# Extraterrestrials Exist--Do People Actually Panic **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 20, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968 "2009-12-20T17:36:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/21 "2009-12-21T01:48:27Z")
I’d be on the verge of panic. But not because of the aliens. But, because, ironically of the possibility of others panicing about the aliens and thereby creating a situation worthy of panicing about. I felt the same way about Y2K. If we could get rid of all these panicy people I wouldnt have anything to be panicy about 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/22 "2009-12-21T02:02:33Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > and to gather information for their cookbook. Tonight on _“Alien Top Chef”_: Zontar asks for volunteers! ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/23 "2009-12-21T09:42:46Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I know a guy who, despite being otherwise intellectually sound, believes that any and all aliens would have to be demonic beings. I’m pretty sure he’d freak out. Not necessarily. His reaction might be- “Well, it’s Tribulation time. Better stock up food, run to that cabin in the woods & hold out for Jesus.” I’d be pretty much there with him! _L_ ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/24 "2009-12-21T15:54:23Z")
Extra-terrestrials are taking our jobs! ---
**Author:** ![Gesturing\_Mildly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/65b543/32.png) [@Gesturing\_Mildly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gesturing_Mildly)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/25 "2009-12-21T17:02:49Z")
I think people would freak. FWIW, I was playing the Worst Case Scenario game this weekend, and amongst all the questions about the statistics of plane crashes and how to escape quicksand, my husband got a question about how to fight an extraterrestrial. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/26 "2009-12-21T17:05:07Z")
I’d panic. If they got here, that means their technology is orders of magnitude superior to ours. If their intentions are noble, then peace & brotherhood & all that. If their intentions are bad, we’re screwed. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/27 "2009-12-21T17:34:43Z")
There’s no real reason for them to be hostile. Assuming that they are advanced enough to master two-way interstellar travel, they’d almost certainly have mastered robotics and genetic engineering, so it’s not like they’d want to enslave us. The _Independence Day_ “they want our resources” idea is silly - what have we got on Earth that can’t be obtained far more cheaply from a comet, asteroid, or gas giant? > [@Civil\_Guy](#): > > Ya know, us being the visual creatures we are, I suspect it depends a lot on what these creatures actually look like. > > \ > > …they look like a plate of cottage cheese. I, for one, welcome our delicious hypothetical overlords, especially topped with fruit. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/28 "2009-12-21T17:37:30Z")
> [@kitemaker\_chuck](#): > > It seems to me that after all these decades of people’s exposure to science-fiction stories of extraterrestrial beings coming to Earth, people would actually welcome these beings, rather than heading for the hills to await doomsday. Really? Seems to me that after decades of movies where aliens invade the earth, people WOULD panic. Seriously, some people would panic and some people would welcome them. Which ones are the nutcases depends on if the aliens start shooting or not. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/29 "2009-12-21T17:50:47Z")
There have also been decades of movies and TV shows (ie., Star Trek) where not only do they not invade, they’re extremely benevolent. Think about it this way: assuming there are lots of aliens out there within reasonable travel times (ie., at relativistic speeds or warp speeds or whatever they’ve got), it’s more likely that the ones that find us will be the peaceful explorer kind than the grumpy imperialistic kind, right? Actually, I guess there could be a grumpy explorer kind who’d simply capture lots of us to keep in zoos and dissect in college classrooms and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/30 "2009-12-21T18:00:55Z")
I think it depend largely on what we specifically knew about them. If we knew they existed, the chances are we’d know something more about them than that they exist. We’d probably at least have an inkling of their intentions and abilities. There’s a chance it might be very reasonable to panic. If they presnted themselves as amicable and benign, I think people would be more curious than anything else. There would still be a gamut of reactions from terror to outright adoration (maybe even worship), but I think the vast middle would tend towards gobsmacked fascination more than fear. The major religions would have some ret-conning to do. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/31 "2009-12-21T18:18:01Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > _I’d_ panic if the Teletubbie mothership landed. “One day, in Tellytubbie Land, it was Bootsy’s turn to wear the dress.” ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/32 "2009-12-21T18:20:49Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Sorta–it only had two options: run and hide, or accept with open arms. It was for individuals. > > This one seems to be about society at large, and is shaping up into a much more nuanced discussion. That was also for if the aliens had just arrived. I, fo one, might feel very different about it if they have been visiting us for a while, were behind abductions & cattle mutilations, or were involved with our governments in any way. I’d be much more guarded, much less open arms. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/33 "2009-12-21T18:22:13Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > There have also been decades of movies and TV shows (ie., Star Trek) where not only do they not invade, they’re extremely benevolent. Umm, did we watch the same Star Trek? The one with the Klingons, Borg, Salt Vampires, that type of thing? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/34 "2009-12-21T18:47:34Z")
Yeah, but none of them made contact with us when we were planetbound and helpless. Well, except in _First Contact_, but that doesn’t count. _Salt Vampires_? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/35 "2009-12-21T19:00:40Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > _Salt Vampires_? I am sorry sir…you must now turn in your Star Trek nerd membership card…lack of such knowledge is a revoking offense. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/36 "2009-12-21T19:00:47Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > That was also for if the aliens had just arrived. I, fo one, might feel very different about it if they have been visiting us for a while, were behind abductions & cattle mutilations, or were involved with our governments in any way. > > I’d be much more guarded, much less open arms. Why? They’d only be acting with what seemed to be the blessings of our representative authorities. I’d be more inclined to aim blame at our governments than the aliens. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/37 "2009-12-21T19:16:57Z")
I agree it largely depends on what we discover. Right now if we found living microbes on Mars it would be exciting, but not jump off buildings exciting. Likewise if we found radio signals that seemed purposeful, but undecipherable and not aimed specifically at Earth, no jumping off buildings or anything. If the signals are coming from a pulsar or quasar a million light years away, I’m not wetting my pants. I would jump up and down though. OTOH, if we found radio signals originating 30 light years away aimed and modulated specifically for us and including details on how to greatly improve communication, that would be freaky. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/38 "2009-12-21T19:18:41Z")
“Sir, you need to turn down your radio. What are you, a first-time caller?” ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/39 "2009-12-21T20:27:12Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > …what have we got on Earth that can’t be obtained far more cheaply from a comet, asteroid, or gas giant? Women. Hot, sweet women. I’m panicking preemptively. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968/40 "2009-12-21T20:31:38Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Why? They’d only be acting with what seemed to be the blessings of our representative authorities. …and how do \*you \*feel about people who willingly work with government? Me, I always feel like I need a wash after I’ve spoken with a pol. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extraterrestrials-exist-do-people-actually-panic/521968.md?page=3)