# Aliens WERE Discovered In Roswell, Do You Panic? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 28, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070 "2011-04-28T19:16:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/1 "2011-04-28T19:16:03Z")
I was reading some conspiracy sites, and the reason given why the US Government doesn’t come clean and admit there were aliens in Roswell is that the population will panic. OK I don’t see how aliens landing over 50 years ago, will incite a panic today. So let’s say, for the sake of argument, the government says, “Yes we found aliens, back in the 50s in Roswell,” what do you do? Panic, nothing at all, what??? ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/2 "2011-04-28T19:20:13Z")
I think it would be very interesting. But I sure wouldn’t panic. I like the idea that Earth is not the only place where sapience evolved. Makes me feel less alone, I guess. But I am a SF fan and we are a different breed. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/3 "2011-04-28T19:25:13Z")
Depends. If it is also released that they sent a message home before being captured and it takes about 65 earth years to travel from their planet to ours…I’d panic maybe a little bit. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/4 "2011-04-28T19:30:58Z")
Why panic? It was 50 years ago and so far all is well. …unless in actuality the aliens covertly annihilated the gov’t and replaced it in entirety with clones/robots/pod people under direct control of evil alien overlords from outer space who are slowly but surely destabilizing the US and the rest of the governments of the world until things have degenerated into such a chaotic state that resistance to an invasion and colonization would be minimal. In that case, yes, panic may very well be an appropriate reaction. But I’d have to see a lot more evidence than I’ve been presented with so far. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/5 "2011-04-28T19:31:17Z")
Interested? Man, I’d barely be able to focus my attention on anything else for … ever. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/6 "2011-04-28T19:33:38Z")
Why panic? Folks who propose that widespread knowledge of an alien landing on Earth would lead to panic like to point to the infamous “War of the Worlds” broadcast, and the (limited) panic it sparked. But the War of the Worlds broadcast didn’t really derive its terrifying character from an alien _landing_, but from an alien _invasion_ - people panicked because they thought they were at war, and war is legitimately scary. The broadcast depicted alien war-machines routing human soldiers, troop movements to counter them, and so on. A story about, say, a German invasion by high-tech airship would have provoked a similar degree of panic, I suspect. The crash-landing of a small alien spacecraft is a very different story from an alien invasion fleed. Sure, it’s remotely possibly that it’s the lead ship of such a fleet - but that’s grounds for concern, maybe even nervouseness, but not panic. Chronic low-grade fear doesn’t just turn into panic on its own. My parents spent many years of their lives believing that they might die in a nuclear holocaust - this troubled them, but I doubt very much that it ever _panicked_ them. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/7 "2011-04-28T19:59:06Z")
Most of the less than a thousand or so, people who are currently running this planet are shape shifting Reptiods. > **[subversiveelement.com](http://ww38.subversiveelement.com/AliensReptoidsIckeShifters.html?subid1=20230810-2234-1365-9619-b28086a78c29)** > > Aliens on Earth,Stock Photo Library,Alien and UFO,Stock Images Photography,Subversive,Windows Software Free,Photos for Online Dating,A Free Dating Site,Royalty Free Stock Images,A Forex [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/bio70ZWHj94/hqdefault.jpg "George W Bush has lizard eyes") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bio70ZWHj94) I am surprised that you don’t know this. Cecil is probably one as well. Don’t worry, your babies taste just like chicken. What do you think McNuggets are made of really? So easily fooled. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/8 "2011-04-28T20:32:51Z")
Since it happened so long ago, either they were no threat or we kicked their little asses. No need to panic. What have you done for us lately, aliens? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/9 "2011-04-28T20:38:12Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Interested? Man, I’d barely be able to focus my attention on anything else for … ever. Yeah, me too. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/10 "2011-04-28T20:40:55Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Why panic? It was 50 years ago and so far all is well. > > …unless in actuality the aliens covertly annihilated the gov’t and replaced it in entirety with clones/robots/pod people under direct control of evil alien overlords from outer space who are slowly but surely destabilizing the US and the rest of the governments of the world until things have degenerated into such a chaotic state that resistance to an invasion and colonization would be minimal. Have you seen the world lately? World wide recessions, multiple governments being rioted against by their populace because of the actions of the governments, don’t ask don’t tell being repealed, and not to mentioned the dead cat I saw this morning so what you mentioned is actually happening. Face it folks the aliens did land and did replace our governments. I’m still not panicking though because my truck still runs and Netflix is still working. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/11 "2011-04-28T21:15:24Z")
No, not scared. I would feel bad for Bender’s head stuck under the sand for the next almost-thousand years, though. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/12 "2011-04-28T21:19:57Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > No, not scared. I would feel bad for Bender’s head stuck under the sand for the next almost-thousand years, though. No need - he’d eventually start to enjoy it, at least until that idiot Fry shows up. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/13 "2011-04-28T22:15:13Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Don’t worry, your babies taste just like chicken. What do you think McNuggets are made of really? So easily fooled. Was that recipe from “To Serve Man”? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/14 "2011-04-29T02:09:10Z")
I would not genuinely panic, however I would use it as \*an excuse \*to panic! ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/15 "2011-04-29T02:25:16Z")
I’d panic, just because that would mean that the government was capable of pulling off a Conspiracy. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/16 "2011-04-29T02:32:22Z")
Fascinated, yes. Annoyed that it was kept a secret for so long, yes. Panicked, nope. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/17 "2011-04-29T03:10:29Z")
Wouldn’t effect me in the least because, wait for it… THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS ALIENS!!! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/18 "2011-04-29T03:16:17Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Wouldn’t effect me in the least because, wait for it… THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS ALIENS!!! :rolleyes: If this is a parody post: awesome! ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/19 "2011-04-29T03:18:15Z")
It would take a lot of proof to convince me. A lot. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070/20 "2011-04-29T03:25:18Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > If this is a parody post: awesome! NOT a parody, just didn’t see the “wouldn’t believe” option. So, _you_ believe in aliens? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-were-discovered-in-roswell-do-you-panic/580070.md?page=2)