Official First Contact In 2021! How Would You React?

[Nilrahrarfan]

I'd probably think of Destroy All Humans, to be honest.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

I'd probably think of Destroy All Humans, to be honest.

They wouldn't land if that was their motive.

[Atheris]

Dope.

[San Lumen]

Don;t you think they would have thought about that before arriving on Earth?

No, they wouldn't because they've never been to Earth, so how could they know. The Spanish didn't know when they arrived in the New World, nor did they care.

I would think a civilization advanced enough to travel the stars would plan for such a scenario and to everything possible to avoid it if they haven’t already figured out how to do so

[Atheris]

No, they wouldn't because they've never been to Earth, so how could they know. The Spanish didn't know when they arrived in the New World, nor did they care.

I would think a civilization advanced enough to travel the stars would plan for such a scenario and to everything possible to avoid it if they haven’t already figured out how to do so

It's like the aliens from Signs who are weak to water should not have landed on Earth, a planet made up of 70% water.

[Notallow]

I wouldn't do anything different. My citizens aren't allowed to do anything so nothing different would happen anyway

[La Paz de Los Ricos]

With the way this decade's been going, I'd be surprised if it didn't go the way of TheSunVanished. If that was the case, I'd die immediately.

But OP said this would be peaceful, so I'd probably just watch the news for a while as I let the situation sank in.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

I wouldn't do anything different. My citizens aren't allowed to do anything so nothing different would happen anyway

You have no citizens here, you're just a person typing like the rest of us. Be afraid! General is OOC.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

With the way this decade's been going, I'd be surprised if it didn't go the way of TheSunVanished. If that was the case, I'd die immediately.

But OP said this would be peaceful, so I'd probably just watch the news for a while as I let the situation sank in.

If I understand that scenario, suddenly it's night time and it starts getting colder. But when the sun would normally come up it doesn't, and it gets colder and colder. Within a few days it would be freezing temperature everywhere.

But that's a few days to party, or make amends with old enemies, or whatever it is you dreamed of doing before you die. Why kill yourself?

[Twicetagram and JYPe]

With the way this decade's been going, I'd be surprised if it didn't go the way of TheSunVanished. If that was the case, I'd die immediately.

But OP said this would be peaceful, so I'd probably just watch the news for a while as I let the situation sank in.

The sun vanishing would probably take too long if the trend of humanity stupidity and global warming continue.
An alien Attack would be a fine middle ground. We’ll be torn to pieces, but at least it’s not our fault the Earth is destroyed.

I wouldn't do anything different. My citizens aren't allowed to do anything so nothing different would happen anyway

What country are you from mister President.

[Diahon]

get me, my mom, and everyone else who just wants peace to get out of this planet

away from the dicks who just want people to oppress

that's it, no more suffering

[Nobel Hobos 2]

get me, my mom, and everyone else who just wants peace to get out of this planet

away from the dicks who just want people to oppress

that's it, no more suffering

That might be most people. But I'm sure it's possible: just digitize and store us, then recreate us on some other planet.

(Where we will promptly start a war over the limited supply of toilet paper).

[Diahon]

get me, my mom, and everyone else who just wants peace to get out of this planet

away from the dicks who just want people to oppress

that's it, no more suffering

That might be most people. But I'm sure it's possible: just digitize and store us, then recreate us on some other planet.

(Where we will promptly start a war over the limited supply of toilet paper).

a few eons of nothingness would be nice, no one gets dicked about

it'd be incredibly peaceful, oblivion

[La Paz de Los Ricos]

With the way this decade's been going, I'd be surprised if it didn't go the way of TheSunVanished. If that was the case, I'd die immediately.

But OP said this would be peaceful, so I'd probably just watch the news for a while as I let the situation sank in.

If I understand that scenario, suddenly it's night time and it starts getting colder. But when the sun would normally come up it doesn't, and it gets colder and colder. Within a few days it would be freezing temperature everywhere.

But that's a few days to party, or make amends with old enemies, or whatever it is you dreamed of doing before you die. Why kill yourself?

