National Geographic

When Aliens Attack: Would ET Eat Us, Enslave Us, or Exterminate Us for the Good of the Galaxy?

Picture courtesy NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Just in time for the news that Jodi Foster helped save the main SETI array from funding doom, astronomers in Pennsylvania and Washington State have released an updated paper on the many scenarios we may face if aliens ever make contact.

Most media have so far jumped on one idea from the authors that extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) might attack us not out of spite, “but instead out of a universalist desire to make the galaxy a better place.”

In other words, Earth may get blown up to make way for a hyperspace bypass, because aliens value galactic infrastructure more than our lives.

Or humans may be eradicated from the planet because we’re making a mess of our own ecosystem, and aliens are concerned about our destructive potential if we start to spread across the Milky Way.

Specifically, and perhaps not surprisingly, many headlines have targeted this line from the study:


But this is just one sentence out of a 33-page paper that thoughtfully examines a full range of ET contact scenarios and how humans might respond.

The paper is a fun read and needs little de-jargonizing, so I will end by simply presenting this figure from the study that nicely summarizes the discussion (click the image to see a slightly larger version):


  1. Chris Young
    Cambridge, MA
    May 27, 2013, 4:24 am

    How can an alien species exist on a life-bearing planet without wiping out the microbes? What is the likelihood that they could have any ability to every step out of their spacesuits if they didn’t sterilize the earth. The quickest way to do this is to raise greenhouse gases to over somthing that would cause runaway global warming. According to Hansen and I believe most climate scientists, the hothouse condition, with no ice on earth, is the state the earth has been in the most. Hansen says it would take millions of years at the rate we’re going. However, if the aliens could figure out a way of massively increasing the amount of greenhouse gases, I think it’s a good bet they could have the earth cooking at around 600 degrees F. Ten years later, they could cool it down, after things are just about sterile.

  2. Martin
    February 3, 2013, 8:08 am

    As an archaeology student and astronomy… anyone who says we are alone is ignorant. There are BILLIONS and billions of galaxies in the universe, billions of solar systems in each… in a solar system which is ever growing. To think we are alone in all that is pure ignorance. Mayans, Incas, Egyptians, Greeks, Ancient India, Ancient Africa, Japan… proof of Aliens is through out all history. Read your history.

