We’re probably alone in the universe, or else they’re out to get us

Vince Coglianese Editorial Director
Font Size:

If aliens exist, they’re probably a lot like us humans: Adaptable, intelligent, and eager to steal from the natives.

At least, that’s what researchers at the University of Cambridge have concluded.

“At present, as many have observed, it is very quiet out there,” said study author Simon Conway Morris in an interview with Mike Wall of SPACE.com.”And given many planetary systems are billions of years older than ours, I’d expect us to be best grilled on toast back in the Cambrian.”

Thanks to Earth’s dynamic climate, Conway Morris argues that mankind is among the most highly adaptable creatures to inhabit the universe. And if evolution follows a consistent pattern, alien life would look very similar to us, at least in function.

“If intelligent aliens exist, they will look just like us, and given our far-from-glorious history, this should give us pause for thought,” writes Conway Morris in his recently published study. Chances are, aliens would view the Earth as place to gather resources and eliminate competition (Talk about a Hobbesian world view.)

One reassuring alternative is that there are no other intelligent lifeforms. Conway Morris believes this is dramatically more likely.

Wall notes that “there should have been plenty of time and opportunity for many alien civilizations to get a sizable evolutionary head start. The fact that E.T. seemingly hasn’t contacted us is a strong indication that he’s just not out there, according to Conway Morris.”

Earth’s citizens are optimistic that any galactic neighbors would be well-intentioned, notes psychologist Albert Harrison.

In fact, in the same study, Harrison “cites one poll that found that 86 percent of Americans believe that aliens are more likely to be friendly than hostile,” says Wall.

So maybe we’re not alone. And maybe they are out to get us. But at least we’re too optimistic to worry about it.