Aliens Have Contacted Us... Now What?

Many believe that aliens have already contacted us, while others think it's only a matter of time. If extraterrestrial life has reached out or soon will, the question remains: how should humanity respond? Explore the potential next steps we could take in a post-contact world and the impact alien communication might have on our future.

Credits:
Aliens Have Contacted Us... Now What?
Episode 473; November 14, 2024
Produced, Narrated & Written: Isaac Arthur
Graphics: Ken York YD Visual
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images
Stellardrone, "In Time", "Divine Cosmos", "Red Giant"

[Gregorythe_st]

For a second i had a mini heart attack as i thought that it was some extremely breaking news that aliens had actually just contacted us

[nekomakhea]

> Aliens Have Contacted Us... Now What?
Stellaris xenophobe mains: Fuck the aliens!
Stellaris xenophile mains: Fuck the aliens!
The duality of Man

[Grevnor]

The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy has the best explanation for UFO sightings: spoiled rich kids messing with primitive civilizations for fun. "Rather childish, really", in the immortal words of Ford Prefect.

[liamryan]

Respond like Truman in Futurama.
“If you come in peace, Surrender of be destroyed. If you come for War, we surrender”

[curseoftheegglady]

Humans: So, what's up with the UFOs?
Aliens: You see them, too?

[johngavin]

Isaac Arthur: Aliens have contacted us, now What?

Me after playing Mass Effect: I'm willing to enter open negotiations and diplomatic discussions.

Me after playing Xenonauts: Lock and load, scamble the jets and start scavenging alien tech.

[diehard]

Obviously saying “hello” back. Isn’t that how conversations start usually?

[peterallen]

There was that funny bit in early Babylon 5 when a human tried to take an alien to court because the alien's great-grandfather abducted his great-grandfather (pre official first contact) and just took him away on a spaceship.

[iambiggus]

Hopefully, when they visit, they can finally solve the age old mystery as to why they are always naked.

[Spockington]

The dancing and drinking Grey's is becoming my favorite meme of this Channel

[raffriff]

"Why did you hide for so long?"
"We met with your leaders 80 years ago. They said you couldn't handle the truth."

[yourbuddyunit]

Reminds me of a 40k story where a necron remarked on the "anthropogenic vanity" in assuming the nervous system stems from the head. As he continued to fight and kill the astartes that destroyed its head and thought the fight was finished.

We really got to be careful to not assume familiar biology when engaging with alien constructs or organisms.

[chesterwiki]

If the argument is that sentient alien life capable of meeting us is incredibly rare, then doesn't that mean that we might be the first "aliens" they have met and that it is "First Contact" for them too?

[cannonfodder]

I want an SFIA inspired story of aliens contacting us and the subsequent meetings, discussions, and negotiations. This video and its points of discussion are far more enlightening and entertaining than most first contact sci-fi put together.

Most enlightening episode, Isaac.

[stone]

Has anyone considered that our first contact scenario could just be some drunk and/or high alien crashing onto earth, stumbling out of his ship and saying to the nearest human, "Hey man, is this planet XB-23-AURORA?"

[keithplymale]

Can you imagine the alien version of social media? Filled with the alien version of cat video's and cat ladies and all the rest of it? And somewhere on there is the alien version Isaac Arthur.

[NILS]

The technological gap would be HUGE, it's difficult not to understate how much. People usually bring up what happened to the American native tribes when the Europeans disembarked, but a more apt comparison would be an anthill being flown over by a jumbojet. I don't think anything would happen to us on purpose, but by mistake or missunderstanding, yes. Also, even if we have jumbojets, we still study anthills. Some recognize they are an important part of the ecosystem, others treat them like invasive pests.

[jeremysart]

I don’t think I’ve been this early to an Isaac Arthur video before, but that’s quite a title to wake up to haha. When I first seen the thumbnail my thought was “oh boy, time to finally unsubscribe from Angry Astronaut” then I realized it was Isaac and was like wait.. what

[sharonrocks]

I can relate to the idea that if you've seen an alien or an alien ship you should ask yourself, am I having a delusion?

[springbloom]

Now, we spend the next 1000 years trying to understand what they said, before giving up and forming a new a religion.