LogFAQs > #903920598

shadowsword87 posted...

rogerskg1979 posted...

If the existence of aliens was confirmed, there would be mass hysteria everywhere.

By who? What group would go on the streets and start burning buildings?
People keep saying this, and I haven't seen any evidence that says everyone would freak out? I think it's just an easy way of saying why the government would hide aliens.

I always loved the opening quote in XCOM:

"Two possibilities exist. Either we are alone in the universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying."

Aliens that visit us may be peaceful, but then again they may not be. We simply won't know until it's too late. We better hope that they are peaceful though. Any alien technology that is sufficiently advanced for that kind of space travel would be leagues above our own technology. We would stand no chance of defeating them.

Consider that time and time again throughout human history, when a dominant culture has encountered a primitive culture, the primitive culture is almost always wiped out soon after. Sure those are all human cultures and violence is a human tendency, so we don't know if aliens would be as violent. We won't know until it's too late.

The possible existence of aliens is exciting, but it's also scary as hell too.