  3. Isaac Guiste
    January 6, 2013, 6:05 am

    Realistically it just wouldn’t happen. For instance lets say aliens or other life does exist based on star systems planets etc. There is only proof of one planet in out known galaxy to evolve in technology our planet and out of thousands of species humans are the successors hear. Those odds alone are extremely low. So lets say beyond our galaxy there are 10 other planets out there that have life much like our own and one maybe 2 species possess technology. Just like ourselves they have to learnto create it plans and then build see if it is safe to there people etc. then the time frame before it’s released to their people etc. Right so out of the 10 planets how many have mastered flight other than us and cars or even flying cars and then by chance one of them has mastered the ability to travel thoughout star systems in space we would probably know by now if such beings exist look how far into space we have looked and nothing except us now imagine a world where space travels the norm the’d be out exploring and doing as we do with no limits of travel they would have found us way before now because if they could master light speed ect. technology for them would be billions of years yes billions so more advanced than the latest ipad they’d be able to pretty much dominate the entire universe with ease if we look at our minimal capabilities but if they were to invade it wouldn’t be to enslave us what would be the point they would have mastered biotechnology nano-technology etc they’d be able to reconstruct dead planets like mars and create life of their own in theory we can already through clones and maybe robots starting to come into our world in the next 10 to 60 years when we would have achieved that level of nano-technologies and so on or water they need out water which yet again why the hell would they need to go hostile for water it can be created easily enough by our own planets way of life oceans rain etc if these so called enhanced life forms are terriforming dead worlds then obviously they’ve mastered the basics of H20 regeneration i’m sorry to say but world war three would be pointless as we know of pointless for instance would you try and teach your cat to fly an F-15 or sign a month old baby into the full manchester united squad or even teach your gold fish fluent spanish no because one it’s impposible and 2 what would be the bloody point of doing something that’s a compete and utter waste of time i mean if we honestly did advance to such stages we could actually travel to distant worlds life bound or dead if we did come into contact reached eachother or went to them all those hundreds of years it is going to take to even have the technology to fly out that far why destroy them after centuries and centuries of searching for your neighbours it was all wasted for nothing would you go to and kick down your neighbours door murder there entire family because they have the latest samsung smart television obviously 9 out of 10 no you’d do what they did work for it and pay your way and aliens would know right and wrong and we wouldn’t go and destroy their world we think we are aggressive and cruel etc. but after centuries of searching for them it would be a waste as the search would then start from scratch are we alone yeah thanks to our lust for power we really are now and aliens wouldn’t just go around wiping out planets for no reason even if there was a simply pathetic reason they would have mastered it by now and be so advanced earth would be like an ant to an elephant why kill it it can’t even fight back why waste such high tech gear on nothing at least get the thrill of a comeback aliens would have that moral feeling to so they just wouldn’t bother they are out there somewhere i do believe it’s fact we ain’t alone they might be miles behind us and not even have swords and shields yet let alone satelitte communication or they might be whizzing round space passing us every closing second just going off to work on restoring dead planets or just seeing the sights and other worlds with life to see who’s most likely to find them first whatever it is whether they are cave men era or star wars era or even both and some similar to where we are now the less advance ones won’t be found anytime soon due to lack of technology on their behalf and the advanced ones won’t be found even unless they want to be they could be sat right above us now smiling down on out human race preying we change and have the joys they have as we would never aquire the technology to even slightly see them if we can cloak a stealth bomber to this day on earth now i think they would be able without any effort cloak themselves beyond any radars scanning capibility on earth so if advanced civilizations have been right on top of us they have been and gone and maybe one day when we are ready and deserve the right to aid them join them or talk with them they will be found but the reality is if there are life forms out there they are miles behind us so communication is impossible for centuries and if they are are advanced they’d be slightly ahead of us by even 200 years which isn’t enough to get from distances between worlds i doubt even 2000 years is even far ahead enough to come here and wipe us out as we have been around for longer than that an we can’t even get to jupiter in a single life time reality is even if we do find a way to talk from world to world there is no getting to eachother anytime soon but if that day comes when we send out a Hello and maybe a week later via enhanced technologies from both sides they reply saying ahhh finally you called our questions are answered too it would be a chance to change our lives turn them round and aid them and they are us as we’d much to earn about one another and if they could get here who knows their world and our world may become as one but until that day lets stop judging whether they’re all psycho’s and world dominating murderes as they won’t be we ain’t there is good here aswel as bad more good than bad is obvious other wise there wouldn’t be a human race we would litrally all put down our kids and quit work to fight ad war proves good is the dominating force to people which means they will be the same way to and so yeah they will have twisted and bad people but would there good ciizens allow such acts of violence doubtful. In my lifetime i am 100% percent sure communication with something will happen with technology become so advanced even for our early stages who knows even now the might have already send a message back and it could arrive in thousands of years or any second now time always tells and there is something out there and we will find hem or they will find us and that’s probably likely e find them as no other world in our known galaxy is sending out radio signals everything has a beggining and with the odds pointing at us and looking at the estimated equasions us being the only advanced life form with the technology of today is very very likely WE MAY BE ALONE AND WE MAY BE THE BEGGINING OF EVERYTHING. If we are and that is the case as it is extremely likely after thousands and billions of years we might wanna consider working together because if we were not to exist the miracle of our world may never happen again unless it already has somewhere else. :-)

  4. alien
    September 7, 2012, 10:39 am

    i m here :P

  5. Zoller
    August 1, 2012, 12:11 pm

    Don’t get me wrong, I Do believe in the existence of extraterrestrials. I do not hiwever believe that in case of a first contact, they would attack us. If they had wanted to do so, they would have wiped humanity outl before any of us was born.

  6. Zoller
    August 1, 2012, 12:09 pm

    You all need to understand that all this “aliens are gonna attack us” scenario is (and has been for quite a while) a mind control propaganda of the illuminati. The background government seeks to instill fear into the subconsious of humanity creating triggers, so when a fake UFO invasion is staged by the means of holographic images (Project Bluebeam), most of humanity will have fallen too far gone and burst out in panic. It would be a perfect opportunity for the illuminati to implement the New World Order along with the New World Religion. In fact, it is very likely that it would be the people themselves to demand the introduction of martial law and a military based One World Government.

