If nothing else developed from the talks, then yes.
But if it started a new conversation with academics, if it opened trade opportunities, if it brought meaningful new technology, it would dominate world discussion for decades.
But if it was a single message sent at the speed of light and we had to wait 50 years for our reply to get back to them, and then 50 more years to hear any more communication....
Yeah, nobody's going to remember that happened.
It's not because of a lack of interest. It's not because we "get used" to things to quickly. It's because it doesn't matter. Like, alright. So aliens are real. Aliens have secretly been communicating with all the world's government.
So... What actually changes?
Is this new information going to fix the housing market? Is capitalism going to change? How is this information going to change corporations squeezing everything dry? Aliens being confirmed is awesome, wondrous news! But... How will I, an average dude, be part of it? What is the point if I wake up tomorrow and everything around me is still the same? Wars are still the same, religions are still the same, the economy, hell, even the information these aliens bring to Earth, only benefits the top 1%.
If I still have to work a shitty job just to barely afford living in a single room, what difference does knowing aliens exist make?
Depends on how attractive the aliens are.
Dude. We already know they’re hot chicks and looking for the continuum transfunctioner.
It wasn't that long ago that the US Government acknowledged that UFO's are real and people barely noticed.
source?
For a month, we'd talk about aliens. Then, we'd talk about Trump or Musks latest shit takes about aliens.
I think 80% of the world would look up, go "huh. Well, anyway..."
The remaining 20% would be split at either side of the spectrum, with 10% on one side freaking out and trying to whip the 80% into a frenzy, while the last 10% would be a mix of, "PLEASE TAKE ME WITH YOU DON'T LEAVE ME HERE PLEASE", "HnnnnnnNNNGGG IM COOOOOOMING", and "Why do we all have to wear these ridiculous ties?"
Yeah, I think there’d be the initial shock of it, but we’ve been pretty well primed as a society for the idea that, yes, life probably exists and it may already be here. So if it turned out they were just communicating with governments, it’d be like, “Oh, so they’re not even here? Huh, that’s… cool… I guess.” Communications would likely only ever come in every few years, so it’d more just be a matter of us having received a signal from intelligent life. Still be cool though, but shrugs would be the general response.
life probably exists and it may already be here.
I don't think many would disagree with that.
It depends, I would say. If the aliens ask unpleasant questions, they would probably be talked about and reported on continuously. Like:
Alien Ambassador: "Why are you destroying your habitat with your eyes open? We don't understand. Your scientists have proven beyond doubt that you will become extinct if you don't fundamentally change your ways. Why don't you care at all?"
Continuous headlines:
"Aliens want to ban humanity from traveling"
"Space fascists want to raise gas prices"
"Go home job-stealing aliens: How outer world wokeness is destroying {any given country}"
...
"The only alien I accept is Jesus Christ."
cocks shotgun
"Now it's time for you to phone home."
Hard disagree. Yes, all the other crazy bullshit would continue, but aliens are here among us isn’t something that would just go away.
Will I have to keep going to work? Then it doesn't change my linfe enough for me to care so much. I know it's a bad thought but life is hard for individuals and it's hard to care to for aliens if they are not helping feed the kids
Within a month, corporations would try to monetize the aliens somehow.
Oh, wow, you’re totally gonna love Star Trek when you finally see all 58 years of the shows and films. Then there’s Dr. Who and Star Wars…
Sci-fi has been a very profitable genre for at least 60 years. Arguably over 150. From Jules Verne to Gene Roddenberry to George Lucas and Russel T Davies, the imagination of humanity has been ignited— even stoked to wildfire - by these visionaries.
And they’ve existed and continued far beyond the realm of simple profit, as many times, they weren’t profitable. Yet they endure.
Ad astra per aspera— through adversity, we reach for the stars.
I'm with you. Yes, people acclimate to all kinds of things, but sentient aliens are going to take more than a few days.
Idk. A few years ago the US Government released videos of UFOs taken by US Fighter Pilots, and the conversation about the videos didn't even last a day.
The clue is in the name. The U stands for unidentified, which means you don't know what it is, which does not in turn mean that it's aliens. The only thing those videos proved was that someone's camera recorded something weird. Prove that those weird things were actually aliens and not some obscure sensor glitch or weather phenomenon or a secret government tech demo, then we'll freak out.
