# How would the world react if we found conclusive proof of extraterrestrial intelligence? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 6, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-world-react-if-we-found-conclusive-proof-of-extraterrestrial-intelligence/542199 "2010-06-06T21:21:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-world-react-if-we-found-conclusive-proof-of-extraterrestrial-intelligence/542199/41 "2010-06-07T18:17:17Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > But if the governments are good at keeping secrets ,how would we know? They are pretty tricky. What if every congressman and senator is given a UFO briefing when they get elected?,(except Bachmann, that would be silly). Bachmann, of course, would not **need** a briefing. What, you don’t think she’s **human,** do you?! 😉 ---
**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:** [June 7, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-world-react-if-we-found-conclusive-proof-of-extraterrestrial-intelligence/542199/42 "2010-06-07T18:27:06Z")
Eh - it’d be big news for a few weeks, then we’d all get back to our lives. Even a highly advanced technological civilization a few hundred light-years away would be no more than a curiosity. The time that’d be required to exchange “How ya doing?” “No, how _ya_ doin’? ;)” would exceed the life expectancies of most governments. Meaningful communication would be so difficult as to be impossible. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-world-react-if-we-found-conclusive-proof-of-extraterrestrial-intelligence/542199/43 "2010-06-07T18:27:32Z")
In light of these posts, maybe we would want to spruce the place up a little before the visitors arrive. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-world-react-if-we-found-conclusive-proof-of-extraterrestrial-intelligence/542199/44 "2010-06-07T18:43:12Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Have you read both books I mentioned? If not, you are talking out of your arse on this matter. Oh, please. People aren’t going to run out and buy two books and read them just to participate in this thread. This seems a common tactic of conspiracy/crackpot theorists; “you aren’t qualified to talk about it unless you read X,Y, Z, and watch the two hour video!” Which of course “disqualifies” anyone but True Believers since no one else is going to bother. > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [QUOTE=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. Of course there is, if the UFOs are ET spacecraft visiting Earth; because the existence of such does not only imply ET intelligent lifeforms, it implies the possibility of technology capable of interstellar travel. [/QUOTE] But there’s no rational reason to think any such thing. By nature there are going to be “_Unidentified_ Flying Objects”; that doesn’t mean they are aliens and not weather effects, misidentified aircraft or other more likely phenomena. “UFOs are aliens” is the kind of extraordinary claim that requires extraordinary evidence. > [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Even a highly advanced technological civilization a few hundred light-years away would be no more than a curiosity. The time that’d be required to exchange “How ya doing?” “No, how _ya_ doin’? ;)” would exceed the life expectancies of most governments. Meaningful communication would be so difficult as to be impossible. You presume that two-way conversations would be attempted. Instead, they just beam anything they want us to know, in the hopes we will return the favor. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-world-react-if-we-found-conclusive-proof-of-extraterrestrial-intelligence/542199/45 "2010-06-07T18:44:25Z")
I thought UFOs and whatnot might be brought up, which is why I worded the OP as ‘conclusive’ - whatever your opinions, it’s clear that evidence is far from conclusive about extraterrestrial intelligence - pretty much all we really have to go on is a statistical outlook based on how large the universe is, that Earth-like conditions could replicate (or some entirely different form of life might manifest). I hadn’t considered the military implications, although with evidence that we’re definitely not alone I can imagine the world’s militaries gearing up for a worst case scenario. Which might be a good thing, as war is generally accompanied by increases in technology. Only this time we’d have the benefits of war without the actual…war bit. Speaking of war, would there be any real chance of national and ethnic barriers coming down slightly? Ronnie Reagan famously said that aliens (although he was talking about an attack, but still) would end the Cold War, as it would force humanity to see themselves as one intelligent species potentially competing with another, rather than one nationality/ethnicity competing with each other. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-world-react-if-we-found-conclusive-proof-of-extraterrestrial-intelligence/542199/46 "2010-06-07T19:29:46Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > Speaking of war, would there be any real chance of national and ethnic barriers coming down slightly? Ronnie Reagan famously said that aliens (although he was talking about an attack, but still) would end the Cold War, as it would force humanity to see themselves as one intelligent species potentially competing with another, rather than one nationality/ethnicity competing with each other. There was a great episode of _Farscape_ where Moya and the crew made it to Earth and informed them of the Scarran Menace ™. They decided to give the people of Earth one of the pods in order to allow them to study it and learn from it’s technology, but on the condition that it be made available to all nations. There was a bit of a problem there, with the Americans refusing to allow this. John Creighton’s father being the lead scientist. John is incredulous that they’re not getting with the program and allowing other nations to have access to it. John’s father has a great line… “_You’re not seeing the Big Picture_” Which of course is comic irony, because John’s father is still locked into the world of Human Politics and can’t open his eyes to the fact that if the Scarrans come, Humans really have NO FUCKING CHANCE against them, even if all of Humanity bands together right now. So no, for the most part I don’t believe that national borders will fall and people will all sing Kumbaya for quite a while. Rather, nations will try to play games with the aliens to curry favor for their nations, their political systems, their ideology, their alliances, blah, blah, blah. Hell, even if it proves extremely ineffective, I would expect the nations of the Earth to play out much like the various jewish factions of Jerusalem destroying and backstabbing each other during the seige (and eventual destruction) of the city. