Extraterrestrial Contact: The Sexual Divide

Take a few steps back for a moment and have a look at the human civilization. We’re a fornication-happy bunch. So much of our culture is driven by sex: music, literature, dance and art. Our interactions often have a sexual component, whether intentionally or in a more subconscious form. The basic foundation of our society- the family unit, is, needless to say, organized by sex. Sex goes way beyond the biological function in the human civilization. The question is: how would reproductive needs drive the growth and development of an extraterrestrial civilization?

This may seem like a small consideration in the wake of First Contact. However, considering how important sex is in the development of our civilization, it’s possible that in the long term our relationship with an extraterrestrial civilization might come down to how well we can understand, and relate to, their reproductive needs and how it manifests in their civilization.

It seems likely that extraterrestrial reproduction would be very different than human sexual functions. It could be a difference that would be hard for us to grasp. This might actually be the best case scenario. There is also the possibility that it could be similar to human functions, but different enough for us to perceive it as gross. Once again, that may sound like a minor thing, but think of all the ways human sexuality comes out in our civilization. And then consider the implication if our reproductive behaviors are disgusting to extraterrestrials and their reproduction is disgusting to us. It seems like that could have a big impact on a new relationship.

There is the possibility that sexual reproduction would no longer be a biological function for extraterrestrials. If they are advanced enough in technology, they might have moved beyond biological needs and reproduce in an entirely technological way. Or perhaps they could live in a virtual state without reproduction at all? This too would impact the relationship between humans and extraterrestrials. We could view extraterrestrials that live in a technological realm, and no longer have biological functions, as even more threatening.

So, what to do? I suppose the only hope would be education. We would have to learn about them and they would need to learn about us. We’ll probably have some similarities and most likely many differences. There will be those in our society who will be “grossed-out” by extraterrestrials and let that gut reaction impact their perception. There will be those of us who push back at those gut reactions and work to appreciate the beauty of another life form. Perhaps alien Kinsey reports could help us along the way.

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Learning Together about a New Civilization

Many of us believe that all humans have a fundamental right to participate in extraterrestrial First Contact. Granted, for most humans that role will be purely observational, at first. However, through media and institutional feedback, observation will turn into opinion and have an impact on how humans respond. Governments and institutions will be watching public reaction closely for cues about how to proceed. For this reason, and many others, any extraterrestrial contact event needs to be completely transparent and shared with the world.

In a sense, we humans would be learning about a new civilization together. Depending on the aliens and the type of contact we achieve, there may be a lot of information about a new civilization or there could be very little. It seems likely First Contact will fall to the later end of the spectrum. Scientists may need decades to sort out ambiguous alien signals or even contact. It could be a confusing process. No matter how complicated, that process needs to be shared with the world and in every detail.

This will place a huge responsibility on academics and institutions to be educators. Hopefully, that won’t be a big leap for the educators. It could, however, be a burden to governments, especially those with a propensity to control information given to the public.

So, what do we get from this collective education? I would imagine at the very least humans would acquire a new perspective on our role and place in the universe. That could be the case even in a mysterious First Contact situation. If the aliens are communicating directly with us, and in a timely fashion, (unlikely, unless they are visiting our solar system) we may learn quite a bit about their civilization. What would that mean to us? It certainly provides even more perspective. It could also bring us new knowledge of science and technology, once we can understand their way of thinking (again, no small matter). Would we suddenly become enthralled with another civilization and have a debate comparing alien society to human civilization? Perhaps. It seems that such a debate would have predictable poles: those against any alien influence and those who think aliens have a great way of living that we should incorporate. Once again, it’s completely dependent on what the aliens decide to share and whether we can fully understand what they share.

In a high-information First Contact event, one in which they share much of their knowledge; we will need to be careful about what we decide to incorporate. While I support complete transparency in the process, there may be specific scientific and technical information that we have to carefully consider before integrating it into our civilization. This process could be done in a transparent fashion, without dumping all of the information on our civilization at once. I know this seems like a contradiction, but it’s an important point. Alien information could be harmful to our society if it comes down the mountain in torrent. We may need to control such information.

Are humans up to the task? It’s hard to say. This is complete speculation. Without knowing the true First Contact scenario, if it ever occurs at all, it’s hard to predict the challenges that such a situation would bring. However, it is safe to say it would be a major milestone for the human race as we travel together into a new era of understanding.

