When will humanity be prepared for contact with an civilization from another planet?

Answer 1

What an awesome question. The very short answer is that we're not and may never be. Barring some catastrophic first-contact situation though, we tend to get used to things VERY easily.


However, we aren't even prepared to deal well with each other. We still carry petty hatreds, Whites and Blacks, Jews and Arabs, Protestants and Catholics, Muslims and Hindus, Chinese and Japanese , Liberals and Conservatives, once we learn to get along with each other, We will be MORE ready for offworlders.

So I think that depends alot on us. So basically there are a few speculations available to us one of which is much trickier than the others and is a "special" case we should not discount.

It may be that extraterrestrial civilizations very rarely visit the Earth (due to the vast distances) and periodically interfere with the local civilization , that they have done so in the past and may continue to do so in the future.

This is the stuff of UFO / Biblical / alien ancestor lore and could be factual but so far there is absolutely no proof to back it up, contact with an advanced alien race with detailed historical knowledge could be very dangerous since if they were sufficiently advanced, they could take advantage of our religiously inclined by pretending to be "Jesus" or "Allah" and have a read-and-willing "army of the faithful".

At the very least, it's at least possible that they in fact were/have been the original nucleus of some of our ancient beliefs, and this is very would be very tricky to say the least for the common person to come to terms with initially (See Babylon 5 [Vorlons], Star Trek [TNG episode. “Devil's Due”])

2. Otherwise, you have the two basic condition that exists in the world when civilizations contact one another.

a. Usually / almost universally, the advantage is to the more advanced civilization but there are variants on this theme.

b. We should not presume the intention of an alien species , although the advanced technology presumably needed implies that a race was peaceful amongst themsevles for long-enough time-periods to develop interstellar technologies.

But the first-contact cases (excepting the one mentioned above) fall into a couple of groups. In my comment I presume that our 1st contact is reasonably peaceful.

Case 1 : Humanity will contact or be contacted by an alien race that is distant from the Earth, via some form of radio/light communication. This is arguably the least obtrusive form of contact, because it was intentional on the part of humans. We are "most" prepared for these types of contacts, and actually have rules for such a transmission should it be received. Having said that, the immediate impact would still be disturbing (see the movie Contact for a good treatment of this).

Case 2 : Humanity leaves the cradle and starts to explore the solar system and galaxy beyond, this condition is better for us, especially since we will have had to have developed some technologies which could help us in the event our first contact was less than positive.

More or less after the development of an interplanetary economy and space-ship building capability would mean that we could probably handle most situations.

Since interplanetary spaceships lead more or less directly to the ability to build interstellar starships sooner or later we would send probes to the local star systems and sooner or later we would find evidence for - if not actual contact with alien races. We would be reasonably well prepared for 1st contact at that time - probably.

Case 3 : We become reasonably spacefaring - getting offworld and spread amongst one or two other star-systems. We then are TRUELY prepared for a first-contact situation, primarily because we would be the "alien" visitors.

Anyone travelling off-world practically ,might expect to see some very strange stuff indeed. Anyone travelling out of system basically would be virtually required to see some very strange stuff.

Answer 2

Humanity can't even deal with the differences that lie within humanity. What will happen when you bring a civilization from another planet into the equation? Think of the differences.

Answer 3

I don't think it's a matter of "being prepared" it's more of a matter of us and the way other countries will react to others in the contact. We assume other worlds have more intelligence, more and secret weapons that will atomize things. Worm holes and space all figured out. Everyone will want a piece of the pie and will be willing to fight to get it.

I think our own jealousy will be our undertaking and demise. Do you think if some little known, small backward nation would have a UFO land and make friends with them, we'd not be pounding on their back door to let us in "or else"

Answer 4

When they're in the position to do the contacting.

History shows that humans do not react well when faced by a technologically superior society. We'd prob just become a bunch of Antarean wannabees, drinking our Boolean Frappes and listening to the sounds of Ur Hok, Lord of Entrails, unless we were the ones in the superior position. Depression, drinking, some exotic new drug habits, we'd be reservation Indians for a new millenium.

Answer 5

I don't ever think there will be a good time. There are so many believers and non believers of aliens. The masses of people who think aliens don't exist would probably have some kind of mental break down. I would hate to see that happen. Earth would be a much scarier place with aliens and people freaking out about them, and what kind of aliens are these? Can we trust them? So I think for everyone's sake, if you're an alien just go home leave us Earthlings to our own aliens are just Science Fiction thoughts.

Answer 6

Never. While some people desire such a contact, the overwhelming majority of people fear such an encounter. After all, what if the aliens want us for some gorey project? What if they just want to destroy us? What if they are so much more intelligent than us? I mean, feelings of inadequacies big time!
So, for most humans, never.

Answer 7

In 2012....

Answer 8

Yesterday.

Answer 9

I really don't think that there will be a specific time it's just a matter of what's being put out there and how people are willing to deal with it.

Answer 10

If they contact us we are going to be someones pet or someones dinner.
We are not ready but I would rather we contact them.