I’ve been wondering for a long time about aliens. Do they exist? The universe is a big place. It seems like it would be impossible for there not to be other intelligent life out there somewhere. Maybe they’re not little green men or misshapen gray figures who fly around in UFOs and abduct people to perform experiments on them. Maybe they’re just like us. Not necessarily looking the same, but builders of planet-bound civilizations that rise and fall as they dream of someday conquering the stars.

It’s also possible that aliens DID exist, but they don’t anymore. With how old the universe is, surely there must have been worlds that saw their entire history happen from beginning to end before ours was even a glimmer in God’s eye? They could’ve had the most advanced technology ever seen, but even that couldn’t stop them from dying out. I don’t know. I could be wrong. Maybe aliens don’t exist and they never did. What do you think?

–Invader Jim

Dear “Invader Jim,”

This is a very interesting topic. But let me ask you something: how do you know we aren’t the aliens? There’s a theory I remember reading about that the protozoa we evolved from might have come from a meteor or asteroid that hit the Earth millions or billions of years ago. If that’s the case, then we’re technically not native to this planet, and that would make us aliens.

Of course, you’re not asking about technicalities. You want to know if there are beings from other planets besides our own. In that regard, I can say with absolute certainty that I have no idea. I’ve never seen an alien or a UFO, but there’s nothing that proves they don’t exist. It’s possible the government knows about entire alien races who have visited Earth and secretly plot to take over the world. I suppose if they do, we might not ever even realize it. They could have already conquered us and we have no idea.

You could probably spent a lifetime researching this topic and never come up with a definitive answer. It really comes down to what you want to believe. Would it bring you more comfort to know that we’re not alone in this vast universe, and that there might come a day when we will all unite for a greater future? Or would you prefer it if humanity was entirely unique; something that no matter how much time passes, will never appear again? Just choose and let that be your answer.

–Lovingly, Libby