Am I being naive about First Contact? Or perhaps too negative? Chime in on the Alien First Contact Facebook page.

Extraterrestrial Contact: A Helpful Media or Not?

Most humans are now connected as part of a global communications web that extends to every nation and nearly every point on Earth. Whatever the channel, those communication lines are often organized by media companies. These days it’s important to broaden our perspective of what defines media. Clearly we are well beyond the days of broadcast and newspaper domination. Internet communications, in a multitude of forms, continues to grow. Websites, blogs, podcasts, TV stations, radio, newspapers, and magazines – these entities act as agenda setters. They seek to define the world from a certain perspective. Individual Facebook pages and Twitter feeds are also used by agenda setters.

So, what impact would the media have in an extraterrestrial Direct First Contact situation? Here I define Direct First Contact as an alien civilization coming to our solar system to say hello.  Would the media be helpful or would they cause problems? The scenario would probably determine the answers to those questions. And since any First Contact scenario is pure speculation, trying to define exact reactions is probably a waste of time. However, we know enough about how our media responds to the current world environment to make some generalizations.

There are several ways that the media could be very helpful in a Direct First Contact event. The web of video and information sharing is so robust these days that an event in a reasonably large city, almost anywhere in the world, can be seen live anywhere else in a matter of minutes.  This makes the human media networks a great way to reach all of humanity at once. Media sharing, especially through live television feeds, are quick, adaptable and redundant. The adaptable part comes in the diversity of sources. A protest in Egypt could come from a traditional network TV camera. It could also be streamed live with a $25 web cam. The media outlets have become much more adaptable in using alternative video sources. This also helps with redundancy. If one media outlet is not doing its job, someone else will likely pick up the slack. If none of the traditional media outlets meet the demands of news viewers, individual people will provide video and reporting. That was shown in many of the Arab spring protests when the traditional media had a tough time gathering video. Making a Direct First Contact event a live television event connects the world to First Contact and takes away the veil of secrecy.

The media could be helpful in explaining First Contact. They would be the first source of information about the visiting extraterrestrials for the majority of humans. They would also report on how human government and institutions respond to First Contact. The media would be essential in educating the public. Such education would be important to minimize fears. There is a flipside- the media could also prepare humans, if they should be fearful. If the world media outlets are doing their job they should be critical of how governments and institutions are responding. The media can provide feedback from the public about how average humans feel about First Contact. Media outlets can conduct surveys to help quantify human reactions.

However, as we all know, human media outlets have their weaknesses. Competition, a driving force behind the success of a free media, can also make a mess. If media outlets act in a rash manner they could take rumors seriously. There is one thing that I can guarantee in any First Contact scenario- there will be plenty of rumors and bad information going around. It may take a few days or weeks to manifest, but incorrect information would undoubtedly bubble beneath the surface of the public conversation. In an environment where everyone is keyed up and nervous, such bad information could be quite destructive.

If media outlets promote incorrect information and get facts wrong they could do more damage than good. Most humans will get their information about First Contact from the media. In a sense, the media will help to determine long-term human reaction. If we live in a fearful, rumor-filled world we will not make good decisions. The resulting actions could hurt the human civilization for generations to come. The initial decisions in any First Contact situation would be critical.

So, how do we keep the media on the good side of communication practices? When it comes to the free media, that responsibility will be largely up to them. The professionals running news organizations and internet sites will need to understand that the importance of their jobs has just grown immensely. They will need to step up to the challenge. It can be done. The American TV networks did an amazing job of handling the 9-11 terrorist strike. I was a first hand witness to the crazy rumors that pop up when people are scared and agitated. The media managed to step up to the plate. They dispelled rumors. They focused on facts.

There are ways that the people controlling First Contact can help. Governments and institutions should make all information available as soon as possible. Secrets will only create bigger problems. Transparency would be critical. The best approach would be to put all the available information out there immediately. If it’s too complicated for one news conference, put it up in its entirety on the web. Have live streaming of all meetings on First Contact issues. Open up the entire process to the public. Don’t rely on the media to explain things- provide trusted experts who can put such issues in perspective.

