Contact with Extraterrestrials: An Invitation to Chaos and Embarrassing Behaviors.

Greetings. Homo sapiens. Not the most peaceful or intellectually capable species now in existence on the Earth. Human behavior leaves something to be desired, especially when a perceived threat is at play. 

The recent Coronavirus pandemic was a prime example, with millions and millions of individuals attacking store shelves in search of essential items; toilet paper, bottled water, underwear, and batteries, among other items. Any trip to the grocery store was an exercise in futility, with store shelves empty, and shoppers conducting themselves as if an invasion was about to occur. Lemmings are more logical in their approach to perceived threats than most humans, with their selfish, self-serving, "me first" mentality. 

What if a species-changing event was about to happen, perhaps contact with a non-terrestrial civilization? In my humble opinion, the situation would be chaotic and unpredictable. Despite the fact that the majority of the human population seems comfortable with the concept of UFOs, aliens, and other fringe topics, when push comes to shove, would the human race react to such an event in a measured and clear-minded manner? One need only examine the events of October 30th of 1938 to make an educated guess.

"The War of the Worlds" was a Halloween episode of the radio series "The Mercury Theatre on the Air" which was directed and narrated by the late Orson Welles. The broadcast was an adaptation of H. G. Wells's 1898 masterpiece "The War of the Worlds" that was performed and broadcast live at 8:00pm Eastern Time on October 30th of 1938, over the CBS Radio Network. The episode is infamous for inciting a panic due to the fact that some members of the listening audience thought a Martian invasion was actually occurring, though the scale of panic is disputed to this day.

Welles's "War of the Worlds" broadcast has become famous for convincing some of its listeners that a Martian invasion was actually taking place due to the "breaking news" style of storytelling employed during the first half of the show. The illusion of realism was supported by the Mercury Theatre on the Air's lack of commercial interruptions, which meant that the first break in the dramatization came after all of the alarming "news reports" had already been broadcast. In the days following the adaptation, widespread outrage was expressed in the media. The program's news-bulletin format was described as deceptive by some public figures and many newspapers, leading to a public outcry against the broadcasters and calls for regulation by the FCC. Welles publicly apologized at a news conference the very next morning, and no punitive action was ever taken. 

Our modern society is a fractured one, with multiple religious and ideological belief structures and a plethora of nation states that are seemingly incapable of interacting with each other in a peaceful way. There is no overall leadership at the front of humanity, nor is there a procedure in place to properly handle a unique situation such as alien visitation. It seems that chaos might rule the day that aliens make direct contact with us, but nobody, including yours truly, can really know how our society would react. 

We have been exposed to movies and television shows about UFOs and aliens for decades now, but that is not reality, unless you ask someone under the age of thirty. When what is being portrayed on the screen becomes reality, then the game of life really begins in earnest. The choices we make as a species will direct the course of our societal evolution for all time. Hopefully we will have the wisdom and intellectual prowess to keep our decisions logical, informed, and reasonable, for otherwise, extinction will come knocking on our door. 

Perhaps one day we will find out. It may make for quite a show.

Thank you for your time and consideration.