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-world-react-if-we-found-conclusive-proof-of-extraterrestrial-intelligence/542199/47 "2010-06-07T19:59:20Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > Speaking of war, would there be any real chance of national and ethnic barriers coming down slightly? Ronnie Reagan famously said that aliens (although he was talking about an attack, but still) would end the Cold War, as it would force humanity to see themselves as one intelligent species potentially competing with another, rather than one nationality/ethnicity competing with each other. Just because they exist doesn’t mean we’ll ever be in competition with them. Whales are not in competition with elephants. It may be that we’re so different from the ETs that we’ll never have use for the same living space or resources as they. As discussed at length in [this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=562855) ---
**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:** [June 7, 2010, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-world-react-if-we-found-conclusive-proof-of-extraterrestrial-intelligence/542199/48 "2010-06-07T20:06:32Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Oh, please. People aren’t going to run out and buy two books and read them just to participate in this thread. This seems a common tactic of conspiracy/crackpot theorists; “you aren’t qualified to talk about it unless you read X,Y, Z, and watch the two hour video!” Which of course “disqualifies” anyone but True Believers since no one else is going to bother. Would you be okay with someone criticizing The Bible, The Koran, or any other publication, without the critic having even read them? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-world-react-if-we-found-conclusive-proof-of-extraterrestrial-intelligence/542199/49 "2010-06-07T20:09:44Z")
Are you seriously asking Der Trihs that question?? 😛 -XT ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-world-react-if-we-found-conclusive-proof-of-extraterrestrial-intelligence/542199/50 "2010-06-07T20:16:50Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Just because they exist doesn’t mean we’ll ever be in competition with them. Whales are not in competition with elephants. It may be that we’re so different from the ETs that we’ll never have use for the same living space or resources as they. Very true, but it’s more a comment on human nature than practical necessity, and kind of goes back to the religion point. Humans know, and have always known, that we’re top dog - the next closest is probably the chimpanzee, which we tend to view as a poor cousin in intelligence terms. Something with the potential to be greater than us, I don’t think we’d accept that lying down. Our nature would demand competition at some level, and not necessarily over resources or territory, but over achievements and capability. This instinct to compete has no doubt honed through millions of years of evolution, as in the infancy of our species competition with other species and within our own was a matter of survival. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-world-react-if-we-found-conclusive-proof-of-extraterrestrial-intelligence/542199/51 "2010-06-07T20:20:01Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > Are you seriously asking Der Trihs that question?? 😛 > > -XT I’m pretty sure he’s read them. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-world-react-if-we-found-conclusive-proof-of-extraterrestrial-intelligence/542199/52 "2010-06-07T21:42:46Z")
> [@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. > l. Absolutely. I would expect a push for logic and reason and bibles bring recycled into science books. Any second grader would ditch hearing stories about an invisible deity on Sundays over learning about a real alien. Even if all they found was a completely foreign sample of alien DNA, all I’d be interested in is how they got here, who they were, what they know and believe about the universe, etc. For me personally, I would find comfort in knowing we aren’t the only sentient beings in the vast universe. Why be scared of a new discovery at all— Oh, right, religion. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-world-react-if-we-found-conclusive-proof-of-extraterrestrial-intelligence/542199/53 "2010-06-07T23:55:56Z")
[QUOTE=Czarcasm] I’m pretty sure he’s read them. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I think so to, especially the Bible. He’s quite knowledgeable. I was really just underlying the irony of saying something like that to Der, as if he was going to raise up to defend the Bible/Koran/Torah…just the idea is ludicrous. 😛 -XT ---
**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:** [June 8, 2010, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-world-react-if-we-found-conclusive-proof-of-extraterrestrial-intelligence/542199/54 "2010-06-08T12:03:23Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Absolutely. I would expect a push for logic and reason and bibles bring recycled into science books. Any second grader would ditch hearing stories about an invisible deity on Sundays over learning about a real alien. Unless the first utterance of the alien were “Have you heard the good news of Jehovah’s coming Kingdom?” ---
**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:** [June 8, 2010, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-world-react-if-we-found-conclusive-proof-of-extraterrestrial-intelligence/542199/55 "2010-06-08T12:35:24Z")
In keeping to the spirit and focus of the OP, confirmation of an extra-terrestrial intelligence more advanced than our own would likely make me a little more inclined to accept there might be an entity worthy of the description of god as a creative force. I’m not suggesting I’d be prepared to bow down and worship them, but their existence would open up a realm of possibilities capable of fueling our wildest imaginations. Whereas the thought that we are the only sentient creature in the universe is the saddest idea I can imagine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-the-world-react-if-we-found-conclusive-proof-of-extraterrestrial-intelligence/542199.md?page=2)