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Michael
Sep 27th 2010, 11:02 AM
UN 'to appoint space ambassador to greet alien visitors'

A space ambassador could be appointed by the United Nations to act as the first point of contact for aliens trying to communicate with Earth.

Mazlan Othman, a Malaysian astrophysicist, is set to be tasked with co-ordinating humanity’s response if and when extraterrestrials make contact.

Aliens who landed on earth and asked: “Take me to your leader” would be directed to Mrs Othman.

She will set out the details of her proposed new role at a Royal Society conference in Buckinghamshire next week.

The 58-year-old is expected to tell delegates that the proposal has been prompted by the recent discovery of hundreds of planets orbiting other starts, which is thought to make the discovery of extraterrestrial life more probable than ever before.

Mrs Othman is currently head of the UN’s little known Office for Outer Space Affairs (Unoosa).

In a recent talk to fellow scientists, she said: “The continued search for extraterrestrial communication, by several entities, sustains the hope that some day human kind will received signals from extraterrestrials.

“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.”

Source (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/8025832/UN-to-appoint-space-
ambassador-to-greet-alien-visitors.html)

I'm not sure what to say about his other than this is hilarious! :lol:

Greendruid
Sep 27th 2010, 12:17 PM
This makes one wonder why time, money and effort are being spent on such an endeavour. While we are certain to eventually find that other lifeforms exist, the probability that we will be able to communicate with them is much lower. We can't even figure out the communications of the majority of species on our own planet, let alone those on another one. I wish her office good luck and hope that the fringe benefits aren't too onerous on the bottom line of the UN budget.

SMadsen
Oct 19th 2010, 09:41 AM
Huh? I would have expected this to be from theonion.com!

WFCY
Oct 19th 2010, 12:11 PM
I think it is reasonable. And I doubt there is much money spent in this. Hire one guy, give him an office, blah blah. No big deal for an organization like the UN. He probabily does it part time anyways.

It would be a lot better to have him around than not- because who knows, you don't really want an alien messanger to land and then immediatedly carried off by the CIA to a 1000ft deep bunker in the middle of Navada deserts and never heard from again. Only to get everybody else on the planet nuked from orbit the next week. That would be too much lulz for such little investment.

Michael
Oct 19th 2010, 02:57 PM
Actually, I expect this 'office' is more of a 'duty' added onto an existing job. And I suppose that it does make sense that at least one person on this planet is tasked with coming up with a proper bureaucratic (i.e. rational) response in the (unlikely but theoretically possible) event that some extra-terrestrials do show up here wanting to talk! :shrug:

Indeed, if Stephen Hawking's musings are anything to go by, we can also expect that there is an office in the Pentagon devoted to a similar/related task - and probably far better funded too! :lol:

dilettante
Oct 19th 2010, 03:12 PM
Actually, I expect this 'office' is more of a 'duty' added onto an existing job. And I suppose that it does make sense that at least one person on this planet is tasked with coming up with a proper bureaucratic (i.e. rational) response in the (unlikely but theoretically possible) event that some extra-terrestrials do show up here wanting to talk! :shrug:

Indeed, if Stephen Hawking's musings are anything to go by, we can also expect that there is an office in the Pentagon devoted to a similar/related task - and probably far better funded too! :lol:

I think that's the part that makes this appointment so silly. Whoever happens to be in this UN office at the moment of "contact" (if any), will be immediately superseded by someone more powerful/important.

On the other hand, it sounds like a great place to stash some nephew or brother-in-law who really needs a regular paycheck but has no marketable skills. :)

Greendruid
Oct 19th 2010, 03:24 PM
Do you think anyone ever calls him "Maurice"? :music:

Michael
Oct 19th 2010, 04:04 PM
Do you think anyone ever calls him "Maurice"? :music:

:ummm: I don't get it?

andrewl
Oct 19th 2010, 10:22 PM
:ummm: I don't get it?


Some people call me the space cowboy yeah
Some call me the gangster of love
Some people call me Maurice
Cause' I speak of the pompetous of love
From the Joker, by Steve Miller.

Andrew