Let's say that, tomorrow, intelligent alien life decide to pay us a visit and we all (the world) get public irrefutable proof that extraterrestrials do exist.

What would happen, in your opinion?
Does society go nuts?
Or would we be ready to handle it?

I think its a seriously complex issue. Kind of suprised no one has made an RPG out of it yet.

RPGPundit

One factor would be how imminent first contact is. If we find out about aliens in a passive fashion, like a transmission from a satellite, we wouldn't be anywhere near as panicked than if martians landed in our backyard.

I see race relations improving. The color of ones skin doesn't matter when you have a 10 foot tall encephalopod harvesting us for food by sucking our brains out through our anus.

There would be lots of variables, but assuming the aliens are peaceful I can see that most likely among many other effects one major one would be that our space program would immediately shift to a very high, maybe even top priority. Aliens coming for any reason would probably have that effect actually, because it would be evidence that travel between worlds is an attainable goal.

10 years back, when the Mars rocks containing what seemed to be fossilized traces of life first got a lot of attention, I remember people having a good amount of interest, but eventually shrugging it off and saying "Meh. It's just bacteria. Big deal." I imagine that intelligent life would elicit a bigger response for a while, of course, but unless the aliens attacked or started doling out miraculous tech, people would just go back to work and wait for what's next. We'd take it in stride.

Well, in most cases the question whether we're able to handle it is secondary, a nice side-story of the main gist: What do the friggin' aliens want? If they're here to exterminate us, getting in touch with our inner alien is not really the first thing most of us do (The first thing we actually do? Desintegrate.)

If some Vulcans come and bring us the secret of interstellar space travel, philosophers get a lot of work to do, but there'd be so much happening besides that, that it really wouldn't be the main focus either.

Now, if something arrives that's so mind-boggingly different from anything we know, well, then we're by definition not prepared. That would be more akin' to a religious experience than scientific first contact.

Personally? I've understood the character creation system of Chivalry & Sorcery. My mind is a keep of solid steel. I can handle anything. Anything!

Quote from: SosthenesPersonally? I've understood the character creation system of Chivalry & Sorcery. My mind is a keep of solid steel. I can handle anything. Anything!

I genuinely laughed out loud at this. I need to try to dig up a copy of C&S.

I believe it would be very significant because there would be objective truth humanity is not alone in the universe.  That has a variety of religious and philosophical implications.  I`d love to be in on the Vatican conclave trying to decide where the heck the Newcomers fit into the Catholic theology.  Does the Word of Christ apply to them?   Do their religious tenets count as a valid expression of God's will to their particular species?  Etc.

   Of course, culturally, it'd probably resemble Teenagers From Outer Space.  

The first thing that would happen is that Pundit would be called by desperate world leaders and forced at the barrel of a rolled up copy of Dogs in the Vinyard to confront the alien menace.

After being told that their spaceships' design is crap and totally redundant in todays climate and that their 'so-called technology' isn't worth an ants fart, he'd bollock slap them with a soggy copy of the Players Handbook until they fucked the hell off. Cue rejoicing that the inter-galactic swine had been defeated.

Okay, i seem to have wandered into someones wish-fulfillment fanatsy. Oops, sorry. :pundit:

On an altogether more serious point, would their presense be hushed up? Lots of implausible explanations for the press etc? Doubt whether that would be possible, but i would expect an attempt by various governments. I would also expect all kinds of wacko cults to spring up.

Quote from: SosthenesWell, in most cases the question whether we're able to handle it is secondary, a nice side-story of the main gist: What do the friggin' aliens want?

Bingo.

All the "what ifs" are completely and totally dependent on what they want and how they contact us.

When I look at the animal world and see two species encounter one another for the first time, I don't see a lot of "peaceful sharing of technology."  Most often, I see combat.

Heck, within most ecosystems, it's a hierarchical structure.  "Kill or be killed" is the rule.  Survival of the fittest.  

I believe that anything short of a religious experience ("We are the gods that created you...") would be negative and a good many religious experiences would be pretty negative to the human race, too.

If you read Revelation, you'll note that a giant cube 1200 miles to a side takes up geosyncronous orbit over Jerusalem and the greatest war man has ever known takes place in a valley just outside of Jerusalem ("har-megiddo" or "Armageddon").  If you read further, you discover that the arrival of "New Jerusalem" brings on the judgement and near extermination of humanity.  This is followed by a time where all the people we've ridiculed as being "fascist fundies" are set up as judges, kings and rulers over what's left of the world.  

I really don't see that as a scenario most of us would find "positive."

Before Cortez came Montezuma had 3 different (I think it was 3) visions that foresaw the return of Quetzalcoatl. Then Cortez came and put an ass whooping on them.

One could make a cool alternate earth RPG that mirrors the downfall of the Mayan culture where a world leader has different visions that predict the coming of God(s) to destroy humanity, nobody believes him, they boot him out of power and then the aliens come...

Quote from: VellorianIf you read Revelation, you'll note that a giant cube 1200 miles to a side takes up geosyncronous orbit over Jerusalem and the greatest war man has ever known takes place in a valley just outside of Jerusalem ("har-megiddo" or "Armageddon").  If you read further, you discover that the arrival of "New Jerusalem" brings on the judgement and near extermination of humanity.  This is followed by a time where all the people we've ridiculed as being "fascist fundies" are set up as judges, kings and rulers over what's left of the world.  

I really don't see that as a scenario most of us would find "positive."

Criminy. Glad I'm not a christian.

Quote from: Mystery ManI see race relations improving. The color of ones skin doesn't matter when you have a 10 foot tall encephalopod harvesting us for food by sucking our brains out through our anus.

Wouldn't that only work with conservatives and religious fundamentalists?

Quote from: Mystery ManI see race relations improving. The color of ones skin doesn't matter when you have a 10 foot tall encephalopod harvesting us for food by sucking our brains out through our anus.

Ok, I think that might end up being true, suddenly the difference between black, white or yellow will matter relatively little compared to the Lizard-men from Rigel V.

But on the other hand, organized religions would explode, in wierd wierd twisted ways.

RPGPundit

Quote from: ColonelHardisson10 years back, when the Mars rocks containing what seemed to be fossilized traces of life first got a lot of attention, I remember people having a good amount of interest, but eventually shrugging it off and saying "Meh. It's just bacteria. Big deal." I imagine that intelligent life would elicit a bigger response for a while, of course, but unless the aliens attacked or started doling out miraculous tech, people would just go back to work and wait for what's next. We'd take it in stride.

Right, but on the other hand look at the commotion that possible bacteria caused (that never amounted to anything, at that).
Imagine on that scale what it would mean if instead we got incontrovertible proof of intelligent alien life.

RPGPundit