for a while before coming up with the two scenarios, one where we go out and get information and one where information comes to us. In the first instance, since I’m assuming - perhaps incorrectly? - that only NASA (or whoever) could retrieve the information from their probes that a monolith type discovery could be covered up far more easily. I completely agree with you that signals coming to us would be very difficult to cover up and require a worldwide conspiracy, but then again not everyone has a radiotelescope or the wherewithal to make sense of what was being received.

As for religion, I think that most of them would adapt, as they have had to with all the other scientific discoveries we’ve had in the last couple hundred years. Some people and even formal (or informal) religions would probably go a bit nuts, deny stuff, make it all a CT or whatever, but I think by and large people would incorporate the new information into their world view, and it would expand their view point.

Indeed, I specifically mentioned religion as I think it would be shaken to its core - most religions, especially the big monotheisms, assume that humans are special. God’s anointed and suchlike. Theologically, with the discovery of other beings with greater capabilities than our own would throw this into complete disarray.

I know, personally, I’d go completely nuts…I’d absolutely LOVE it, and would probably be watching every show, blog and web page with any information on it that I could get my hands on, follow the discovery, read the views of the various talking heads to see what they think, look at the imagery of the various telescopes that would invariably be pointed at the location of the signal, and follow the efforts to decode. I’d be in space geek heaven! Especially since I think this would be a HUGE boost to the space program, manned and unmanned.
-XT

Absolutely, I would to. Humans cannot resist a good mystery. With a teaser, I think we’d be chomping at the bit for more and doing everything we could do find out more, despite words of caution being voiced, or flat-out denial.

[Der_Trihs]

@Mr.Kobayashi

Indeed, I specifically mentioned religion as I think it would be shaken to its core - most religions, especially the big monotheisms, assume that humans are special. God’s anointed and suchlike. Theologically, with the discovery of other beings with greater capabilities than our own would throw this into complete disarray.

Already some religious sects teach that aliens are real, and demonic. We are created in God’s image, therefore aliens must originate from the Devil. I was taught that as a child.

Others would say that we need to go out there and spread to Word, or at least transmit it to them.

If the discovery is a physical artifact, I think some religious group will try to destroy it if they can reach it (ie it’s not out of reach on Ganymede or something).

[Oakminster]

I’d expect most mainstream religions to roll with it. It may be a little confusing at first, but they’ll find a way to reconcile it with their faith.

Also think there will be some folks inclined to worship the unknown aliens, and that other people will make lots of money off the worshiping group.

[elucidator]

The Universalist Church is likely to get a boost.

[Quartz]

If an alien artefact were found, and found deliberately placed rather having possibly randomly drifted into the sun’s orbit, then wouldn’t this be a pretty good hint that FTL travel is possible?

I’d expect an explosion in space sciences, particularly telescopes.

[Musicat]

Many religions will have to be revised, or at least provide some new theological excuses.

[ivan_astikov]

Read the 2 of 3 volumes of UFO’s and the National Security State by Richard M.Dolan that have been released, and then tell me that we haven’t already got incontrovertible proof that non-human intelligent objects are occupying our airspace.

[ivan_astikov]

A linkypoo, just to whet your appetite.

I have tried to weave together three strands of narrative that have important relationships to one another: (1) UFO reports themselves, with an emphasis on military encounters; (2) the response to UFOs by national security organizations in the U.S.; and (3) additional activities by American national security groups that, while not directly UFO-related, still provide important context to the problem, and at times unique insights and connections. Fundamentally, this is a book about the concern that military-intelligence organizations have toward UFOs, and their concealment of that fact from the public.

[ivan_astikov]

missed the edit window.

Like everywhere else, America also has its topics that are too sensitive to discuss openly without distressing some powerful interest. UFOs have always been such a topic, as seen by the combination of official denial, extreme secrecy, public ridicule, and widespread popular belief connected to it. Officially, UFOs do not exist, and are only discussed in public as a kind of joke, or perhaps a piece of cultural kitsch. Yet, about 80 percent of Americans believe in them. Why does such a disparity exist? After all, most Americans believe in God, and yet there is no official ridicule associated with this belief. Could it be that a belief in UFOs is - however odd this may at first seem - slightly subversive?

Of course it is subversive. It is accepting that the governments who manipulate our fates have no real control at all, and are just flying by the seats of their pants in the cockpit.

[clairobscur]

@Mr.Kobayashi

Indeed, I specifically mentioned religion as I think it would be shaken to its core - most religions, especially the big monotheisms, assume that humans are special. God’s anointed and suchlike.

15 years ago or so, coincidental with some expedition to Mars or another, it was mentioned in the press that a debate had been held in the Vatican about the issue of discovering intelligent alien life. The conclusion was that if there was such alien sentient being, Jesus would have appeared there too, in some form or another, to redeem them (of course this wasn’t catholic teaching, just the conclusion of some commission).

I found this information even more interesting because at that time I had just read a scifi novel where a catholic character embarked on a mission to explore an alien spaceship had requested to meet the Pope to ask him about the religious significance of extra-terrestrial intelligence, and had gotten exactly the same answer.

So it seems that the catholic church at least could adapt to such a discovery.

