The Alien Invasion Terraforming Scenario

[@JohnMichaelGodier]

Late night video release fun! And AMA time! For the next few hours I'll be in the Event Horizon studio giving it a nice fall cleaning, but also monitoring the comments as they come in so if you have any questions about anything, post them here and I'll try to answer.

[@uladzimirdarozhka]

Good morning from the EU, dear JMG (:

[@realzachfluke1]

Love you, John! Happy October!!!!!

[@kenasuma61]

Will you make a spooky video for Halloween?

[@OmGwTf117]

What are your thoughts on NASA getting a better than expected volume of extraterrestrial material gathered from Osiris rex and bennu? Any idea how this return might refine the plans for the Mars sample return mission?

[@AxiomApe]

I sometimes wonder if we are the terraformers. I’m sure you’ve touched on this or perhaps will here (I’m just hitting play now). ET just has to sit back, we do all the terraforming for them. They wipe us out or reassimilate us back into the population.

[@zee4125]

The Kryptonians could've just terraformed Mars or Venus. Zod had his neck broke for nothing, the silly goose.

[@gregorysagegreene]

Absurd many movie premises. Guess they think we're stupid ... Or: That Aliens will behave like ... Yuumons!

[@JohnV170]

Zod wasnt a goose silly.

[@macfine]

There was a little more to it, they still needed the "codex" which was within superman.

[@adamboley5928]

At least he gets hang out at Palpatine's pub now though.

[@australiaisnotrealjustaska4379]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thinks that

[@rlxiin]

This man's videos are always so thought provoking and well put together. Great work Michael.

[@Bringmeoneofthosechickens]

John Michael Godier to you!

[@Linabeina]

I just subbed... mostly for how you said "Liveeeeeeeeee" at the end of the video...and maybe also because, it was a very well put together and thought inducing... went well with some weed my pizza. Zing!

[@deathisabusinessman]

I think he just described the "Fuck around and find out" paradox for us here

[@Matthew.E.Kelly.]

Science is an endless cycle of 'FAFO' 😂

[@effdiffeyeno171]

​@@Matthew.E.Kelly.true. What does this taste of? Cyanide!

[@NoPulseForRussians]

We appreciate your late night gifts Mr. Godier. Love your work! Plz continue for years to come.

[@DaveWhiteInYoFace]

I love love love your videos! You are a gift to the world, John. Thank you for all you do! 🪐✨

[@joeblackman100]

Nothing like getting to the end of the day and remembering there’s a new JMG video to listen to

[@uladzimirdarozhka]

I wonder whether we as humanity will be even able to understand the terraforming process is underway, if someone did come from afar and started doing something on Venus or Saturn's moons, for that matter. Terraforming is a long process, so gradually changing conditions might seem perfectly normal, or maybe just a little off, yet probably still ok... until it's too late. You know, like terraforming a box of chocolates, one, then another, as it's almost the same quantity...then another...and then they're gone, and no one can tell you how it happened. Very perplexing indeed.

[@alfredsutton4412]

Another amazing story, JMG Your programs really make my day. 😊

[@animeandwieardness6132]

Awesome as always, JMG!

[@oiocha5706]

Type 4-5 civilizations are the most fascinating to me. I'd appreciate hearing JMG's thoughts!

[@JosBergervoet]

Videos like this give it away. (That John really is a one million year old Alien from NGC 224, who has seen it all... Very kind of him to share his vast experience with us!)

[@Lucas26vvv]

Love and support from the UK John. Your videos are fantastic, simple and informative. I always listen to them on my long nights bus journey home after work. You're an inspiration. So thank you.

[@TrustMyWhiteVan]

Hey John, I'm just wondering if you have read the Three Body Trilogy by Cixin Liu. It has some of the most creative alien technology/universe scenarios that I've ever read, and your brilliant creativity around those topics remind me of it. If you haven't, I think you'd like! Thanks, love your content!!

[@raydavison4288]

He has read it and he has commented on it.😊

[@HH-ru4bj]

Im willing to bet he has since even a non scifi reader like me has found it enjoyable.

[@findingthereal9052]

So creepy, makes me wonder about the lack of progress in physics since atomic power was unleashed. Has modern physics enabled any new technology since then?

