Are We Ready for Contact?

There's some interesting discussions going on between Mac Tonnies and Paul Kimball about the possible effects of disclosure, and/or contact with beings from elsewhere in the universe. Much of which was probably spurred by a post by Stuart Miller on his blog.

I think what would happen here on Earth would be likely to be widely varied based on what kind of contact, and where on the planet you were. For instance, as I've said elsewhere, if there were simply a confirmed signal from SETI, it was deemed harmless and too far away for conventional travel, I think most people would forget about it within a couple of weeks. While many of us would debate the ins and outs of it forever, probably, I can't imagine many of the people I work with, for instance, thinking about it for more than 24 hours, at best.

If actual contact were disclosed, either via the government or some other way, I think the reaction would be more severe. People would worry, assign each and every conspiracy in the world to "them" and would probably even assign their own behavior towards "mind control" or from listening to the alien contact in their heads, etc. I think in many cases paranoia would take over.

If ETs came and landed on the White House lawn, I think the reaction might actually be panic in many cases. Particularly if it were seen that they had something to gain from us, by either taking us over or by other means. However, I think many people would realize that if a technologically advanced society wanted to take us over, making open contact probably wouldn't be the first choice of how to do that. Simply doing it would be. Many people wouldn't stop to think, though, I'm sure. The world as they knew it would completely and totally change, and many would assume that the change was not for better.

Anyway, the possibilities are endless when you start thinking through all of the ways that such contact couple play out, but, I'd like to think that most people wouldn't panic given the knowledge that we weren't alone in the universe. There might be some crises of faith, some general worry, but I think it might even be empowering in the end to know that we weren't alone in this big universe.

So, I guess to answer the original question of "are we ready for contact?" I think it entirely depends on the circumstances, but given the right ones, I think so. However, like Paul said, do I think that everyone would throw down their weapons and embrace their fellow man? No, I can't see that happening either, but I do think it would likely be somewhere in between that and total panic and anarchy. Like I said, it might even spur some good in the world.