You are in charge of selecting the destination of Earth's first warp-capable interstellar probe. Which of these two planets do you choose?

Planet A is some weird conspiracy theory that has no basis in fact. So check that out.

Planet A. Because it is most Earth-like and has a better chance to support life as we understand it. Discovering and exploring a new ecosystem tops my list.

B.

Planet A. Because what’s the point of going to a planet unsuitable for life just to avoid some curious aliens?

If the US is funding the space mission, then skip the whole thing. It wouldn’t get funded because

a) the republican party doesn’t believe in science, and would never pay for it, and

b) if aliens were found on another planet, the religious right would freak out because it would call into question the omnipotence and omniscience of their god.

Wait a minute. Are you stating that we are aware of planet A’s occupants and proclivities prior to sending the probe? And what’s this “believers” business? If A is a place notorious for kidnapping and torturing humans, then only a clandestine probe for military reconnaissance is appropriate. But even then, if A has been kidnapping humans, they must already have warp capable devices and are therefore so far ahead of us technologically, that we should be at a severe disadvantage. The scenario requires clearer definition.

Ok now I get it. You’re asking us to decide on whether or not there is any credibility to purported alien abductions. And my guess is that if there are aliens advanced enough to reach us, there is an excellent chance that they would indeed grab a few of us for “scientific purposes”. Indeed there are probably lots of us in “zoos” and laboratories elsewhere. Who knows, how long such aliens have been watching the earth and us in particular. If we were in a situation where we were advanced enough to watch a civilization hell bent on self destruction as well as the ruination of a beautiful planet, what do you suppose our reaction might be?

I would chose planet A because I’m assuming it’s your home planet @ragingloli and I would love to see where you come from.

@Judi. BRLLIANT!

B.

Although A would appear to be far more capable of supporting human life, if it’s the home of the Greys, we have no right to invade it. If we were capable of interstellar travel, I would hope that our species had advanced enough to know that it’s not okay to take over someone else’s planet – regardless of what the hypothesis is, which brings me to my other point. An hypothesis is based only on very limited evidence, so there would be no “justification” for taking over their planet. For all we know, people got it all wrong about them.

So, no. They can keep their planet, and we can take our chances on B or find another, emptier planet that doesn’t already house an entire intelligent species. Because I’m banking on the fact that, although another Earth-like planet would feel much more like home, I don’t doubt for a second that if we’re doing interstellar space travel, we have the intelligence and technology to survive on a less than ideal planet.

Go to B first then hop over to A if B sucks.

Just to clarify: The only ones believing that planet A is the home of the Greys are alien abduction conspiracy theorists, a.k.a. the guys who believe that a spaceship crashed in Roswell and that Area 51 is full of captured alien technology. No actually solid evidence exists to corrobate that position.

Thanks. A it is of course!

Planet A so it’s our turn to abduct them.