What if we Discovered Alien Life

[New Alaxia]

Certainly algae-like life forms live on other worlds...life forms that fill a similar niche in the ecology.

On other worlds with trees or at least tree analogues you might even find brachiating aliens that look remarkably like simians or apes.

The genes simply produce a best fit fill for the mould offered by an ecology...convergent evolution happens on earth too...the tenrec shrew and eurasian shrew are good examples.
Tenrecs are taxonomically related to elephants and hyraxes unlike true Eurasian 'shrews'.
But both look the same because they share a similar mode of life...they had evolved into the same ecological niches..hunting insects and other small animals.

Oh yeah? Well if evolution is so smart how come it didn't invent the wheel?

Don't talk to me about tumbleweeds. No axle, it's not a wheel.

Because the wheel is not a living organism. If you are being sarcastic, OK. If not-

[Zathganastan]

Well, I think the world would be divided in half honestly. You'd have all these nerds and geeks out there (like me ) who would just absolutely go INSANE with awe and ecstasy.

Then you'd have a scenario much like that in the book Saucer by Stephen Coonts. Religion would literally go bunk. It makes you wonder sometimes if there really is life out there and the governments just don't tell us because they're all chicken turkey of the effects such a discovery would have on religion, education, even their illusion of control over a country.

At least, that's just my opinion.

As Orson Welles once broadcasted, "With infinite complacence people went to and fro over the Earth about their little affairs, serene in the assurance of their dominion over this small spinning fragment of solar drift-wood which, by chance or design, man has inherited out of the dark mystery of Time and Space."

Why, exactly would "Religion go bunk"?

Yes we have to remember that throughout time there have been deeply religious people that believe there are aliens out there.

[Mostrov]

If we encounter intelligent Aliens they will likely be more advanced then us, considering the time that it has taken for humanity to advance to our current technology means there is a large area in which the technological aptitude of these hypothetical Aliens will inhabit; of course it is unlikely that we will encounter anything that is technologically less developed due the lack of radio signals. So that leaves us likely to encounter Aliens that are more advanced then we are, and by that its likely that anything we encounter will have godtech levels of advancement. So they either allow us to live or crush us without a problem. Of course for all we know they may 100,000 LY away...

[AiliailiA]

Oh yeah? Well if evolution is so smart how come it didn't invent the wheel?

Don't talk to me about tumbleweeds. No axle, it's not a wheel.

Because the wheel is not a living organism. If you are being sarcastic, OK. If not-

From all those long words Cthag-antil used, I thought they might give me a clever reply. Experience has taught me that teasing scientists is sometimes educational.

Why you replied I have no idea. Why didn't any creature evolve wheels? They seem pretty useful.

[New Alaxia]

Why, exactly would "Religion go bunk"?

Yes we have to remember that throughout time there have been deeply religious people that believe there are aliens out there.

Religion would probably go on, but the "bible is all true" people's heads would probably just explode on the spot.

[Zathganastan]

If we encounter intelligent Aliens they will likely be more advanced then us, considering the time that it has taken for humanity to advance to our current technology means there is a large area in which the technological aptitude of these hypothetical Aliens will inhabit; of course it is unlikely that we will encounter anything that is technologically less developed due the lack of radio signals. So that leaves us likely to encounter Aliens that are more advanced then we are, and by that its likely that anything we encounter will have godtech levels of advancement. So they either allow us to live or crush us without a problem. Of course for all we know they may 100,000 LY away...

Or long since dead from unknown causes.You have to remember that it would take very long amounts of time for a signal to reach earth while the civilization that made it could be under attack.

[Devious Imposters]

I hope more like Star Wars. I look good in basic black. And hats! Everybody gets a hat! Or or fuzzy cat ears!
In all actuality we would still fight with each...... Are they friendly or not. Religious groups would deny they exist saying that its just a test of faith from god.
People in power would use it to gain more power, To protect us or to free us whatever fits the bill .
Over night the tinfoil hat people would be "our new experts" writing books with that, I told you so attitude.
As for the weak, they would do as the weak always do, follow . But they would all have hats..hehe

[Zathganastan]

Yes we have to remember that throughout time there have been deeply religious people that believe there are aliens out there.

Religion would probably go on, but the "bible is all true" people's heads would probably just explode on the spot.

But it's not all true the bible was written by the followers of Christ and there for is bond not to be correct on everything.You'd think that the zealous religious people would know that.

[Farnhamia]

If we encounter intelligent Aliens they will likely be more advanced then us, considering the time that it has taken for humanity to advance to our current technology means there is a large area in which the technological aptitude of these hypothetical Aliens will inhabit; of course it is unlikely that we will encounter anything that is technologically less developed due the lack of radio signals. So that leaves us likely to encounter Aliens that are more advanced then we are, and by that its likely that anything we encounter will have godtech levels of advancement. So they either allow us to live or crush us without a problem. Of course for all we know they may 100,000 LY away...

