Extraterrestrials colonizing but not eliminating mankind, what would humans do?

Do not be silly. Of course we would be exterminating you.

Sounds like you just read The Alien Years by Robert Silverberg.

^ No, had no clue of that book, but out of all the Sci-Fi movies I ever seen there was only two I remember where humans were not bashing the aliens or the aliens were not trying to take over, enslave, erradicate, or eat humans.

Reminds me a bit of A Roadside Picnic. In that story, the aliens came and went as if having a “roadside picnic” and they don’t even notice us, or if they do, we’re akin to ants to them. The story doesn’t delve into the “picnic” to any great extent but rather the side effects of the “crumbs” that were left behind.

I suppose if these aliens had decided to stay or linger a while, we’d be nothing more than ants. We’d generally make a nuisance of ourselves but nothing a little ant killer won’t rectify.

We would only hope that there are hippie aliens who want to protect humans. Maybe put us in a zoo or sanctuary.

@RedDeerGuy1 wasn’t that in a Goosebumps story? Could have sworn I read a Goosebumps way back when with humans in zoos being protected as an endangered species.

@Winter_Pariah – that was definitely a Twilight Zone episode. The little one is reading on his e-book reader right now or I’d check his Goosebumps collection and see if something sounded familiar.

I’d nuke them…The End.

@Seek Found it, it’s My Best Friend is Invisible

The only sensible course for such beings would be our elimination, perhaps allowing us to inhabit New Zealand, but only under strict supervision. Clearly the planet cannot support the 7 billion already here. Culling would be necessary and severe.

We would be pet food. Stepping in us and tracking us back into the abode would be righteous revenge!

@Cruiser I’d nuke them…The End.
That is problematic and not full proof. One, you would have to get them all, if not, what would be the point? You would have tipped your hand to the aliens that humans can be a real threat and put all humans everywhere on the radar for extermination. Second, you have to be deadly sure you could even deliver such a strike before they thwart it. If humans manage to do so, some of the best parts of the world would still be uninhabitable to humans because the nukes would have radiated it, kind of like burning down the house to cook up some s’mores.

@stanleybmanly The only sensible course for such beings would be our elimination, perhaps allowing us to inhabit New Zealand, but only under strict supervision.
Why would they bother? We move into the woods with housing developments no one supervises the gophers, rabbits, lizards, etc. that are still there, we humans pretty much ignore them until they get in the house, chew up the shrubs, etc.

I think it would really depend on the aliens and how exactly they deployed and behaved, and how much they interfered with us and how they reacted to our moves.

I’d think they would tend to deactivate our nuclear weapons, and have counters for our other weapons.

I suppose we’d try to work around their locations, needs and requirements, and that some of us would be trying very hard to learn all we could about them and to communicate and negotiate with them.

I’d tend to expect that the aliens, unless they didn’t care about all the effects we have on the planet, would curtail most of our destructive activities, such as all the pollution and landscape abuse we do.

If the aliens are so much powerful that they’re able to colonise / exterminate humans then I don’t think humans will have much options. It’ll depend on aliens how they treat us. Like we treat animals the way we want. If we like them / find them useful or entertaining then we keep them or kill them if creating nuisance (for fun as well). Why do you think our fate will be any different than that?

@Hypocrisy_Central By nuking them would be a fools bluff and if they checked my bluff I would descend on these AILYENNSS with all I had to bear sans Nukes just so I could enslave them to weed my very over grown garden. Yes…cruel and inhuman punishment but…snap…. they are not human!

You seem to be assuming extraterrestrials who are sized like us (or maybe larger) and competing for the same general ecological niche: primarily temperate dry land, always air breathing and more or less omnivorous. Some kind of being that we would instantly and maybe instinctively say, “Hey, that’s a new life form that looks like it will compete with us!” Who’s to say that it would compete in any way?

Who’s to say that there aren’t already aliens of some kind in ecological niches – even on our own fairly well studied planet – that we simply haven’t grokked yet? That is to say that they could be so small, so deep underground or in the oceans – even in clouds, perhaps – that we simply haven’t encountered them. And their biology may be so different from what we’re used to on Earth that we haven’t even considered them to be “alive” yet.

There’s no reason that an alien species has to be similarly-sized, occupying the same ecological niche (even though, along with worms, spiders and bacteria, humans enjoy one of the widest ranges of chosen living conditions that we know of) and eating the same food / prey that we do. It doesn’t have to be any kind of competition, enslavement, range defense kind of thing.

