Why Extraterrestrial Life Could Be a Huge Threat

By Ben P Poulton

It practically takes no genetic difference for us to be like ants to another intelligent species. The difference in DNA between a human and a chimpanzee is less than 2%. In other words, we are over 98% chimpanzee.

I for one am completely fascinated about the prospect of other intelligent life existing in the universe. The immense size of space itself is more than enough for most people to comprehend that there is no way we humans, and all life on earth, is it. Recent discoveries on Mars by the Curiosity rover point to evidence of water once being present on the planet, and where there is water, there is almost always life.

So how would an extraterrestrial civilisation impact our way of life?

Movies have always so famously portrayed "aliens" as monsters, or beings with general bad intentions. I doubt this would be the case. You would imagine, that a civilisation that has mastered space travel and made it to Earth, would be so intellectually advanced that to us, their technology and pure capabilities would be like magic. I also believe that a civilisation that has reached this point would have evolved past the primitive war like nature that humans still carry.

For those that have watched the second Star Trek movie, Into Darkness, you will recollect the opening scene where the space ship lifts up out of the water, and the native civilization deify what they saw. This is a concept know as "Cargo Cult". The most recent occurrences of this would be in World War 2, when Allied troops landing in the Pacific Islands where deified by the natives, as to them, what they were witnessing was beyond anything they understood.

The point of this reference is to outline, in only 150 years, the human race has gone from riding on horse back, to sending people into space. Now imagine a civilisation that is only 150 years ahead of us. The difference in technology could be phenomenal, rendering our capabilities useless.

Chimpanzees can't play the piano, speak or write books. Humans can, and there is only less than 2% of our genetic makeup which allows this incredible difference in ability. Think about that.

Imagine an alien intelligence only being 2% more improved than us. We would be the chimps. This is one major reason why many people, such as Stephen Hawkings, suggest that we avoid any attempt in making contact with alien lifeforms. As to any being that is just so slightly ahead of us, we would be like ants