  7. Brian Crissey
    Mill Spring, NC
    April 16, 2012, 10:31 pm

    These fear-based speculations are all so inept. If aliens intended us harm, they would have harmed us. We are still here. Our solar system is less than 5 billion years old in a universe that is maybe 13 billion years old. They have probably always known about us. With that big of a head start, they will have explored space, leaving their mark. They probably helped create our species. It is most likely that we are here because they have protected us from the harm that we have been doing to our planet. Relax. Nothing good comes from fear.

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  12. 666
    Novosibirsk Yarn
    February 12, 2012, 6:26 pm

    the last 4 months we prepare ourself to all eventuality about this alien attack!!they will come soon..the next 6 months everybody will see Nibiru without special photo filter! at this moment next october or november they will come to make what they already did 4000 years ago! they will use pyramide like approch instruments and they will come not in peace but for stole our life…

  13. Richard Smith
    Warrenton, Or. USA
    January 9, 2012, 3:53 pm

    If aliens come here to use us as food I’m going on an all out blitz to convince them that Canadians are very tasty compaired to U.S. folks.

  14. Doc
    January 8, 2012, 6:48 am

    My Oppion is that Aliens truly don’t care about us because they most likely have there own problems to deal with like and intergalatic war with another Alien Species or they are more concern how there own world is doing or something like that or they may think that they are alone in the universe and may be infact happy just knowing we exist so it may also turn out that aliens may want to be friends too. I am just saying that aliens may not just want to exterminate us just because of our exististance. PS sorry for any spelling mistakes.

  15. faisal
    January 2, 2012, 10:53 am

    When & why the aliens attack on us?
    where they live?

  16. joe
    November 10, 2011, 10:22 pm

    @ mike. people have ant farms you do realize that right?

  17. rishabh
    November 6, 2011, 1:13 am

    if dere are aliens then we r more complex than them we send msg to them in about years and they also reply in same period of tym so aliens are simple

  18. kymbra
    aurora, colorado
    October 9, 2011, 10:30 am

    Do they have proof of actual aliens though?

  19. Mike
    October 8, 2011, 2:01 pm

    It always amuses me that you (and I) place so much importance on yourselves. We could be akin to alge on a pond to the universe….we have no way of knowing. As far as alien contact? Stop and ask yourselves this. How many times have you went into your yard and attempted to communicate with the ants? Did you try to peacefully help them build a better enviroment? With your strength and knowledge, you could have advanced the ants standard of living what, about 20 billion years or more? Did you?
    No….we thought, damn, I hate those things, they bite. And you exterminated them.

  20. Ryan Artus
    September 26, 2011, 6:23 am

    A very interesting notion that would seem absurd from many peoples point of view; however the discussion of extra-terrestrial life is actually one of the most rational and intelligent conversation anyone could ever have. (mathematically speaking their are millions of planets with ET life)

    Has anyone ever considered the negative consequences the dicovery of ET’s would have on a philosophical/existential Point of View. (how would different Religions respond; everything they believe would be thrown into foolishness..would’nt it?)

    To me that seems like the most unthinkable, interesting, and most extroadinary implication of the discovery or encounter with Extra-terrestrial life!

    Any thoughts?

  21. Arun Hari Kahaduwaarachchi
    Colombo, Sri Lanka.
    September 16, 2011, 8:53 am

    Some aliens in some stellar systems might be lower than us in intelligence, but in some planets there could be humanoids homologous with us or far more superior than us.
    But in the human history, ET beings who had had contacts with humans were all benevolent to the mankind. We the humans called them angels or gods.

  22. Jessica
    September 16, 2011, 5:41 am

    I think there are aliens becasue if we are the only life forms in the Galaxy then thats a waste if space.

  23. Aliens wont kill us
    September 15, 2011, 2:47 pm

    Aliens wont do the hard work of killing us…they will wait awhile till we kill each other over… land. religion, skin color etc.