^ You seem to be assuming extraterrestrials who are sized like us (or maybe larger) and competing for the same general ecological niche: primarily temperate dry land, always air breathing and more or less omnivorous. Some kind of being that we would instantly and maybe instinctively say, “Hey, that’s a new life form that looks like it will compete with us!” Who’s to say that it would compete in any way?
The only way we humans would not be totally decimated would be the fact we were not a threat to them. If we were much larger but they still more advanced and powerful, it would be as if we landed on another planet that still had creatures as large as dinosaurs, we would see them as more of a threat and certainly more noticeable as a nuisance and maybe do more to get rid of them. If they were of similar size or somewhat larger, then we would only really be noticed if we are in their space, (what they came and claimed for themselves). If there is any competition it would be in the minds of us humans because to them, we are no worse than gophers are to us, the gophers stay in the hills, no problem, the gopher dig holes in lawns, big problem. If we try to irritate them or vex them by not being a pain in their hide, then they might see a competition but sure they will win in the end.

The “patriots” would fight to “make Earth great again”, telling about all the great times our ancestors had when they lived on these lands.
The “liberals” would accept them and fight for “alien rights”. and bitch how we are being racist (is it even racist at this point?) for not liking them.
Some would even identify as aliens and call themselves “alienkin” or some similar Tumblr thing., either out of fear for their own skin, insanity, or actual hatred for humans who did them wrong.
Sci-fi geeks would go there because alien sex, dood!
Members of religious sects would go apeshit because demons are occupying the Earth. Talking about religion, there probably is some sort of alien religion to worship these new guests.

Some would try to eat them.

Kids from centuries later would start dressing up as aliens for Haloween, or simply romanticize the whole era.

Conspiracy theorists would go even more insane then they already are, because their stupid theory was proven right, which means they may as well be right about Illuminati and all other shit as well.

At least one person would say: “These aliens work for the US and Americans use them to destroy/occupy the world”. If aliens attack the US, they would be accused for working with Russia. I can totally imagine people even saying that aliens are not alien at all and that US/Russia created them here on Earth. (like in area 51 or something like that). It all depends on which area is occupied.
Scientists would try to hunt them down and explore how the fuck did they even get here in the first place. And then make weaponry and supplies to do the same on another planet.

And aliens would have no idea at all and spend their days playing checkers or something.

Oh, and this become a hit again, I’m sure.

They wouldn’t leave us alone,because we would always resist. Guerrilla tactics, and lots of suicide bombing. They’d have to kill us all , or leave and find some place else. We’re to volatile to simply be contained.

I agree. It would be a replay of RED DAWN. (Interesting movie btw.) Whatever it takes.

President Trump would know how to handle them better than the generals.

I find it hard to imagine that the aliens would be content with a small portion of the planet. Assuming that they were happy to stay in their limited area and that they were capable of appropriating the rest of the planet if they so desired, we would have no choice but to live peaceably with them.

I think this premise ignores an important point:

Why are they here? Why this planet? There must be some resource here they require. I mean, the aliens aren’t just pining for the fjords. They’re not colonizing just for the view.

Thus, the human reaction to the colonizers will definitely depend on what resources the aliens are claiming. For example, if they’re here farming ozone, we’ll all be dead of skin cancer before long.

I would leave them alone if they “set up shop” on capital hill especially if they had a certain fondness for Lobbyist Fondue.

The very fact that they possess the technical capability to arrive here renders armed resistance on our part problematic at best. Any aliens with ambitions on our real estate will begin by wiping out all of the troublesome “pests”. Now I ask you to look around, then consider exactly which “pest” it is that poses the greatest threat to alien ambitions on “our” real estate. There will probably be a few critters allowed to persist in zoos or on estates.

@MrGrimm888 They wouldn’t leave us alone,because we would always resist.
We sprawl our suburbs into the hills, do we immediately go out to wipe out every fox, raccoon, garden snake etc.? Usually even if people realize they are there, they do not take measure unless they get in the years, the attic, or the house, or try to make a snack of Fido. Unless humans made themselves a nuisance humans would be no different than that coyote you hear howling at night but never truly comes down in the yard to bother you.

We’re to volatile to simply be contained.
We do not try to contain every animal we might consider vermin, we just deal with them when they invade the space we took from them.

@LostInParadise I find it hard to imagine that the aliens would be content with a small portion of the planet.
Do we try to occupy and utilize every square mile of the planet? There are millions of acres of this world we don’t use even after all these centuries. Being content to stay in one place would have little standing as the parts they were not at they had no need of, at the moment.

HC . Why would you think humans would allow it? I think we’d fight to the last. No matter the disparity in technology.

^ I think we’d fight to the last. No matter the disparity in technology.
Because just as those in the death camps outnumbered their Nazi captors maybe 7 to 1, or the slave in the US South might have outnumbered their while oppressor by 4 to one, people thought it best to stay alive as long as possible even if living in horrendous situations. The thought that if freedom was obtained, they want to be a part of it, not having died so others could get it and not them.