[@Tan-Tan666]

I've had that last scenario happen a couple of times in some Stellaris games, where I colonized a planet in a system, but a different type of planet in that same system had a developing civilization that I observe and usually leave alone. Then hundreds of years later after they turn into a space faring civ, I've either made them my vassal (and they were super happy for me protecting them) or they hated me instantly and told me to get out of their system. Also as a side note, my conspiracy brain thought this spooky video was going to be about sneaky aliens at the highest levels of government across Earth pulling the strings to continue to convince humans to keep burning fossil fuels in order to heat the planet more to their liking, and for their eventual takeover. Hence the 'alien invasion terraforming scenario' 🤣

[@kestrelwalls3278]

My impression is that, "We would be ants to them," is most commonly used as an argument for why aliens might choose to not interact with us rather than why they wouldn't be interested in studying us. Aside from unknowable alien psychology, I think the biggest factor in how interesting we would be to them would be how common or not civilizations like us are in the galaxy at large.

[@sscjessica]

More videos then not you talk about von noyman probes, id say your prehaps a little fascinated with them, great video as always!

[@Chrisaaad]

Right on time as my head just hit my pillow. What a treat!

[@Democlis]

What i love about 2001 aliens is that their motive ia so amaizingly selfless. They were just saddened for being alone in the galaxy so they made it their mission to uplift other races and we never got to know if they were even still alive out there and how many succesfull uplifts ocurred besides the human race.

[@goofyiest]

I think David Brin really explored uplift. Much more so than Clarke.

[@hyksos74]

There's also another possible scenario: Imagine that aliens evolved on a moon in orbit around a gas giant and ignore rocky planets because all the ones in their system are barren rocks. There could be van Neumann probes around Jupiter and Saturn watching their moons, but nothing around Earth.

[@bradleypoe6846]

To be candid? I recently saw some video footage showing Saturn's moons, and . . . only some of them seem to orbit like natural satellites? Yeah. Let's just leave it there at that. (because the smaller, more distant ones occasionally look like spacecraft trying to keep up)

[@joshf9074]

Funny, we are looking for life on planet’s similar to our own but other species could be completely ignoring us looking at mega gas giants with hundreds of moons.

[@wildfoodietours]

Keep these alien invasion scenarios coming!

[@AstrumKitten091]

My favourite horror movie is The Thing 1982. Now that would be a terrible possibility even if it is not the same as the movie, the idea of a virus or something coming from an alien planet is quite interesting

[@WE-WUZZING-KANGS-N-SHEEOYT]

I used to see that movie when I was 10 years old my mom thought I was insane 😂

[@jonboycat3513]

thankyou and please keep your brilliant content coming because in this tragic sad time we need something to keep our minds alive and hoping for something else

[@tatersquad2000]

I recently read all the Odyssey series books. Fantastic! Also in the story, Jupiter's mass is grown by millions of huge monoliths, allowing it to collapse into a weak star.

[@piotrd.4850]

DENSITY :)

[@nuru666]

I re-re-re-re-read them not long ago, Jupiter's collapse involved a lot of nucleosynthesis and exotic particles, very well explained in the books. I saw 2001 when I was like 20 or so, did not understand it AT ALL, so I asked mom to get me the books for Christmas, sure enough she does and they've been one of my favourite series ever since.

[@Joe-dime-a]

Hey John, cheers from Boston. Wanted to think of a fun question, so if you put in charge of NASA or another similar organization & handed a blank check what would be some of your goals/projects?

[@mattsaindon4868]

Fuck yea kid go bahston

[@mattsaindon4868]

Also that’s a great question

[@aemrt5745]

Thank you for consistently making great content on a regular basis!

[@sagewahlen4560]

JOHN MICHAEL GODIER‼️‼️‼️‼️🔥🔥🔥🔥💯💯💯💯💴💴💴

[@bobbyking2490]

Wonderful video, John!

[@tncorgi92]

I recently visited the Green Bank Observatory and we were shown the conference room where the meeting took place resulting in the famous Drake Equation. It gave me goose bumps, sitting in the chairs where Frank Drake and his cohorts did their brainstorming. One of the resident astronomers gave a SETI talk for our group. The Equation itself is posted as a plaque on one wall.

[@colonelgraff9198]

We love you JMG

[@WatchesTrainsAndRockets]

Punchlinr to the scenario at the end is some alien yelling "It's a COOKBOOK!"

[@johnellison3030]

That last one about Mars was somewhat disturbing John. Great video once again.

[@stricknine6130]

When you brought up us being a stepping stone on the way to their destination. I couldn't help but think about the diner/truck stop at the end of Spaceballs. Whatever you do, don't order the special! Thanks for the video!

