A former Ministry of Defence adviser who ran the 'British government's UFO project' has warned an alien invasion would irreversibly change the world.
Nick Pope, 56, advised the UK's Ministry of Defence between 1991 and 1994, during which time he investigated reports of UFO sightings and attended events at the Royal Society in London, a scientific community which has previously included the likes of Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein.
Attendees there discussed issues around extra-terrestrial life, and following his time at the MoD Pope shared insights to the topic during Blaze TV's documentary Indistinguishable From Magic.
He explained: "If we find aliens, or they find us, the world will change forever. With all the possibilities and all the variables, how can we know what will happen or even attempt to predict what the effects will be?"
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Pope, who is from California, claimed 'some of the deepest thinkers on the face of the planet have had detailed discussions on these very questions,' and said while their answers may 'surprise' us, the most surprising thing of all is' 'how few people know these discussions have taken place.'
Pope claimed the two meetings he attended in 2010 were called 'the detection of extra-terrestrial life and the consequences for science and society,' and 'towards a scientific and societal agenda on extra-terrestrial life,' and said one of the biggest questions on the day was about how people would react to aliens.
"It's a question that comes up again and again, relating to disclosure, and it's cited by many as being a reason why governments might want to cover up the truth about UIFPOs, the question is this - How would people respond? Not our political leaders, or our greatest scientists, but everyday folk - teachers, store workers, farmers, or factory workers.
"Would there be wonder, quiet acceptance, or might there be panic in the streets?" Pope said.
The former adviser said 'many people think there would be mass panic' if aliens were discovered, but explained delegates of the Royal Society 'suggested that an announcement that extraterrestrial life had been discovered would have little effect.'
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"Opinion polls already show that large numbers of people believe in alien life, with many being certain we're already being visited, and further belief that our political leaders aren't telling us everything that they know about UFOs.The bottom line is you don't shock people by telling them something they already believe," he explained.
As for whether the aliens would be 'lovable' or coming to 'exterminate us', Pope claimed the views at the Royal Society were 'split.'
Featured Image Credit: Nick Pope/Twitter/AlamyTopics: UK News, conspiracy theories, Aliens
