Extraterrestrial Life

Given what we know about the vastness and ever expanding nature of the universe, when asking the question of whether or not there are other life forms out there amongst the stars, the best answer I could think of to that question is, in short, probably. But that answer alone raises many questions; do we even want to encounter other life forms? What would we have to gain from that experience? What would they want with us, if they want anything to do with us at all? What does their existence mean in the grander scheme of things? What kind of effect would their existence have on our own science, technology and general way of life? These are just the first questions that come to my mind when thinking of the subject. A big concern that I would have that would make me want us to exercise extreme caution is, first off, the possibility of foreign pathogens. Think about it, what was one of the first things that happened when European settlers discovered the new world? They exposed the native populations to old world diseases that they had no immunity to. They killed off countless people without even trying. I'm scared that a similar situation might arise if we were to ever encounter intelligent life from so far away. What kind of diseases might they have that could possibly wipe us out? Putting that aside for the moment, I'd like to think about what kind of impact they would have on our outlook on the universe. Would we still think we were so special if we knew we weren't the only ones out there? What kind of impact would it have on our earthly religions? So many of them are hinged on the idea that humans are just oh so special that god created just us and the earth as his greatest endeavor. I think it would turn a lot of previously held conceptions on their heads. What kind of an impact would the discovery have on politics? I think the introduction of other intelligent life into our world would first and foremost widen the scope of what we deem to be our most important priorities. Once contact would be made, there would really be no going back from there. I can't even fathom what kind of, if any, diplomatic relations would come about with the introduction of other players onto the stage of existence. Another sinking fear that I might have would be what exactly other life forms would want with us in the first place. I think that would all depend on what kind of civilization they have developed on their own. Would they have a similar moral compass to us? Would they see us as equally as valuable as them or would they seek us out simply to subject and exploit us for their own gain? Would it be the other way around? However, as of right now, there's no evidence that we can point to that there is other intelligent life out there within our reach that we can see so most of these questions will most likely remain unanswered for some time. It's still interesting to think about such things. They make me feel so small in the grand scheme of things but at the same time fill my imagination to the brim with thoughts of what might happen should things change. Is there life out there besides us? It's statistically probable but given our current technology and what we've seen of our universe so far, it's just us at the moment, and who knows, maybe that's for the best. Maybe we just aren't ready to encounter other intelligent life. We still have so many of our own problems that need solving. Maybe they would see us as backwards savages who still need to figure our own world out. Maybe that's what we are. One thing that can be said for certain, is that it's a fascinating subject to think about.