[Der_Trihs]

@ivan_astikov

Like everywhere else, America also has its topics that are too sensitive to discuss openly without distressing some powerful interest. UFOs have always been such a topic, as seen by the combination of official denial, extreme secrecy, public ridicule, and widespread popular belief connected to it. Officially, UFOs do not exist, and are only discussed in public as a kind of joke, or perhaps a piece of cultural kitsch. Yet, about 80 percent of Americans believe in them. Why does such a disparity exist? After all, most Americans believe in God, and yet there is no official ridicule associated with this belief. Could it be that a belief in UFOs is - however odd this may at first seem - slightly subversive?

Of course it is subversive.

It’s not “subversive”, it’s silly. Religion is even more silly by a large margin, but it is accepted and politically powerful; the “topic that is too sensitive to discuss openly without distressing some powerful interest” here isn’t aliens flying UFOs; it is the stupidity of religion.

[FriarTed]

The Roman Catholic Church, mainstream Protestant Churches, probably Eastern Orthodoxy, and even many Evangelical/Fund’ist Churches would have no problem.
However, many other Evan/Fund would indeed be condemning- esp. the Young Earthers who also tend to believe only Earth contains sentient life. The Latter-day Saints’ Church would have no problem… inhabited worlds is mentioned in their Scriptures somewhere.

Now, responses among the adherents of every group would vary widely.

[ivan_astikov]

@Der_Trihs

It’s not “subversive”, it’s silly. Religion is even more silly by a large margin, but it is accepted and politically powerful; the “topic that is too sensitive to discuss openly without distressing some powerful interest” here isn’t aliens flying UFOs; it is the stupidity of religion.

A pathetic response.

Even if UFOs were to turn out to be a unique form of mass hallucination (which they will not), this study will still have value for its review of how the U.S. national security apparatus handled the problem. If there are other answers, then this book should clarify some of the key patterns involved.

Unfortunately, those patterns leave little cause for optimism regarding either the problem or its response. Americans are in a bad enough state trying to struggle through the ordinary smoke of their official culture. How can they be expected to assess the implications of the UFO problem? They can begin only by recognizing that secrecy over UFOs exists, and that this secrecy is part of a broader policy of control and deception. It is a bad omen that our civilization, beleaguered as it is by its own doing, has not faced this problem squarely.

I can lead a horse to water…

[Der_Trihs]

@ivan_astikov

A pathetic response.

No, a truthful response. The fact of the matter is that there’s no reason to think that there’s anything all that profound about UFOs. The idea of a government conspiracy is ridiculous - what’s it supposed to hide? Aliens? Hah. As if you’d get the governments of the world to all cooperate on hiding something. As if the government was even all that good at keeping secrets.

If you want to criticize the government, there are plenty of real evils and screwups to be laid at its collective feet; no need to make any up.

[Steve_MB]

@Mr.Kobayashi

I thought about this for a while before coming up with the two scenarios, one where we go out and get information and one where information comes to us. In the first instance, since I’m assuming - perhaps incorrectly? - that only NASA (or whoever) could retrieve the information from their probes that a monolith type discovery could be covered up far more easily.

I expect that anybody with a good radiotelescope could pick up the probe signals. I don’t know offhand if they bother encrypting them or anything, but even if they do it’d probably be cracked fairly soon (deep-space probes take years to reach their targets, so they’re at least that far behind the technological curve).

Indeed, I specifically mentioned religion as I think it would be shaken to its core - most religions, especially the big monotheisms, assume that humans are special. God’s anointed and suchlike. Theologically, with the discovery of other beings with greater capabilities than our own would throw this into complete disarray.

The more sophisticated monotheistic religions would have no problem accepting the notion that God created life on other planets. The fundies who think Adam rode around on a dinosaur would get all agitated (not that this is a new phenomenon).

[ivan_astikov]

@Der_Trihs

No, a truthful response. The fact of the matter is that there’s no reason to think that there’s anything all that profound about UFOs. The idea of a government conspiracy is ridiculous - what’s it supposed to hide? Aliens? Hah. As if you’d get the governments of the world to all cooperate on hiding something. As if the government was even all that good at keeping secrets.

If you want to criticize the government, there are plenty of real evils and screwups to be laid at its collective feet; no need to make any up.

Have you read both books I mentioned? If not, you are talking out of your arse on this matter.

[Sinaptics]

@FriarTed

The Roman Catholic Church, mainstream Protestant Churches, probably Eastern Orthodoxy, and even many Evangelical/Fund’ist Churches would have no problem.
However, many other Evan/Fund would indeed be condemning- esp. the Young Earthers who also tend to believe only Earth contains sentient life. The Latter-day Saints’ Church would have no problem… inhabited worlds is mentioned in their Scriptures somewhere.

Now, responses among the adherents of every group would vary widely.

I sometimes sit on the train with a very nice Evangelical Christian lady who is a young earther. She’s working on a theological degree so we have some very interesting conversations re religion. (Note: I’m an agnostic)

I’ve specifically asked her how she rectifies scientific evidence with her belief and she simply states that she doesn’t believe it. End of story. Same thing with gospels not included in the KJV bible. Simply doesn’t believe that they are the “Truth” or were placed with the intent to deceive.

I think that’s how they would deal with any evidence of aliens. Simply turn off their minds.