Does the United Nations Have A Dept For Alien Contact And Did They Just Appoint Someone To Represent Earth?

Question

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/un-to-appoint-earth-contact-for-aliens/story-e6frfku0-1225929498742

THE United Nations was set today to appoint an obscure Malaysian astrophysicist to act as Earths first contact for any aliens that may come visiting. Mazlan Othman, the head of the UN's little-known Office for Outer Space Affairs (Unoosa), is to describe her potential new role next week at a scientific conference at the Royal Society’s Kavli conference centre in Buckinghamshire.

She is scheduled to tell delegates that the recent discovery of hundreds of planets around other stars has made the detection of extraterrestrial life more likely than ever before - and that means the UN must be ready to coordinate humanity’s response to any “first contact”. "When we do, we should have in place a coordinated response that takes into account all the sensitivities related to the subject. The UN is a ready-made mechanism for such coordination.”

Professor Richard Crowther, an expert in space law and governance at the UK Space Agency and who leads British delegations to the UN on such matters, said: “Othman is absolutely the nearest thing we have to a ‘take me to your leader’ person.”

However, he thinks humanity’s first encounter with any intelligent aliens is more likely to be via radio or light signals from a distant planet than by beings arriving on Earth. And, he suggests, even if we do encounter aliens in the flesh, they are more likely to be microbes than anything intelligent.

Comments?

Answer 1

The Brookings Institute wrote a report back in the 1960's that spoke about how the public would react in the case of disclosure of Alien contact . It was not favorable. I was unaware until now (Thank you Mobius) of this position. I will look into it further as it is quite interesting. Also , it has been announced that tomorrow , Monday September 27,2010 at the National Press Club in Washinton D.C, there will be a very important meeting to occur . Here are links to both



http://www.nicap.org/brookingsdir.htm



http://messageboards.aol.com/aol/en_us/articles.php?boardId=529805&articleId=911383&func=6&channel=Member+Guided+News&filterRead=false&filterHidden=true&filterUnhidden=false

Answer 2

UNOOSA is more concerned with discussing how we humans use outer space. Its primary concerns are things like controlling space junk and ensuring that no one uses space for military purposes. It's actually been around since the late 50s.



Othman has been head of UNOOSA for years and, while journalists reporting on this story can't help themselves from using "take me to your leader" or "Men in Black" references, what she'll most likely be doing is heading a committee that discusses how the United Nations will respond to the discovery of extra terrestrial life. That's not the same thing as being the world's first contact for talking with aliens. A more likely scenario is we discover a planet and it looks like it has simple plant life like algae growing on it. What laws apply to the way we research and/or exploit that life? Is it legal to bring it back to Earth to experiment on it or should it be banned from being brought to our planet? If it's edible, is it legal to harvest and eat it? That kind of thing.



Currently, international law regarding extra terrestrial life dates back to the 60s and essentially comprises an agreement to sterilise any alien life discovered in case it is potentially dangerous to us. They're looking to review how we approach discovery of life because of the increasing rate with which we're discovering planets. It will probably be a while before we discover life anywhere, but UN committees take a long time to get things done, so they want to start having the conversation now, rather than trying to respond to a fast moving situation if life is found.

Answer 3

Since neither Othman and Crowther think that any signs of aliens have yet been detected it makes about as much sense as employing someone for the Care of Magical Creatures just in case one turns up.

Answer 4

They already have images and recordings of us on the spacecraft that is outside the solar system. Though it will take hundreds of thousands of years for them to get to the nearer stars. Some have complained that it will show any aliens where we are. But contact is not likely.



It is most likely that we may find bacteria elsewhere first. Complex life needs a lot of things to go right.

Answer 5

Yes they have, and I'm sure this new Department of alien affairs will be a great success.

It will rank right up there with the UN's missions in Darfur, Somalia and other starvation and disease ridden spots on Earth.

No doubt the Dept. will be every bit as effective as UN peacekeeping missions in the former Yugoslavia, the Middle East and Africa.

Will the MUFON folks want to be connected with such a failed and corrupt organization as the UN? Will they grasp at this straw like common everyday UFO conspiracy nuts?

We'll have to wait and see about that.

If I were an alien, on the planet for thousands of years observing humanity, the UN would be the last place I'd go.

Answer 6

It makes about as much sense as appointing someone now to stop the fall of the the twin towers and almost as relevant. They have a total misunderstanding of the facts.

Answer 7

Thanks for the information.



If extraterrestrials visit earth, will they be looking to exchange ambassadors? Somehow, I don't think so.



Is that what we would do if we were the space explorers? I don't think so either in that case.