As Alien Disclosure Looms, Experts Ponder What Extraterrestrials Would Think of Humanity

With UFO data set to be released, scientists and officials weigh the implications of first contact with advanced alien civilizations.

Apr. 4, 2026 at 3:48pm

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As the U.S. government prepares to release more data on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), also known as UFOs, experts are pondering what extraterrestrial life might think of humanity. Theoretical physicist Avi Loeb believes aliens would be "disappointed" by humanity's focus on conflict and war rather than scientific advancement. Meanwhile, officials like retired Rear Adm. Timothy Gallaudet say the government has recovered crashed craft of unknown origin, raising national security concerns about these mysterious visitors.

Why it matters

The potential existence of advanced alien civilizations has captivated the public imagination for decades. As the U.S. government prepares to shed more light on UAP, the question of how extraterrestrials might view humanity's current state of affairs has taken on new urgency. This story explores the philosophical and security implications of first contact, should it ever occur.

The details

In 2024, the Pentagon released hundreds of reports of unidentified and unexplained aerial phenomena. However, that review gave no indications that their origins were extraterrestrial. Retired Rear Adm. Timothy Gallaudet, who participated in a 2024 congressional hearing on UAP disclosure, says the evidence clearly shows there are UAP zipping around the airspace and in the oceans, and that "the nonhuman intelligence that operates them or controls them are absolutely real." Gallaudet says the government has recovered crashed craft, though it's unclear if they are of extraterrestrial origin.

  • In February 2026, former President Barack Obama acknowledged that aliens are "real," though he said he hasn't seen them and they're not being kept at Area 51.
  • In March 2026, President Donald Trump announced he was directing the release of government files on UFOs due to "tremendous interest."
  • On April 4, 2026, NASA launched the Artemis II mission, which will send four astronauts on a fly-around of the moon before returning to Earth.

The players

Avi Loeb

A theoretical physicist and director of the Institute for Theory & Computation at Harvard University, as well as head of the university's Galileo Project for the Systematic Scientific Search for Evidence of Extraterrestrial Technological Artifacts.

Timothy Gallaudet

A retired Rear Admiral who previously worked as acting administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and participated in a 2024 congressional hearing on UAP disclosure.

Debbie Dmytro

A 56-year-old medical professional from Michigan who has reported seeing unexplained aerial phenomena in the sky over her local area.

Bill Diamond

The president and chief executive of the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, which seeks to explore, search and understand the nature of life and intelligence in the universe.

Edwin Bergin

A University of Michigan Astronomy Professor who teaches about the search for life elsewhere in the universe.

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What they’re saying

“If I were looking at Earth from a distance, I would be pretty disappointed. Most of our investing is dealing with conflicts to prevent other people from killing us or us killing others. Look at the Ukraine war over a little bit of territory. That is not a sign of intelligence.”

— Avi Loeb, Theoretical Physicist

“Absolutely, there are such things as UAPs and UFOs. People observe things in the sky that they can't immediately identify or recognize as either human engineering such as planes or drones or helicopters, or animals, such as birds, and therefore they don't know what they are.”

— Bill Diamond, President and CEO, SETI Institute

“The nonhuman intelligence that operates them or controls them are absolutely real. We've recovered crashed craft. We don't know if they're extraterrestrial in origin.”

— Timothy Gallaudet, Retired Rear Admiral

“They might be laughing at us. They might be watching us ... to make sure we will not become predators, that we will not become dangerous to them.”

— Avi Loeb, Theoretical Physicist

“When has ignorance ever been a good national strategy? Whether it be scary, harmful or not, or a mix, I think seeking the truth is in our best interest.”

— Timothy Gallaudet, Retired Rear Admiral

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This story highlights the growing public fascination with the possibility of extraterrestrial life, as well as the national security implications of unidentified aerial phenomena. As the U.S. government prepares to release more data, experts are grappling with how advanced alien civilizations might view humanity's current state of affairs, marked by conflict, division, and environmental challenges.