I remember watching them and the conversation about them. But that's different than proof and admission that sentient alien life exists. It's one thing to suspect while also having other possible explanations (could be secret tech that we or adversary nations developed, could be sensor errors or optical illusions) and another for the president to be like "I want you to meet ambassador Xlurg"
People will absolutely have a hard shit about it when it happens, but I think that, after so much sci-fi exposure in our culture, humanity (or, most of it) would be able to wrap their heads around the idea of extra-terrestrial aliens. Unfortunately, a lot would probably just see them the same way they see any other “aliens”, and be xenophobic (or exoxenophobic as the case may be) jerks about it.
Yeah. It would trigger a shit storm in 10 years time we wouldn't spend all day every day talking about the day we found out aliens existed, we would be talking about the ongoing wars arising as a result of their tech or some other thing.
I think something this momental would make it so that the world won't allow us to forget even if the news does. Think about it. Imagine the fallout that would follow finding out that we're not alone in the universe, that there's something out there way smarter than us and have been in contact with our government. How did contact the government? How long have they been in contact? Are they here already? People would probably go a little bit crazy initially. Doomsday peppers would stock up, like what happened during covid, religious fanatics would probably go haywire because what if aliens had something to do with shaping religion? Then there's the scientific stuff. How are they comminicating? How can the government keep contact? There'd probably be people calling the government into question because how can they hide something so momental from is for however long they have? Then the other governments of the world to. What would they say? Would they be contact to? Would they start fighting because they're not in contact and want to be? I think the world would go crazy enough that'd we'd feel the effects for a while and definately longer than until Halloween.
This makes me feel bad. But to be fair humans are generally really adaptable. And don't confuse what the news is talking about with what people are thinking.
Well written, OP.
Thanks!
But don't feel too badly. Honestly, it's almost a good thing. Without someone stoking the fires of hatred, that same adaptability means that we're super capable of accepting each other.
Aliens would be so confused if they tried communicating with the white house.
December: "Ahoy-hoy!"
January: "New pres, who dis?"
Aliens: "Huh?"
stupid aliens never heard of jobs or mortality apparently!
General population: I do agree with you. They'd be looking at the next shiney new celebrity scandal or whatever. But there would also be some people who would act like a dog with a bone and not lose interest in the aliens. Scientists and UFOlogists and such.
General population: I do agree with you. They'd be looking at the next shiney new celebrity scandal or whatever.
I'm not sure I even believe that. I mean look how much generative AI is dominating the conversation, despite being garbage. I think aliens would have a similar ability to dominate conversation, even for the general public.
Shit I'm just a regular dude but I'd be absolutely enthralled with the notion of aliens.
Absolutely, but the general populace has so much information thrown at them all day, every day, I really do think most people would just move on from it, because our brains just can't handle everything all at once. Unless there's some specific reason to think about it, we'd move on to the things that impact us more directly.
It reminds me of that thing they do on Jimmy Kimmel, where they ask people about fake news stories, and the people invent answers. It's funny and all, but they do that because it's considered embarrassing not to know about the whatever the fuck insane thing the news just threw at us, while also there being so much of it that it's impossible to remember everything. Plus, we're super suggestable creatures
Tomorrow? Oh, so you already forgot the announcement from last month? Well, I mean I guess we have a lot of our own stuff going on right now…
/s?
I would hope aliens, being intelligent, would communicate with other humans before they get to government representatives. We'd probably never hear from them again.
There are no new things in the news. It's the same ol tired outrage over and over again. I'm over it. I don't care anymore. It's all engineered to make us unhappy, and angry, and it works. So, I have opted out.
I think it depends on what they have to say…
Honestly; “You’re not alone “ would fuel philosophy for a hundred years…
“Worship our noodles” would start as many holy wars.
“We’ve been trying to reach you about…”
4chan would explode
People would probably be like are they going to pay my bills? No? Whatever.
I absolutely welcome our new alien overlords
❤️ Zebu!
The news media talks about whatever increases shareholder value. That's why they...
T-t-that's why they... always tell the truth, of course!
A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The best ones are thoughts that many people can relate to and they find something funny or interesting in regular stuff.