Extraterrestrial First Contact: What Do We Do?

Alien First Contact would be a worldwide television event for the vast majority of humans. We won’t play any direct role at first- we will be watching in awe. Scientists and politicians would naturally take the lead. However, there will eventually be an important job for all humans: we must hold our leaders to high standards. Forget about the alien movies you have seen. It is unlikely that a government would be able to keep First Contact secret. Scientists have pledged openness in such a situation. The prevalence of Social media would ensure disclosure. That’s good for those of us in the general public. It means that we will have an opportunity to participate. I suggest advocating for important priorities in First Contact.

1. Demand transparency. Meetings and events related to First Contact should be made public.
2. Insist that all nations, and diverse groups of people, are involved in First Contact decision-making. That can be done through the United Nations and by listening to populations that are marginalized across the globe: the working class, those in poverty, and people living in small nations. The rich and powerful in large, dominant nations should not control our response to First Contact. First Contact is an event for all humans.
3. Ask that long-term impacts be considered and long-term plans made. It would be easy to treat each step After First Contact as a crisis. Leaders must make decisions that benefit humanity in the short and the long-term.
4. Make sure that the new perspective created by alien contact is leveraged to confront important issues here on Earth. Those include climate change, ecological collapse, the nuclear threat, and the lack of equity in health and education.

The general public, in nations across Earth, will need to speak out loudly to make sure these priorities are addressed. Sitting at home will not be a wise idea for very long. Leaders will be making important decisions and the voices of the people will need to be heard. We may watch it unfold on TV at first, but our role After First Contact will be extremely important, not just for the benefit of our lives, but for generations of humans to come.

Photo by Bryan Minear on Unsplash