  24. Josh
    September 15, 2011, 10:14 am

    Aliens is living organisms outside of our planet. The farthest galaxy we have seen is 13 billion light years away. I’d say there is more than a 100% chance of other life existing one one of those planets uhhh i don’t even think they have a name for a number with that many digits away :P If aliens were to invade us they would have to come from our solar system no where else unless they were immortal and never died because it would take billions of lifetimes for their arrival so the dust from their bones wouldn’t even make it

  25. nsclassified
    September 14, 2011, 11:40 am

    a field of cows are minding their buisness doing wht cows do when they see the weekly wagon comming once again to take one or more of them away. wondering if they(the ones chosen that week) are going to a better choice cut feild or weither they are going on a vacation.they argue amongst themselves when 2 strange cows from the other feild come by to imform them of the reality on what realy happens and what they realy do to them. they are mocked and thrown out of the field. the possibility of aliens on their way. wake up sheeple. they are already here. want to know what realy is going on and who controls the masses. follow the money.starting from a religious point or going in all balls.the end result is the same. we are being manipulated and controled by a few .the illuminati has an agenda and we better be ready to live with much less. im no conspiracy nut but better to be prepared to not be prepared at all.everything frm elennin to planet x to globel warming and the economy. scare tatics to keep our eyes off the truth. the truth they are keeping from us in order to keep us like sheep. i say we take up and bare arms and fight the world elite. its time for change. we the people of earth demand to know the truth. but this is just my opinion. keep ur kids in school being tought lies. keep working for the man. keep payin the man taxes.. bahh bahh sheeple..bahh bahh

  26. Islandboy
    September 13, 2011, 7:16 pm

    Who else found the article hillarous!!…lol… so we’re analyzing what could possibly happen when ETI’s enter our world?? hahaha… oh hey guess what, lets invite em over for tea!!

  27. Andrew Weightman
    September 13, 2011, 9:43 am

    It seems to me,that we cannot guess what the intentions of any alien race would be. If they exist,then they are ALIEN. How do we know what they want? We can’t. Their motives would be most likely incomprehensible to us,just as ours would be to them. For that reason,I would find them frightening. Trying to understand them would be like trying to understand the mindset of a sea urchin. You just CAN’T.

  28. KBaller
    September 12, 2011, 4:58 pm

    If an alien race was advanced enough to travel to another dimension or through space/time. Then why would they want to enslave such an inferior species. With that kind of knowledge/intelligence one would be inclined to think that the species had evolved past violence and into a more productive, collective consciousness. That is evident by, species being able to survive and rapidly evolve to a point without self-destruction. Also, I’m sure the Earth’s signature has changed multiple times through her lifespan and will continue to change with or without us.

  29. LucienAlexandreMarion
    September 12, 2011, 3:22 pm

    In the sacred books, there are many refferences about such objects that we are talking about here … unidendified…Texts in a language of images in some Scriptures of very old ancient books or in stones carved and also found in Archeology Researches and those discoveries were by eminent Scientists like the ones discovered in Palenque as an example and some dated Millenniums of years back … The big problem is that there are so many hoaxes and urban legends and if someone saw in person such as described and would come public with what they saw or experienced almost all would say it was a hoax or wouldn’t believe and usually the only proofs are photos and films and with today’s technology , again the photos and films can be fixed. Even supposed witnesses can tell lies…; If I may say, those who have experienced such visions or experiences or claimed to have been abducted by some entities in some cases those entities might have been of different kinds …if they really exits… and that the events really happened…Maybe in general, Human Species are not ready for the encounter… Time will tell…There are so many theories…and I know some honest people that had such experiences of seeing a UFO and at a very closed range to describe it with precision and are affraid to tell it publically because they know they would be ridiculed…

  30. christopher
    September 12, 2011, 12:40 pm

    gostei muito dos videos e imagens

  31. [...] article from National Geographic: “When Aliens Attack” asks what would really happen if aliens made contact with humans in light of the fact that humans [...]

  32. abhijeet tomar
    September 12, 2011, 10:41 am

    heyyyyy .the us government is clever in case of the ufo’s seen in the late 40 to late 80″s . they had captured some ufo:s and aliens dead bodies on the crash site and hiding this news from the world.there were many incidents regarding this . they put research on ufo in there secret and prohibited area that is THE AREA 51 .. yes , which has been in news and press earlier…. the us government keeps this secret why???? when we will come to know this …

  33. Lucien Alexandre Marion
    September 12, 2011, 9:45 am

    What would be the perspective of our Authorities if someone would have reported a space vehicule in the sky in the night, ( a real UFO ) making no noise and that it was true and not a hoax…and that this person would be very credible and not on drugs etc!!!

