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Aliens: Terrifying threat from beyond the stars… or untapped economic opportunity?
Driving the news: This week, a former US intelligence officer told Congress while under oath that the US government has been hiding UFOs from the public view for decades, including a wreckage that included "non-human" biologics (an alien, he means an alien).
Ok, so let’s just say intelligent lifeforms beyond our solar system do exist, and Earth is on their list of must-see destinations. What then? If they come in peace (big if) and are familiar with the concept of trade, we Earthlings could access their knowledge and high-end tech.
Now, if they’re able to travel lightyears to Earth, we probably won’t have much to offer them in the way of scientific or technological breakthroughs. What we do bring to the table are:
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Natural resources: Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI Institue, once told CNBC, "I suspect resources would be finite anywhere in the universe."
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DNA: Genetic info from earthly organisms is something aliens won’t have back home. In exchange for DNA, maybe they could teach us how to colonize Mars?
- Culture: Astrophysicist Davin Brin told BBC that culture is a logical trade commodity since it can be easily and inexpensively exported through electromagnetic waves.
Yes, but: This may not be enough to pique their interest. One paper posits that aliens could be giving us the cold shoulder while seeking more technologically advanced trade partners.
Zoom out: This is also all purely rampant speculation. NASA and the Pentagon deny extra-terrestrial explanations for UFOs and, despite beaming out greetings into deep space for decades, no alien civilization has hit humanity back with a, “Yo, we should link up.”
Bottom line: Free trade agreements with little green men might never be a thing, but the current interest in UFOs from governments around the world (including Canada) is granting legitimacy to what was once a fringe subject.—QH