So, about them aliens...

A professor of mine, being a quite If Jesus, Then Aliens person, [http://english.pravda.ru/science/mysteries/22-12-2010/116314-giant_spaceships-0/ showed us this article]].

I'm in the NOT SURE IF SERIOUS camp, myself.

It is possible that the Mayans were visited by alien lifeforms (seen as living deities) and 2012 is the year in which they said they would return for whatever purpose, hence the end of the calendar. But then, don't these aliens have teleportation or FTL travel? Or are they huge sleeper ships which have travelled for thousands of years, whilst other alien scouts visit frequently?

This news needs some good scrutiny and reputable sources, but there are legitimate reasons it wouldn't appear in the mass media - it would cause mass panic and civil disorder, not good for the Illuminati or Chinese communist party.

edited 25th Jan '11 5:58:16 PM by Shichibukai

I dunno, a belief in Ancient Astronauts shortchanges humanity, IMO.

I'll get the nukes ready then. Everyone knows Alien Invasion movies are solved via Nuke 'em and Deus ex Nukina now.

"[...]there are legitimate reasons it wouldn't appear in the mass media."

Foremost among them being that it's a bunch of crakpot bullshit.

Ancient Astronauts did not necessarily impart their technology upon human civilisation. Interference might have been minimal, but significant enough to cause the deification of these aliens. Same might even go for Jesus as an alien agent implanted into Mary's womb via IVF to create a religion. Though I mean this in an entirely hypothetical manner.

The very nature of human history could change if aliens have interfered.

The source of this story needs to be looked at carefully before you come to such conclusions.

edited 25th Jan '11 5:57:13 PM by Shichibukai

@ Major Tom: Nukes would be insufficient against beings that presumably are higher on the Kardashev scale than we are.

Then we'll go for Railguns. Everyone knows in space combat unless you have something powered by Minovsky Particles or some seriously overpowered Applied Phlebotinum, Sir Isaac Newton is the meanest son of a bitch on the battlefield.

And if that fails, we have the old standby: The Common Cold.

That's right. What we need are clever heroes. Clever heroes can solve anything.

@Major Tom: That's if large effective railguns can be manufactured and fitted to satellites quickly enough.

It might just be a tad easier to hide nuclear weapons on the moon and get them from behind- if they don't blow it up first we might stand a fighting chance.

edited 25th Jan '11 6:01:52 PM by Shichibukai

Yes, we need brave souls with enough INT to make sure we get out of this with the upper hand.

I maintain our fallback strategy should resort to biological warfare.

Yeah. Let's also hope that they have weakened their immune systems, or it might backfire.

Made of fail. Aliens don't share our biology. But inserting a virus into their vast computer-driven communication system is sure to succeed.

Yeah, they might be silicon-based.

De Marquis: LOL Independence Day.

How about a tiered defense structure? Orbital nukes set to seek out and destroy their ships. Layered behind that are large railgun systems (orbital satellites or ground installations). Interspersed between those are electronic warfare systems designed to insert viruses or other malware into their computers and/or jam their comms. Behind the railguns is conventional military who are incidentally armed with biological and chemical munitions.

If all else fails we call upon the power of the Fourth Wall and defeat them because the plot says so.

If Earth's super-geeks can even understand their language, let alone the programming.

Considering all computer programming at its heart is Zeroes And Ones...

Wait, what's that trope about how the most pragmatic character is always the first one to die in a horror pic?

Wrong Genre Savvy?

^^Death By Genre Savvy

I actually read an article about programming that used the conceit of a 50 million year old Martian society to make its point.

Anyway, article was hilarious, I do feel I should point out that a human corpse would not be doing too well in vacuum, though.

edited 25th Jan '11 6:17:58 PM by Tzetze

Major Tom: What if they don't use binary?

We can always hope they have extremely volatile reactions to water.

Aliens are gonna attack?!

I can't wait!

So yeah, guys. Don't hold your breath too long on this one.

edited 25th Jan '11 6:49:33 PM by Pykrete