Or long since dead from unknown causes.You have to remember that it would take very long amounts of time for a signal to reach earth while the civilization that made it could be under attack.

It would take about as many years as they are separated from us in light-years. But ... who would be attacking them?

[Tsarsgrad]

How appropriate. I'm watching close encounters of the third kind right now.

I'm watching The Day the Earth Stood Still. Quite ironic.

Anyway, I personally think that they would have to be either be very benevolent, or very malevolent. No middle ground. We are either screwed or safe. I don't believe that Religion would be seriously impacted, because the Papacy released a statement saying that such an enncounter was possible, and Hindus would feel more vindicated than shocked.

[Ifreann]

Xenophiles will start masturbating in the streets about the idea of benevolent and advanced aliens solving all of humanities problems with applied phlebotinum. Xenophobes will start polishing their guns in preparation for alien invasion. Pornographers will start salivating at the idea of a new fetish they can start pandering to, and possibly new media technology they can adopt. Ultimately we'll probably do little more than exchange greatly delayed messages back and forth, accomplishing little.

[New Alaxia]

Because the wheel is not a living organism. If you are being sarcastic, OK. If not-

From all those long words Cthag-antil used, I thought they might give me a clever reply. Experience has taught me that teasing scientists is sometimes educational.

Why you replied I have no idea. Why didn't any creature evolve wheels? They seem pretty useful.

Sorry, I didn't know you wanted an honest answer. I thought you were just trolling. The answer is that, in the course of the evolutionary cycle, wheels were never a successful adaptation that would allow the organism to survive and reproduce more easily, and so, any animal that did evolve wheels would have promptly gone extinct because of their unsuitable adaptation.

[Zathganastan]

Or long since dead from unknown causes.You have to remember that it would take very long amounts of time for a signal to reach earth while the civilization that made it could be under attack.

It would take about as many years as they are separated from us in light-years. But ... who would be attacking them?

Does it matter or do we really want to know, look at mass affect, the Reapers so up every 100,000 years our so just to destroy all life in the galaxy for some reason.

[New Alaxia]

Religion would probably go on, but the "bible is all true" people's heads would probably just explode on the spot.

But it's not all true the bible was written by the followers of Christ and there for is bond not to be correct on everything.You'd think that the zealous religious people would know that.

You'd think so, wouldn't you?

[Dumb Ideologies]

I would declare the entire scenario too silly and then teleport human germs directly into their Parliament to teach the universe to be more sensible in future.

[The Alma Mater]

Religion would probably go on, but the "bible is all true" people's heads would probably just explode on the spot.

But it's not all true the bible was written by the followers of Christ and there for is bond not to be correct on everything.You'd think that the zealous religious people would know that.

But imagine what would happen if the aliens look like goatmen, with horns and barbed tails
(see: childhoods end).

[Zathganastan]

But it's not all true the bible was written by the followers of Christ and there for is bond not to be correct on everything.You'd think that the zealous religious people would know that.

But imagine what would happen if the aliens look like goatmen, with horns and barbed tails
(see: childhoods end).

Well me personal, I would say cool then go home to watch TV.

[Genivaria]

Aliens!? TIME TO CONQUER!

[Ecans]

It would cause a tremendous change to our collective worldview.

Most religions would experience a major re-think (or a massive do over) of their doctrine. Scientists would be lined up to analyze alien progress in their fields.

The "others" must be more advanced than us (assuming what we receive isn't just their version of I Love Lucy) so the messages, if that's what we get vs. a personal visit, must have a profound impact. A personal visit would be many magnitudes greater. It would indicate that the light speed limit isn't what we think it is.

Even if the message consists of their earliest broadcasting efforts and that’s all we get, confirmation that our huge universe is not a massive waste of space and we are not alone would be enough to rekindle our efforts to reach out and explore. I can only hope it happens in my lifetime!

[LoL island]

given our track record when it comes to new people and things, we'd find some way to fuck it up, leading to what i feel District 9-2 will be, our total destruction/ enslavement of the human race

[Lucantis]

Maybe they are peaceful and already found us.

[Great Nepal]

Maybe they are peaceful and already found us.

Maybe they are in orbit, cloaked - reading this post and scared on how we detected them....

[Ecans]

Maybe they are peaceful and already found us.

That's possibly very true. If they are sufficiently advanced they would know what happens to less technically developed cultures when they collide. Staying in the background and perhaps subtlety "nudging" us along would be a wiser policy. At least until we are better prepared for the shock.

[Dumb Ideologies]

Maybe they are peaceful and already found us.

Maybe they are in orbit, cloaked - reading this post and scared on how we detected them....

DRAT.

The human is on to us!

[Great Nepal]

Maybe they are in orbit, cloaked - reading this post and scared on how we detected them....

DRAT.

The human is on to us!

Now they are going to kidnap all of us... run...