We are not alone. And by we, I mean us folks who believe in extraterrestrial life. Online you’ll find many websites devoted to the topic, as well as numerous videos and photos of UFO sightings. The SETI Institute (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) is a well-respected scientific organization that seeks evidence of alien life by looking for signatures of its technology.
The concept of alien civilizations – especially those advanced enough to give us a visit – is fascinating to people of all ages, in a variety of fields. In honor of World UFO Day, Sunday, July 2, 2017, we take a look at the wide range of specialists who would be among the Earth delegation for “First Contact.”
World Leaders
When scientists or military pilots spot an alien spacecraft heading our way, the first people alerted will be heads of state from countries such as the U.S, China, and Russia. Handling First Contact – managing the public, other nations, the media, etc. – will be a complex undertaking. Skilled leaders in government, the military, and a variety of scientific organizations will be involved. The success of our extraterrestrial encounter may easily depend on these people’s leadership abilities.
Diplomats
For an event of the magnitude of First Contact, collaboration between world nations will be critical. Tensions may run high at this time of awe and uncertainty, and peaceful management of the situation will definitely require skilled diplomacy.
If you think diplomacy between Earth nations will be a delicate matter, imagine the complexity of diplomacy with alien species. There’s a challenge for you! How would you approach that first meeting?
Linguistics
Diplomacy with aliens will, of course, require communication, and the First Contact team will include some of the world’s leading linguists. Picture Louise Banks, the character played by Amy Adams in the movie, Arrival, who played a key role in communicating with the “heptapods.” In the movie, both the alien language and their entire perception of time was completely different from our own. Mutual understanding is going to require some outside-the-box thinking!
Journalists and Historians
First Contact will undoubtedly be one of the most significant moments in human history, and every news agency in the world will be on hand. Imagine being the journalist assigned to cover this story! That’s the scoop that would make your career. Leading historians will also be involved, carefully documenting every step of the momentous occasion.
Biologists
The chance to study our first alien life form would be a dream come true for almost any biologist. Understanding the biology of our alien visitors will help the linguists and diplomats relate to them, and will guide our approach to working with them. There is also a field called Astrobiology: the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. As a SETI team member, an astrobiologist might be the one who discovers the first signs of extraterrestrial life.
Sociologists
Closely related to the field of alien biology is the field of alien sociology. While it may not be much of a field right now, since we currently know nothing about alien societies, we can bet that some top sociologists will be invited to help us figure out the best way to make a good first impression on our extraterrestrial visitors.
For more on this subject, here’s a clever article on alien sociology from space.com.
Astronomers and Physicists
If you’re intrigued by the wonders of the universe and the possibility of alien life, the field of astronomy is a natural fit for you. Astronomers deepen our understanding of our position in the universe, and may easily be the ones to spot signs of extraterrestrial life, or identify planets capable of supporting life. Physicists help us understand the physical laws of the universe and may invent the propulsion technology that would enable us to explore distant solar systems. Both astronomy and physics are great fields to pursue on your way to a career with NASA, and possible interaction with E.T. Related college majors include math, computer science and engineering.
Engineering
Of course NASA engineers will also be part of the First Contact team, especially astronautical engineers – the specialists who apply science and engineering to aerospace operations. The U.S. Air Force is one avenue to explore if you’re interested in pursuing a career in astronautical engineering, with an emphasis on astrodynamics and aerospace design and control systems.
Astronauts
While we assume that First Contact will occur here on Earth, it could easily happen instead on Mars, or the Moon, or in the asteroid belt. The person who first encounters an alien being could easily be an astronaut. For more on the criteria for becoming an astronaut, read our Astronaut Day blog.
Whether you’re scientifically inclined, or better-suited for language, sociology, diplomacy, or even government, there’s a career out there for you, in which you might one day be chatting it up with E.T.!
Explore these careers and “try them on for size,” through Envision’s hands-on career and leadership programs.
For more on SETI, as well as videos about their search for extraterrestrial life, click here.
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