Information in a Direct First Contact scenario would likely be incredibly complicated and perhaps beyond our initial understanding. Aliens with the technological ability to visit our solar system would probably have a system of science far advanced of ours. If they were willing to share such information we would probably need many years of education to even begin to understand. That doesn’t mean the process needs to be kept behind closed doors. Putting the information out there could help the process- by allowing many different thinkers, from many different perspectives, to consider the ideas.

First Contact could help the human civilization and it could hurt humans and that’s just assuming that the aliens themselves are neutral. We are quite often our own worst enemy. The media will have a huge role to play in First Contact. Here’s hoping that they will be up to the task.

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Who Benefits from Extraterrestrial First Contact?

There are so many possible scenarios for extraterrestrial First Contact (if it ever happens at all) that it’s tough to talk about whom on Earth might benefit from such an occurrence, let alone whether there would be any benefit at all. It could very well be a primarily negative outcome for humanity.

Let’s try to narrow the field a bit to a specific type of First Contact: high-information sharing. This scenario assumes that aliens are friendly and communicate with us in some manner. They provide us with a large amount of information about them and what they have learned about the universe. Who could benefit from such information?

Academics might be the first line of response. Deciphering extraterrestrial knowledge, even if it was presented in a human language, would likely take many years and much study. Current academic fields would need to respond and then grow into new academic specialties. This would create incredible opportunity for scientists, researchers and professors, at least those who are creative and flexible enough to respond to alien information. Universities with top academics could become incredibly important in the wake of First Contact. Research money would likely pour in from many sources. The danger is how responsive the academic community is to change. Only those institutions and individuals with the vision to see how paradigms could shift and be re-imagined would benefit. And even then, those academics would need great fortitude to endure the massive upheaval such paradigm change would bring.

Corporations and businesses of all sorts could benefit greatly from information about technology. Such information could spur new enterprises and entirely new technological fields. Even a small bit of revolutionary information could cause us to reconsider our current systems of knowledge, bringing about innovation. Clearly businesses that are successful in reacting quickly to such information would benefit. Once again, progressive and fast-acting businesses will rule the day. Others may be quickly left behind.

Investors could find lucrative new economic market growth areas. This could lead to market swings as speculation follows the latest news and information. Perhaps old technology would see a decline as new fields developed. These market fluctuations could be especially hard on the more rigid investments, especially massive retirement funds.

The working and middle classes globally might not experience much benefit from First Contact in the early months and years of discovery. Extraterrestrial information, especially complicated ideas, might be difficult to understand, especially for those without formalized education. Market swings and changes in the economy could be difficult for the working and middle classes. While one would hope that advances in technology would eventually help all of humanity, it might be a tough road in getting to that point.

Governments with the educational and technological infrastructure to capitalize on new information could do well after high-information First Contact. Governments without such an infrastructure will be in trouble. This, combined with market shifts and other economic changes, could make the gulf between the developed world and third world nations even greater. This, in turn, could lead to unrest and troubled international relations as nations struggle to find a place in the new world.

The overall impact of high information First Contact could be a race of sorts. Everyone will try to figure out what will happen next and how it might impact humans. The gulf between the educated and non-educated, the involved and the uninvolved, the adaptable and the rigid, may grow to a point where it becomes a major world issue. This is just one reason why I believe that everyone in the world should feel like an active participant in First Contact and the resulting information that may come from a relationship with an extraterrestrial civilization. Governments, higher education institutions, scientific bodies and the media must work together to educate the entire human populace and explain information. There has to be buy-in from the masses that this is something bigger than all of us – the future of human civilization is at stake. Those alive when First Contact occurs will be a bridge generation- those who knew life before First Contact and lived to experience life After First Contact. There is a great responsibility that comes with that unique standing in history. People at the cusp of alien interaction must work together to keep humans moving in the right direction. The greatest danger from First Contact might not be marauding aliens, but rather dangerous divisions between humans.

This is more than just a public relations campaign. It should be a fundamental re-thinking of the world. All humans should have the right to information, education and access to the public discourse. Our technology demands it. This is a movement that is occurring now, without us knowing if intelligent extraterrestrials even exist. It will become the central issue in the wake of First Contact.

Did I leave any major groups out? Join the conversation on the Alien First Contact Facebook page.