  34. Yes, it is reality. Just not YOURS apparently.
    September 7, 2011, 8:47 pm

    Are you kidding me? Although conventional travel limits us with a cosmic horizon, what about the possibility of alien races possessing FTL travel/communications? They could arrive at our doorstep en masse almost instantaneously. We’ve had civilizations for mere thousands of years, do not think for one second that that is an insurmountable amount of time. There could be races out there that have been going strong for millions, if not billions of years. Don’t be so close-minded before you know what you’re actually talking about Mr. Canadian.

  35. lucey
    September 7, 2011, 10:30 am

    Look by in our history. The Old Testament talks about the flying wheel in the sky. The pyramids all ovef the world have hieroglyphics of saucers and more. There are places like the Nazca LInes in peru. There is archaeology around the world such as Easter Island, sumaria and also they found a past ciivilizations up to twelve thousand years old with structures. Also in peru there is a mountaintop fortress constructed with laser-like tools. There are so many other archaeology all over the world that humans could not have done on thier own There is paintings with ufo’s in it. There accusations about Germany and ufo’s and other technology they aquired when a ufo went down in Black Forrest back in 1938. There is so much out there that looks like aliens have been around a lot longer than we know. Other Religions talke about ufo’s in there past art like the Hindu’s. Hindu is the oldest religion with painting. Look at our technology in the past 100 years. Now look at technology in the past Hundreds year big difference. The government knows all about aliens and hybrids and the aliens get us humans (abductions all over the WORLD. Maybe one day we will know. My Opinion only.

  36. its reality
    September 1, 2011, 9:16 pm

    Face it you people the galaxy let alone other galaxies are far too distance for any civilization to find us. You poor people want to satisfy your naive ideas that either they will punish us for our deeds against earth or benefit us to relieve society from its burdens. Face it, you people do the work to benefit earth and dont lie lazily around wishing for aliens to do it. WAKE UP

  37. Dave
    September 1, 2011, 9:09 pm

    I disagree that aliens have noticed the earth. Our electronic signature has only been broadcast for about 100 years.Considering that the Milky way is 100,000 light years in diameter, NO civilization would notice anything about our small planet now that we haven’t noticed about a planet within 100 light years from here with our current technology. Granted they may have luckily discovered Earth with some explorer ships that will never return to their home planet due to distance and the very extreme outlay of energy. I conceive that within maybe a 1000 years we may be exploring other planets, but it is impossible to imagine ANY civilization that isn’t within our 20000 light-years of here (our quarter of the galaxy) to mount any expeditions to this small planet.

  38. tabatha
    August 31, 2011, 11:46 pm


  39. A-Difference
    Orlando, FL
    August 31, 2011, 8:45 am

    Ok, for those media inflators. Think about this, lets say that Extraterrestrial Life did exist among our galaxy which I believe does, since on earth we speak of sightings of UFO’s. Meaning they are much superior than us humans. If these beings from another galaxy/world, are in fact smarter than us, which they most likely are. Then they have spotted us already, and are watching us. The same we do with other countries on Earth, we spy on them without them being notified. Remember im not trying to change anyones opinion or decision in the matter, but think outside the box for a second. I believe in The Lord Jesus with all my heart, but my mind wants to expand the knowledge. Ok, so what if in fact these superior life-forms were the first to inhabit the planet, and what if as our species began to develope over a period of time, they decided to leave and to watch us to see if our civilizations to exist among on another. But as time goes on, we constently defy ourselfves by killing and throwing ourselves in pointless wars thus proving ourselves to the life-forms that we are not worthy of this beautiful planet and that we will one day destroy our home, unless we get help. I know someone will write to this talking trash so to you, this is only an opinion not something im trying to prove. Just think past our corrupt minds. Im only 17 an di already think past the minds of adults. Cmon people. BTW- im in school so im bored.

  40. Dr. John
    Ottawa, Canada
    August 30, 2011, 3:55 pm

    I find it most interesting that in the thousands of stories of “alien abduction” in different countries and cultures none of these encounters are positive or benevolent. Most involve some form of rape or the subject being subjected to painful tests or extractions of fluids etc and are outright horrifying. Whether any of them are real or not cannot be verified although a few cases have interesting corroborating evidence. Jacques Vallee a major UFO investigator who investigated many UFO phenomena for decades (portrayed as the Frenchman in the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind) came to the conclusion after listening to many testimonies of abductees, that virtually all of the encounters resembled something much more akin to demonology and supernatural evil forces rather than a benevolent extraterrestrial race landing in a spaceship from another planet making contact with us. He concluded that the evidence overwhelmingly does not support visitation from Outer Space and if they are real, whatever they are they are certainly not benevolent.

