Humans join together in a variety of ways. The
interactions and inevitable conflicts between those groups are the provenance
of sociology. Social structure and individual agency are the principles of the
study. While this may seem like a stretch now for consideration in the area of
interaction with extraterrestrial intelligence, I think it could become one of
the most important areas for study should alien First Contact ever occur.
There are very few social scientists considering
such human social ramifications in the wake of First Contact. Douglas Vakoch of
the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California has written and edited a number
of works on the subject of human interaction with extraterrestrials. While much
of his work is centered on the concept of human messaging, he has gone further
afield to consider the consequences of alien interaction on human society.
In a most basic sense, we can go back to Social
Network Analysis to see how the power of relationships joins humans together.
That web of group affiliations can grow larger and larger, eventually impacting
politics, governance, economy and science. Group behavior would be extremely
important in the wake of First Contact, because different groups will react to
alien contact, well, differently. For some groups First Contact could pose a
threat. Other groups could see opportunity. We can try to imagine some of these
scenarios. Some religious groups could feel that First Contact is a threat to
their religious beliefs or a sign of apocalypse. Business networks could see a
potential for new scientific information that could lead to new technology and
thus economic opportunity. Institutions could feel threatened in terms of their
involvement in alien contact. The leaders of smaller nations may feel like they
will be left out, as the super powers move in to control alien contact.
Such possibilities consider what we already know
of our society. In plain fact, because we have nothing to compare to the impact
of First Contact, there may be the development of new social groups and
networks that arise from the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence. How
great these changes could be seems to depend on the amount of information traded
between humans and extraterrestrials. A large amount of information trading
could bring great change. While little information, or much more likely, slow
information trading (especially if we are communicating across the vastness of
space) would bring lesser change.
No matter what the case, the impact of
extraterrestrial contact to human social networks is important, because it will
decide how humans react to First Contact and what actions humans take. Do we
react in fear and try to hide from extraterrestrial intelligence? Do we react
with great joy and attempt as much interaction as possible? It seems likely
this will be a significant conflict.
Why worry about this now, since we have
absolutely no evidence that extraterrestrial intelligence exists and that such
alien societies would have the technology needed to communicate with us?
Speculation about what conflicts might arise in the wake of First Contact
provide a road map that can be used to help develop a cohesive plan of
reaction. If we have considered what conflicts might exist and how to better
mediate those conflicts, we will have taken an important step to ensuring that humans
get the best possible result from alien contact.
It’s time that we move beyond the shallow special
effects of Hollywood depictions of alien contact and begin to consider more
pertinent matters. What will we do and how will we do it? These matters may
decide the fate of humanity for hundreds of years after First Contact.
Join the conversation on the Alien First Contact Facebook page.
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