We can’t discount our millions of viruses and bacteria that very well could take out ET before they get their tentacles firmly on tera firma. Just look back at what devastation the Colonists had on the Indian population once we set foot on North America. Of course it could be the reverse where the Alien bodily kooties could decimate the human population.

Or it could make no difference at all, because of vastly different biochemistry.

@Cruiser Good point.

@Cruiser We can’t discount our millions of viruses and bacteria that very well could take out ET before they get their tentacles firmly on tera firma.
That would more than likely go against man more, I am sure of they made it here, they did their due diligence to know there were no ”critters” here that they could not handle or that would wipe them out. On the other hand, we would have no prior knowledge of them; they could bring something that might wipe out all of mankind, even in areas they were not interested in.

I can’t even catch diseases that my dog and cat can catch.

The likelihood that we’re going to wipe out aliens with MRSA is vanishing to none.

^ Correct. Most diseases are not zoonotic. You can get some of their parasites, but that’s different.

I feel strongly that if the aliens got a bad flea infestation, they’d decide to go somewhere else.

Extraterrestrials intent on colonizing the earth would more than anticipate our reaction as well as our capacity for resistance. While I suppose it is possible that a civilization of reckless fools might solve the riddles of interstellar travel, I doubt very much that we should be so lucky as to find our invaders in this category. Not only will they be ready for our pathogens and parasites, but you can bet your ass that they will arrive here fully prepared to exterminate us and all the plagues that come with us.

Geez…apparently none of you have read HG Wells War of the Worlds…“Despite their advancement, the Martians’ technology lacks the wheel, and it is implied they are ignorant of disease and decomposition. It is theorized that their advanced technology eliminated whatever indigenous diseases were present on Mars, and so they no longer remembered their effects. Ultimately, their lack of knowledge or preparation against any bacteria indigenous to Earth, causes their destruction”

We are well aware of the stupid reason those “martians” were defeated.

HG Wells, while a brilliant writer, was not a virologist.

@Seek Perhaps not but I offered my comment based on the facts of the 1917 Spanish Flu which wiped out entire islands and Eskimo villages all because they did not have any prior exposure (herd immunity) to this novel flu virus which also killed tens of millions of people around the world. An alien species would be very vulnerable to novel virus on our planet as well as the humans that would be exposed to the aliens flora and fauna they brought along with them. HG Wells was a smart man and I suspect smart enough to imagine this viral scenario I posited here and clearly did so in his novel.

@Cruiser
Since you have to be reminded: Eskimos are human. That is why they were susceptible to the virus.
It is incredibly difficult for a virus to cross the species barrier. That is why the bird flu was such a big deal, because that was one of the incredibly rare instances where it happened.
It will be next to impossible for a terrestrial virus to affect an alien species that probably is not even based on DNA.
It is the same for any exterterrestrial pathogens. (unless they are specially engineered by the aliens to wipe out humans).

For a specific example of what Loli is talking about:

My cat is a rescue stray. He is positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, or FIV.

Neither my dog, nor any human member of my family is at risk for contracting FIV, no matter how many times that fuzzy little warrior bites us. Likewise, my cat and dog are at no risk of catching my step throat.

Humans are considerably closer, biologically, to cats than they would be to any hypothetical alien species. For that matter, we’re closer to potatoes than we would be to aliens. And none of us are afraid of being blighted by Phytophthora infestans.

@Cruiser: @MrGrimm888 had it right, most diseases are not zoonotic. The Spanish flu killed how many cows? Parakeets? Ladybugs? You know, creatures that evil bed on the same planet as us and share a significant portion of out DNA signature?

@Cruiser Those facts about the aliens in Wells’ little fable are exactly what makes the tale so lmplausible. I’m prepared to accept the notion that creatures might evolve to the point of space travel and I am even more convinced that aliens might well do so with visions of conquest. But even a vivid imagination will not permit the idea that a species might get into space and somehow miss the significance of either the circle or the wheel. The only way you can arrive at such a species is to posit that it had found a shortcut to space minus the attribute we would define as intelligence.

@Hypocrisy Central. Okay. I will accept the premise that the aliens might be microscopic in size or so few in numbers that they might plausibly fit in here on some obscure or inhospitable niche. They might “hide” unnoticed, appalled but otherwise indiffferent to our wanton destruction of our shared planet. But the instant of their discovery would trigger the onset of hostilities between them and ourselves.

Ack! “Evolved on the same planet”...
Damn you autocorrect!