  41. Paris
    August 29, 2011, 5:31 pm

    The Evil ET Scenario is a giant psy-op campaign to malign the benevolent extraterrestrial groups ALREADY here on earth and ALREADY having cooperated with the major governments of the USA, Russia, China and many European countries. The clandestine forces keeping the cover on this fundamental truth are spreading lies and disinformation in order to distort the human perception to prevent a friendly meeting. This is also part of the ongoing preparatory material for the imminent Fake Alien Invasion, a scenario orchestrated by secret human militarized groups who are well aware of ET technologies and truths. Beware the lies and they are all lies.

  42. Dr Woo Hoo
    August 29, 2011, 4:12 pm

    Watch that Futurama episode where they eat the eggs of Lurr’s species. Then you get probably the BEST you can expect if we encounter another intelligent species.

  43. Leonidus
    August 29, 2011, 1:08 am

    you: this is blasphemy, this is MADNESS!
    me: madness? THIS IS SPARTA!!!!

  44. Saving the planet « The Ladder
    August 28, 2011, 9:13 am

    [...] read in the National Geographic that scientists have recently speculated that if aliens did come to blow up Earth, they might do so [...]

  45. Lee2416
    August 26, 2011, 11:40 pm

    If an alien race was able to travel the distance between the stars, they would look at us the same way we look at the ants, or a zebra heard that has overgrazed the land.

    CO2 is a trace gase, think about it. Mnt St Helens blew more stuff into the atmosphere than we have done in decades. We are still here. The more CO2 there is the bigger the crop yield, the warmer the planet the wetter it will be. Look at the geological record.

    It is funny that the Hollywood screen writers now work at NASA. It is just as likely the aliens will love whats going on and join in, after all a space faring race mostlikely went through its own industrial age. Maybe they plan to use Earth as a landfill?

  46. will
    Cleveland, OH
    August 25, 2011, 1:54 pm

    Who would want to communicate with us? If you was my next door neighbor and I saw you always fighting amongst your own family do you really think I would want to come over for dinner to get to know you? To much war in the world for anyone to even want to take us seriously. So just assume if they coming here they coming to save our planet. because as long as there big business it won’t be saved.

  47. kingsley
    August 24, 2011, 6:03 pm

    There has been no prove scientificslly of any of such much more advance prototype whose DNA differs from ours.So lets stop lying to ourselves or better stil, if we fret they will intervain due to global warming and attack us, then lets stop green house gas and correct global warming or talk about something better other than this global blunder…

  48. GG
    August 24, 2011, 3:42 pm

    If they are numerous individuals most likely will happen what usually happens when races/species first collide. One will use natural selection, compete for a better state and for the resources and ultimately achieve it and the other species will be in disadvantage. It happened ever since we dealt with Neanderthals and other hominids during the ice age and prehistory, with the discovery of America by C. Columbus and it will happen again if we are faced by a superior/ homologous species.

  49. awang
    August 24, 2011, 1:23 pm

    i agree with you,
    humans eradicated from the planet because we’re making a mess of our own ecosystem
    save the world

  50. Will
    August 24, 2011, 12:38 pm

    Instead of starting out assuming that WE will be confronted by ETIs, let’s assume that we ARE the ETIs. In a thousand years, we may discover a comparatively primitive race of ETIs on a far-off planet, and what would we do? It would be the most significant event in human history, and as such, why would we be violent? Contact would be established, technologies traded, and we would study each other.
    So why would any ETIs act differently? Humans value life too much to destroy an entire race for the better good of the galaxy. Instead, we would help them onto the right track, so to speak, and if we, as the ETIs in this story, are benevolent, what’s to say any other ETIs would be violent?

    That’s my take on things. I’m probably wrong, taking into account the likely differences in psychology, brain chemistry, and the presence of a different social system, due to the dissimilar conditions possible on a different planet.

  51. David Anderson
    August 24, 2011, 3:27 am

    I wouldn’t worry about alien invasion. I think the cowboys and indians (sic) will save us!

