We have just Discovered Alien Life, What do you do? - Scenario

I want to play out a scenario for all of you.

You’re at work/home/school wherever you happen to be on a normal 10 a.m Thursday and you hear it on TV/Radio/Smartphone/from a friend who then takes you to a TV/Radio/Smartphone that Intelligent Extraterrestrial life has just been discovered. We have conclusive proof that on a Planet 6 light years from us on Bernard’s Star has Intelligent Life. How do we know? They have satellites like ours orbiting the planet and the Hubble Telescope was able to see this. The photos are readily available for everyone to see and everyone agrees what’s there. It’s a planet, with Intelligent Life.

They don’t know we have seen them yet (or we don’t know if they have) and they don’t seem to be that much more advanced than us. We even believe we have the edge in technology because we've only seen 2-3 satellites where as we have over a thousand, the Hubble Telescope and International Space Station.

Now, what do you do with this information?

We have the current technology we have now (except Hubble just got upgraded to be able to see a lot more detail), no way to actually get to them and if we send them a signal it will take at least 6 years to reach them if they even get it.

After our discussion on that other thread If nobody says loot or pillage then I'm gonna be really disappointed lol

They have satellites like ours orbiting the planet and the Hubble Telescope was able to see this.

The Hubble cannot even see planets much less a car sized satellite but ill play.

As they are 6 light years away i will say hey there are aliens see see i always said they existed (no i dint) and pretty much nothing else, as they cannot get here and we cannot get there, maybe ill make a scam service to send them messages and get rich by people asking the aliens is Elvis was there.

If by the other hand we find out about the aliens because they got the mothership on top of the white house i would react differently.

a reply to: PsychoEmperor

Loot a television and buck some nines. Isn't that how it goes in the movies?

I'd probably read about it and continue going to work, sleeping, waking and making sandwiches. Boring answer but realistic.

A star being that close, there's no way if they're even close to our technological development that they haven't noticed us. We've been pumping radio signals into space for nearly 75 years now. If they have radio telescopes like we do they would have heard us. They're probably watching the series premier of "Vampire Diaries" right now.

That being said, it wouldn't change my daily life or outlook on the universe. It would simply confirm what I've believed to be a fact for a number of years now. I'd be surprised that it was found so close to us, but I'd probably just go "Oh, well that answers that" and go on about my day. I imagine the media would be all over it, governments would be tripping over each other to send the first official "hello" to our new neighbors, but my daily life wouldn't change.

a reply to: PsychoEmperor

I would flippin losing it man! If I was at work I am sure the stupid ladies I work with would not appreciate it as much as I would which would really just piss me off lol I would have to go home and follow the story for the next week. I literally wouldn't be able to work. My time would be devoted to this and this only.

PS people posting don't seem to understand hypothetical lol

originally posted by: longy9999
After our discussion on that other thread If nobody says loot or pillage then I'm gonna be really disappointed lol

lmao, you actually made me laugh out loud. I'm really curious to people's general reaction. I know this is ATS so we probably won't get the "loot and pillage" crowd but I still am curious.

originally posted by: Indigent

They have satellites like ours orbiting the planet and the Hubble Telescope was able to see this.

If by the other hand we find out about the aliens because they got the mothership on top of the white house i would react differently.

Looting and pillaging right? Right?

originally posted by: Shepard64
a reply to: PsychoEmperor

I would flippin losing it man! If I was at work I am sure the stupid ladies I work with would not appreciate it as much as I would which would really just piss me off lol I would have to go home and follow the story for the next week. I literally wouldn't be able to work. My time would be devoted to this and this only.

PS people posting don't seem to understand hypothetical lol

That sounds like my reaction, I would be really upset we couldn't "Get there" and find out more. I wonder if the world would start a united project to try and get someone over there.

originally posted by: Indigent

If by the other hand we find out about the aliens because they got the mothership on top of the white house i would react differently.

in what way would you react differently? I understand the "Evil alien invasion" reaction, the vast majority of us would start a crazy underground movement.

I'm really curious about the "Hey look a new civilization right there, we can probably get there one day but we can really invade them and they can't invade us... yet!"

a reply to: PsychoEmperor

Kick ourselves for not accepting the fact sooner...your premise is flawed.
It won't be discovering....but realizing the truth...and being so stupid in denying all the 1000's of years of evidence right here.

Helll...it's embarrassing.

All looting jokes aside I think I would just be chuffed to bits, I'm not entirely sure why it means so much to me but I'd die a happy man knowing that there is something else out there.

a reply to: PsychoEmperor

I would have a good few questions for Enrico Fermi... that is all!

I suppose that inviting the aliens for coffee is what I would do.

originally posted by: rickymouse
I suppose that inviting the aliens for coffee is what I would do.

Six years later they might accept, than show up maybe 20 years after that, and be mad at you that the coffee got cold

a reply to: PsychoEmperor

And for a cold coffee, the first earth interplanetary war began

(to be read in Morgan Freeman voice)

Get drunk.

a reply to: longy9999

a reply to: PsychoEmperor

Probably i would pull a Kent Brockman: I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords and say how useful i could be for them.

Or start a scam selling alien shelters.

Or just get me an Australian size beer and drink it in a inflatable pool seeing the world end in my porch.

If they are more like district 9 being poor aliens that cannot destroy us and are just refugees perhaps i would go all racist and anti immigrant as some people in USA.

If we cannot get to them and they cannot get to us it will be mostly a curious new to me, it does not change anything on earth, we have been told for decades the possibility that there is more life in the universe is huge, and its just a matter of time before we detect it.

Let's say we have a telescope that is able to view this planet as clear as day. What they'll see is themselves. Another human race. I strongly believe that we are all over the place, seeded on lots of other planets. You ever heard that saying where some people just don't feel like Earth is home? When I was younger (probably 7-9 years old) I would constantly have the same reoccurring dream. I can still remember it to this day (at least just this part) where I was on a planet like Earth but I could clearly see other planets, moons, whatever it may be. I mean we are talking like as if we were on one of Jupiter or Saturns moons.

But seriously what could we do? We don't have the technology to do anything with it anyways.

Build a bigger telescope from an insane amount of binoculars, and be the first to get an alien nude pic., probably sell it (the pic.) and hire a waiter to serve me to the end of my days.

What....?