@ragingloli Oh please pretty please can you give me even a sliver of real world research that validates this comment of yours…“It will be next to impossible for a terrestrial virus to affect an alien species ”

@stanleybmanly Can you say Andromeda Strain?

Viruses multiply by injecting their genetic code into a compatible host’s living cells, forcing them to create a new virus cell.

No compatible amino acids, no infestation. Virus is inert.

That’s how viruses work.

The probability that some separately-evolved species from some non-Earth planet shows up here and just happens to have DNA sufficiently similar to human DNA to get Zika or Influenza would register pretty much bang on “next to impossible” on the improbable to not a chance in hell spectrum.

@stanleybmanly Okay. I will accept the premise that the aliens might be microscopic in size or so few in numbers that they might plausibly fit in here on some obscure or inhospitable niche.
Would that then make humans somewhat like clouds or fog? If they can be among us, or even in us on a microscopic level it would be like someone in a foreign city, they are aware of the block they are on, but have no idea the beach they seek is 4 blocks over. We might have no appearance to them as giants, etc.

But the instant of their discovery would trigger the onset of hostilities between them and ourselves.
Who would get hostile to whom 1st?

@Seek I have not seen your explanation of viral spread before and will gently take a detour from your comments. Viruses become devastating when there is a mutation in their DNA or RNA structure AKA Recombination. This is where new novel viruses become particularly lethal as there is no prior immunity either by the animal/human/alien to this new novel virus. Again it can go both ways as to when the hatch door of the alien landing spacecraft opens…their viruses and bacteria’s assuming are new to our world as is our viruses and bacteria’s to their immune systems. Even before they can fire their ray guns…their immune systems are under a full frontal assault as well as ours and their best laid plans to colonize Real-estate on planet earth could very well be ruined or delayed at the least.

There are some suppositions that I made after reading this question. The first and most significant is that “extraterrestrials colonizing…” meant a planned organized and DELIBERATE occupation of some niche on our planet by a species capable of interstellar travel.

You’re still assuming the aliens (and their viruses) would have DNA or RNA.

@Seek Your assumption that alien life forms would lack DNA and or RNA reveals a novice understanding of forms of life as we know it.

“Life as we know it” all has DNA because it all evolved from a common ancestor.
Unless these aliens and earthlings evolved from a common ancestor, they will not have DNA.
They may have something similar, but it will not be the same. And not being the same will prevent them from being susceptible to earth viruses.
To infect a cell, a virus must dock with the surface via chemical receptors. If the receptors do not match, no docking and no infection.
And even if the virus gets its material inside, if the alien dna analog is different, the cell will not know what to do with the viral material.

A fungal infection might work on aliens. Just a thought.

^^ “Life as we know it” all has DNA because it all evolved from a common ancestor.
Unless these aliens and earthlings evolved from a common ancestor, they will not have DNA.
Is that a back peddling one at least one at least one scientific theory that the Earth did not possess everything to spawn life and that the missing link was delivered by way of an asteroid striking the Earth?

Yeah, but @Hypocrisy_Central, the path of development and evolution on just this planet is incredibly diverse. Think about it, cockroaches like what we like, but don’t seem to be afflicted by the vast majority of things that would kill us.
And terrestrial plant life, with whom we share some DNA, is even less susceptible to the stuff that will hurt and kill us.

The only chance in hoping a disease wipes them out would be if we engineered it.
We’d have to capture a few and find something that kills them. Release it, and hope it never mutates to kill us…

How about radiation? Won’t that affect them?

^ How about radiation? Won’t that affect them?
If they thought radiation, from the sun, or other sources would harm them, would they come here? If they thought ”critters” in nature or microscopic would harm them, would they come here? I believe if they came here to live, they would have done plenty due diligence to know what the perils were, and if too many, would bypass the planet. If man ever got to the point he could reach another planet, would he just plop down because it looked inviting but never check to see if that harmless looking bug could kill him if it bit him, or the spores from that innocuous looking plant would cause brain damage if breathed in? We would check, double check, and check it once more to make sure there was nothing there that would wipe out any potential colony man wanted to establish there.

@Hypocrisy_Central NASA and physicists have engineered ways from our astronauts to be in space for extended periods of time despite the extreme radiation exposure outside the protection afforded to us by earths magnetic gravitational pole. If anything aliens capable of space travel would recognize this protection afforded to life here on earth from space radiation as the main reason to seek refuge here on this planet. Sucking the brains from lobbyists in Washington would simply be a bonus for them.

I’m hoping that @ragingloli Will vouch for us.

https://youtu.be/aTe0MjAZvMU

Or we might get lucky and discover another cowboy yodeling song to broadcast far and wide which would make their heads explode :)