  52. dave
    August 23, 2011, 12:17 pm

    I have an idea, the state of the environment around our planet may be at the implied suggestion of our next new neighbors. They may have left the idea of Industry with us to assist them in generating the right environment for Them! They let us do the work while they sat back an observed. The Ultimate extra terestrial couch potatoes. We will be in good company!

  53. Dez
    Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha
    August 23, 2011, 10:38 am

    Rob, I agree. Bypasses need to be built. Douglas Adams was right on point and I think little white mice are behind the whole scheme to figure out the meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything. Just remember, the answer is 42.

  54. Mitch Speechley
    Toronto Ontario Canada
    August 22, 2011, 4:18 pm

    Just the idea of a intelligence that is capable of crossing the mass distance of space to reach earth should present the conclusion that a intelligence of that stamina would not need anything we have, being 1000′s or even millions of years more advanced then us these life forms could most likely convert elements. My best guess would be if a intelligence that great did know that we are here it would be equivalent to us knowing that a ant hill is 5 miles from where we are standing. meaning, yea we could destroy the ant hill but whats the point i have better things to do.

  55. Angela
    New Mexico
    August 22, 2011, 2:51 pm

    Why is it that when the suggestion is made that when our conscious mind begins to recognize Alien beings, it is assumed they are to be violent? I feel they are going to be BENEVOLENT!!

  56. skullkiller
    sterling hts michigan
    August 22, 2011, 2:27 pm

    why would they attack us it would probably be the first time they have met other life forms so why would they destroy it???????????

  57. Eric
    August 22, 2011, 10:22 am

    The kind of intelligence capable of space travel would also require passive cooperation and an inquisitive mind. If an alien looked simply to conquer or feed they would have already destroyed themselves, as we are!

  58. Zombieduck
    PNW in my Bat Cave
    August 21, 2011, 7:09 pm

    Perhaps the ET’s like our art and want to enjoy our Culture. The ET’s have been listening to our radio broadcasts and watching our television broadcasts for a long time. ET’s maybe fans of Beethoven, Mozart, Elvis, BB King etc. They could have watched PBS shows about Monet, Degas, Davinci etc and would like to meet us.

  59. Saa
    August 21, 2011, 6:50 pm

    This is total media hype. If they are post singualrity,energy is satisfied withcnanotech, minerals from asteroids mined with robots…all manual labour replaced ny robots…them, probably synthetic conscious machine that operate vairous avatars or bodies….if you consider simulation….having giant solar collectors could feed a giant self organizing quantum computer…and they could simulate millions of planets for their inhabitants…

    In other words, they would have no need to invade….and we would not be a threat…because more likely….we will go through a predictable path vas well….just in order to survive…and go through the singularity….since this will be a realm of thought….the only difference wil be body…..

    They would more likely assimilate us, o incorporate our thought process,since it would be just as effortless as annhailating us by sending a couple nuclear bombs due to robotics.

    This study makes absolutely no f sense,

    I think this study just shows our anthropogenic bias and media hype that could have been bested easily by a bunch of physics students getting stoned In college.


  60. [...] TimesGlobal warming 'could trigger alien attack'TG -The Atlantic -National Geographicall 76 news articles » Source: Sci/Tech – Google News Tags: Bit Torrent, [...]

  61. harvey
    August 20, 2011, 3:14 am

    in philippines, many aliens are spotted on cities

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  63. Jane
    August 19, 2011, 7:12 pm

    What makes you so sure there are “ALIENS”? Have you seen them? What do they look like? I totally agree with Harry! Nuff-said.

  64. Harry
    August 19, 2011, 4:38 pm

    This is clearly messed up .. There isn’t a confirmed scientific proof the Extraterrestrial living organism exist. Thus we can’t conclude to an end.
    Me and My research team in the university of Physic in Mandalay would like to state clearly that this is a Media Inflation.

  65. Limey
    Crested Butte
    August 19, 2011, 3:44 pm

    Thank you for de-jargonizing and nicely summarizing this important paper earthlings, this will significantly help us make up our minds about how we should proceed.Your co-operation is appreciated although we will not make any promises at this point.

  66. [...] atmosphere could … Aliens Could Attack Earth to End Global Warming, NASA Frets Fox News When Aliens Attack: Would ET Eat Us, Enslave Us, or Exterminate Us for the … National [...]

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  68. Rob
    August 19, 2011, 1:10 pm

    Nice refetence to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.