No, the alternate reality game. Where it's a guy documenting his survival of an alien invasion of Earth? I'm saying I'd get killed quickly and easily in the early beginnings of that invasion. But, come to think of it, your idea is pretty thought-provoking. What would you do if the sun actually went out?

But that's trailing from the main topic. If extraterrestrials landed on Earth and established a peaceful dialogue with humanity, I'd immediately have hope that Star Trek may actually become a reality. That is, for a little while, before the alien embassies get raided by angry humans and whatnot, and drive them off the planet.

[The Alma Mater]

No, they wouldn't because they've never been to Earth, so how could they know. The Spanish didn't know when they arrived in the New World, nor did they care.

I would think a civilization advanced enough to travel the stars would plan for such a scenario and to everything possible to avoid it if they haven’t already figured out how to do so

Though they could be believers in "survival of the fittest". Genuinely believing that strife and suffering causes one to grow; therefor infecting us with all kinds of things to weed out the weak and promote the strong so that our race becomes better.

A bit Thanos like. Or B5 shadows for a more nuanced approach.

[The Archregimancy]

You scenario would be nice, but the reality is that they will bring alien diseases that will wipe out humanity.

You're assuming a compatible biology that means viral and/or bacterial transmission is possible.

In terms of your Spaniards in the New World example, all of the relevant parties were human; that's patently not the case here. While we obviously have inter-species virus transmission on planet Earth (gives a good hard stare at coronavirus and HIV), when it does happen that's between species that share a reasonably similar biochemistry. We can't really assume that's the case with the scenario in the OP (though imagine the fascinating evolutionary implications if we did share enough of a biochemistry with aliens to catch their illnesses).

Likewise, in the reverse H.G. Wells scenario - where our microbes wipe them out - at least all of the relevant parties in that fictional scenario were from the same solar system; which is also not the case here. Though it's not unreasonable to assume that any species capable of regular interstellar space flight alongside other species will have likely resolved the issue of their susceptibility to us.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

I would think a civilization advanced enough to travel the stars would plan for such a scenario and to everything possible to avoid it if they haven’t already figured out how to do so

Though they could be believers in "survival of the fittest". Genuinely believing that strife and suffering causes one to grow; therefor infecting us with all kinds of things to weed out the weak and promote the strong so that our race becomes better.

A bit Thanos like. Or B5 shadows for a more nuanced approach.

Exoeugenics, good sci-fi, really great sci-fi if "all kinds of things" includes memes, historical additions, and slight deviations in the bullets from Lee Harvey Oswald's gun.

Bear with me, I'm quoting the most-quoted part of any Presidential speech. Besides "Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall" I guess.

We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.

Yeah, the others too. Hmm.

[MGTOWia]

You scenario would be nice, but the reality is that they will bring alien diseases that will wipe out humanity.

You're assuming a compatible biology that means viral and/or bacterial transmission is possible.

In terms of your Spaniards in the New World example, all of the relevant parties were human; that's patently not the case here. While we obviously have inter-species virus transmission on planet Earth (gives a good hard stare at coronavirus and HIV), when it does happen that's between species that share a reasonably similar biochemistry. We can't really assume that's the case with the scenario in the OP (though imagine the fascinating evolutionary implications if we did share enough of a biochemistry with aliens to catch their illnesses).

Likewise, in the reverse H.G. Wells scenario - where our microbes wipe them out - at least all of the relevant parties in that fictional scenario were from the same solar system; which is also not the case here. Though it's not unreasonable to assume that any species capable of regular interstellar space flight alongside other species will have likely resolved the issue of their susceptibility to us.

And you're assuming that the aliens wouldn't deliberately introduce viruses or other biological agents engineered to be effective against us. Which would likely require advance scouting of Earth, something an interstellar civilization would probably be able to do.

There's no way to know beforehand if aliens would have malevolent intent.

[The Alma Mater]

There's no way to know beforehand if aliens would have malevolent intent.

Perhaps the important question is: why shouldn't they. We are a species that tortures other species of this planet for entertainment and even have little qualms putting our own in concentration camps or sweatshops.

