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I always get excited when I meet new friends, especially those from exotic places. This is because of the stories, adventures, and things that I could learn from them. I bet some of us are this way too, and so it may come as no surprise that people would want to meet beings from another planet or universe. But before we jump to the conclusion on how getting excited about meeting aliens may not be such a great idea, let's briefly go through some interesting facts that are related to this conversation.
Aliens, not to be confused with folks from other countries, in this case, are extraterrestrial beings that have been speculated to exist. The alien existence is supported by the fact that top government officials, scientists, and notable personalities are talking about it; some documentation is also said to exist; and the sizes and the number of discovered galaxies that could potentially host an alien colony to mention these few.
Moreover, stories on aliens encounter abound everywhere from folks seeing and experiencing things that can either be explained by science or logic. For example, according to witnesses, people vanishing from their backyards for months in what seemed like hours; flashing lights in the sky that just mysteriously disappear; dark skies and places being mysterious lit, and orbs of mysterious origin to mention these few.
These alien stories also comprise topics from the popular Roswell alien space crash to government cover-ups and conspiracy theories, including those pertaining to Area 51. Even celebrities and professional folks have been dragged into the conspiracy on the existence of aliens. A recent notable example is Buzz Aldrin, the second man to step on the Moon, who so many news media have reported to have observed an unidentified flying object (UFO). Others like Paul Allen have donated handsomely to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence organization (SETI) in support of their goals. Donations like this and witnesses like Buzz Aldrin and many others make it difficult to doubt the existence of extraterrestrial beings.
But what if aliens really do exist, how would the world take it? Well, a relatively recent study, though questionable, has indicated that instead of people going crazy, rioting and burning down buildings, that they would rather be cool and positive about it. The study, presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Austin, Texas, indicated that the discovery would have no societal and psychological implications. However, it would not take a rocket scientist to know people's' reaction if aliens showed up battle ready, just saying.
At this point, one can begin to sense the level of interest geared towards the possibility of finding aliens. I don't know about you, but the fact that most folks are willing to act in such a receptive manner, if aliens are discovered, given all the negative and scary stories that have been told of alien encounters, seems strange from my perspective. But again, the result is from a questionable study. Moreover, saying how one would feel and actually feeling that way when an event presents itself are completely different things. Therefore, I will take the study with a grain of salt.
But what I think should seriously bother every one of us is the more realistic and fact-based conclusion, which is the extinction of the Neanderthals relative to the arrival of modern humans. Did we really have a role to play in what happened to the Neanderthals?
And what is the implication if we did? Now, for the sake of the argument, assume that we are the Neanderthals and the migrating aliens are the modern humans? Couldn't we also become extinct regardless of how friendly the aliens may be? But before these questions are answered, let's take a perfunctory look at the relationship between the Neanderthals and the modern humans.
Neanderthals were prominent in Europe and Asia before the migration of modern human from Africa. And now, the 2 continents and all over the world are dominated by modern humans. The extinction of the Neanderthals 40,000 years ago, according to a previous research, is theorized to be because of one or more of the following factors: epidemic, the cultural and intellectual edge of modern humans over Neanderthals, or perhaps due to climate change. However, a relatively recent study, which involves a computer simulation of millions of assumptions, has indicated that the Neanderthals went extinct because modern humans discovered and started migrating to Europe and Asia from Africa. The same study also concludes that modern humans did not have to migrate en masse to make the extinction possible; a trickle would have the same extinction effect.
So it really does beg this line of thought that if the Neanderthals went extinct after the arrival of modern humans, then why are we bent on finding aliens. Could the same thing not happen to modern humans if aliens discovered earth, and in the worst case scenario if the aliens are hostile and more technologically advanced than we are? But I guess the need to find another home planet as quickly as possible, as the natural resources of the earth may soon reach the limit, exceeds the risks of attracting trouble.
Some food for thoughts for our alien hunters out there.
Cindy Alvarez: A writer, researcher and social media enthusiast. I also love science fictions and chess
