[Thor]

Originally Posted by Thunderball

Well, one would have to assume that they are technologically superior and have solved the space-time equation. One would also assume that technological brilliance would be accompanied by philosophical and societal brilliance... this means they likely have evolved morals and ethics, and are disinterested in conflict. If they weren't evolved morally and existed, we'd definitely know.

I agree with that.

As well, as much as I doubt the abilities of global governments to keep a secret as large as extra-terrestrial life... if an advanced species was curious about humanity, the last thing they would do is trumpet their arrival to every Tom, Dick and Harry. They would make arrangements with the global governments to keep their secret and allow intergalactic exchanges to be done behind closed doors until "society is deemed ready."

I don't think the intial job for visiting aliens is that at all, its studying our language and trying to make sense of that firstly.

I do think they would quietly speak with people they see as positions of power, but it would be very difficult for them not to be discovered no matter who they approached.

You'd think they would be most eager to contact scientists or people that have something common to them like math and the sciences.

Either way, the fact most people claim aliens to have two eyes, look like humans, etc.. Is the definite part that convinces me they havent seen aliens. The likelihood they look remotely even close to us is staggeringly small.

. Extra-terrestrials exist and don't wish to interact with any of us, including our governments, yet. We're more like an Ape exhibit at the zoo. The sightings are slip-ups by the extra terrestrials. Governments don't admit this because they really know just as little as the public does and wish to avoid the fallout of admitting they have no control or understanding of the situation.

I think this is highly unlikely, since if they chose earth its because they heard our 'noise' in the galaxy and went to investigate. If they have protocols for first contact, they would seek contact, since intelligence is tied so closely to curiosity.

2. Extra-terrestrials exist and don't wish to interact with any of us yet. However, they do have relations with the global governments, who are do a surprisingly good job of keeping it a secret aside from the odd sighting. Governments don't admit this because they wish to avoid the fallout of disclosure.

Again I doubt this highly, since governments are corrupt, full of leaks and of course change routinely in the west. Keeping the biggest secret of all time is a near impossibility, nor would an intelligent alien race not want to be kept secret for long.

3. Extra-terrestrials are future humans who are traveling back in time.

Always a possibility, although I find it very unlikely, as you'd assume time travel back in time would be watching events that have occurred much like viewing a movie, so no interaction nor could those of us in the past see them since its already happened.

I think I subscribe to the 'the universe it just too gigantic for us to be noticed, yet...' viewpoint.

Our planet only started making noise in the last 80yrs that could be traced by alien races, and that noise is only nearing some of our closest neighborhood star systems, only revealing ourselves to .00000001% of the universe

I think its more likely we see things we cant explain, turn them into something we hear others experience and make that the reality.

If someone would describe an Alien with no human like features, I would give that a listen, because for us to run into a species in this vast universe that looks like us is incredible unlikely.

So for me like many, I do hope for the day we make contact, I think its more likely we do through SETI than a saucer landing at the white house lawn

I'll always take the side of the skeptic, UFO's, Aliens, are all on the same line of Ghosts and other things people imagine are real.