Were I in the aliens shoes I would nuke from orbit.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

There's no way to know beforehand if aliens would have malevolent intent.

Perhaps the important question is: why shouldn't they. We are a species that tortures other species of this planet for entertainment and even have little qualms putting our own in concentration camps or sweatshops.

Were I in the aliens shoes I would nuke from orbit.

Yet we tolerate and even nurture cats. They do nasty things but since they're not a threat to us, we find them cute.

If we posed to no threat to aliens, they might tolerate us just the same way. Nasty ... but cute.

[Atheris]

Perhaps the important question is: why shouldn't they. We are a species that tortures other species of this planet for entertainment and even have little qualms putting our own in concentration camps or sweatshops.

Were I in the aliens shoes I would nuke from orbit.

Yet we tolerate and even nurture cats. They do nasty things but since they're not a threat to us, we find them cute.

If we posed to no threat to aliens, they might tolerate us just the same way. Nasty ... but cute.

literally the UTP draft from stellaris invicta wtf?

[Nobel Hobos 2]

Yet we tolerate and even nurture cats. They do nasty things but since they're not a threat to us, we find them cute.

If we posed to no threat to aliens, they might tolerate us just the same way. Nasty ... but cute.

literally the UTP draft from stellaris invicta wtf?

Wtf indeed. Seems I re-invented something?

[The Archregimancy]

You're assuming a compatible biology that means viral and/or bacterial transmission is possible.

In terms of your Spaniards in the New World example, all of the relevant parties were human; that's patently not the case here. While we obviously have inter-species virus transmission on planet Earth (gives a good hard stare at coronavirus and HIV), when it does happen that's between species that share a reasonably similar biochemistry. We can't really assume that's the case with the scenario in the OP (though imagine the fascinating evolutionary implications if we did share enough of a biochemistry with aliens to catch their illnesses).

Likewise, in the reverse H.G. Wells scenario - where our microbes wipe them out - at least all of the relevant parties in that fictional scenario were from the same solar system; which is also not the case here. Though it's not unreasonable to assume that any species capable of regular interstellar space flight alongside other species will have likely resolved the issue of their susceptibility to us.

And you're assuming that the aliens wouldn't deliberately introduce viruses or other biological agents engineered to be effective against us.

I am indeed making that assumption.

Largely because that's the precise scenario specifically outlined in the thread OP:

Let's imagine for a moment...a hypothetical scenario. A scenario in which you found out that next year, 2021, will be the year that various extraterrestrial civilizations come to earth to make contact with us humans. When I say contact, I don't mean an invasion like scenario where ETs are coming to take over the planet and enslave or wipe out humankind. I speak of a scenario where multiple different ET civilizations (lets say well over two dozen of them) come to land their crafts in a public location in order to establish open peaceful contact with the human race for the purpose of meeting each other, we as humans finding out we aren't alone in the universe, sharing cultural knowledge, etc.

An OP that you obviously didn't bother to read.

[Stellar Colonies]

The only way that an alien disease or microscopic creature of any sort would be a threat to us is if our bodies were a nice home for them which contained resources that they were able to consume (which is probably unlikely in of itself). They wouldn't infect our cells or anything, the most they'd do is ransack our bodies for tasty treats from the inside out.

You could also have larger creatures which are more analogous to tapeworms and such which could survive in the environments they'd find on Earth and inside us, but they'd be very unlikely to find humans nutritious as a source of food, unless they fed on the smaller organisms mentioned above. They'd just think we were nice warm homes and starve to death within us.

[Thepeopl]

My first reaction would be welcome, second would be asking what they can/ can't eat/ drink. Just as I do with all new guests.

Since I have many people in my life who need a special diet, that's my second nature. Find out what I can safely offer as snack/drink.

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-styl ... 33811.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5837012/

This is a serious issue. I would like to think they have been very careful to maintain a sterile environment in their ships. But their "gut germs" could be lethal for humans/ terrestrial life.

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/worl ... 02283.html

But my curiosity for knowledge about them, their culture and life would be much greater than the fear of death.