The discovery of alien life would “change the world forever”, a former UFO advisor to the British government has claimed.
Nick Pope formerly worked as a ‘UFO advisor’ to the British Ministry of Defence, and was also a member of the Royal Society, a scientific community consisting of some of the world’s leading scientific minds.
During his time at the Society – which boasts alumni including Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin – Nick has recalled that the topic of alien life was well-discussed.
Nick remembered two specific occasions where the group’s members had considered how the public might react to news of the existence of alien life.
Setting up the topic of alien discovery on the BLAZE documentary Indistinguishable From Magic, Nick said: “I’m going to show how, if we find aliens – or if they find us – the world will change forever,” The Mirror has reported.
Perhaps surprisingly, Nick began by suggesting that a government announcement of news of alien life wouldn’t cause a commotion.
He said: “How would people respond? Not our political leaders or our greatest scientists, but everyday folk; teachers, store workers, farmers.
“Would there be wonder? Would there be quiet acceptance? Or – and this is one of the great cliches about aliens – might there be panic in the streets?"
Nick accepted that many people believe there would be mass panic if alien life was discovered, and acknowledged:
He added: “If we faced an alien invasion as happens in science fiction movies such as Independence Day or War of the Worlds, clearly that would be true.”
But, he observed: “Delegates at the Royal Society suggested that an announcement that extraterrestrial life had been discovered would have little effect."
This is because, Nick suggested, large numbers of people already believe that alien life exists, so wouldn’t be shocked by any discovery of a far-away species.
“The bottom line is that you don’t shock people by telling them something that you already believe,” he added.
However, the former advisor went on to acknowledge that a public reaction to proof of alien existence is likely to depend on what type of lifeform is found.
“Will they be friendly like the lovable alien in ET, or will they be something like the aliens in Independence Day – coming here to exterminate us?” he noted, claiming that the Royal Society’s members had been “split” on the answer.
In fact, Nick likened a possible encounter with aliens as similar to a historical match-up between two civilizations at different stages of technological advancement.
This means that, on the topic of weapons, humans would likely be outmatched.
“If we have such deadly weapons of mass destruction, what weapons might an extraterrestrial civilisation possess if they’re millions of years more advanced than us?” Nick speculated.
“Extraterrestrials would probably possess weaponry capable of turning stars into supernovas, or creating black holes that devour entire planets.”
As a result, Nick rejected the possibility of a “Hollywood” ending, where humans successfully fight off invaders, and instead suggested: “We’d probably be up against an alien civilisation not a few hundred years more advanced than us, but millions of years ahead.
“If we ever did face an alien invasion, there’s only one possible response: we surrender.”
UFO WEEK starts on BLAZE, Freeview 64 On Monday 28th March at 9pm.
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