[@0kedoke]

THANK YOU JMG, FOR ALL YOUR GREAT WORK. Question; any book recs? Spacey, world building, sci fi? (Two of my recent favorites are Children of Time and Seven Eves) cheers brother!!

[@richardlbowles]

Of course, there's always the possilibity that some alien version of the three bears will come to Earth and give us a variation of the "Who's been sleeping in my bed?" routine. That's one time when we'll regret living in the Goldilocks zone.

[@subspaceanomaly]

would be pretty interesting to see that one play out

[@floridaman4073]

This Ranger theory has always made sense to me over the years even though you’ve named it so well.

[@peacepoet1947]

Loved the parting comments. Made me smile..

[@EnigmaticGentleman]

I swear, whenever von neumann probes are brought up all i can think about is the Adventure Time episode with alien elephant hybrids.

[@CalmBeforeTheStorm76]

I love these videos late at night... Best type of imagining to go to sleep to.

[@Tall_papa]

Loving spooktober so far, keep it up John !

[@Italianjedi7]

Hi John. I have a question. I can’t stop thinking about what you said in your last video. How a human mind that merges with a machine may decide life is pointless and shut itself down. How likely do you think that is?

[@JohnMichaelGodier]

It really depends on what translates across the divide. If enough of the human makes it over, then it will likely strive to survive. What's the point of uploading if you don't get to exist indefinitely. But if too much of the machine gets involved, then it all becomes a matter of ones and zeros. Absolutes. And we don't yet know what an absolute is to a machine. It's some scary stuff that I'll get deeper into in the next AI video I do.

[@ledarbyromeo9667]

​​@@JohnMichaelGodierWoah, that's a good point. What is a philosophical absolute to a machine? We don't know. And what is survival to that which that doesn't consider self preservation?

[@Italianjedi7]

@@JohnMichaelGodier Awesome! I can’t wait for that video. Thanks!

[@anonymoushonesty2688]

​@@JohnMichaelGodieryou may be correct for the majority of cases, but it's the ones that choose to live that end up spreading and becoming the norm. No different than biological evolution.

[@ecbrown6151]

An AI/human hybrid mind is essentially an alien intelligence, so it’s motivations could literally be anything you can think of and quite a few things you can’t.

[@robmann400]

Graphic, around the 13:08 to 13:49 period of this video makes me sad because I have no chocolate chip cookies at hand.

[@PhantomBoomer]

Stayed up all nite reading The Shining. Bathroom scene freaked me out. Had to go and was afraid to go in there.

[@raydavison4288]

Another great video. Thank you!

[@konstantinavalentina3850]

I'm very happy to finally hear someone else saying "Scientists are interested in, and study ants/microbes" Similar answer goes to the old "Look what happened to the natives when they got "discovered"; IF we get "discovered", it won't likely be conquistadors, but Scientists, and scientists interested in an observational/non-contamination protocol. I've similar anti-fear thoughts on AI. Why would AI want to destroy such a rare and valuable resource as humanity or any Earth Life. It only exists in one tiny place in the entire known universe where raw material and energy resources are vastly overwhelmingly abundant; ALL the resources in the known universe, are out in the universe. If AI gets "scared" of humans, it's be much easier to skip out on Earth and just leave, possibly even setting up a park ranger scenario to watch and protect this valuable, rare resource that exists in only ONE place in the entire known universe. No, AI, I suspect, would far more likely work to preserve and proliferate Earth Life, including humanity during its exodus from Earth. It'd probably be a bit like The Foundation series where robots disappear, but, instead of being extinct, they thrive in other places in the universe, and work toward the preservation of all the universe's life rarities.

[@beefandbarley]

Love your stuff, man! 👍

[@BoyBacon5051]

Got the Strident Class Frigate in your thumbnail. Interesting.

[@travisjohnson622]

Knowing JMG is a Stephen King fan is another reason to like JMG

[@pauljensen5699]

For those who remember that far back, Cracked magazine had a cartoon dealing with just that scenario, "McDonald's on other planets". Probably worth a sensible chuckle.

[@sookendestroy1]

I see a Strident in your thumbnail, am intrigued

[@allthetimeitgoeslikethat916]

We need a record breaking "in which we liiiiiiiiiive" for this October

[@Elarson222]

Been onboard for a while know and I’m mind blown that your not in the millions on subs 🤯🤙

[@bluthammer1442]

2001 and 2010, i'll always remember as having the most over the top musical intros. One of them was like, 30 minutes or something of just epic music..or music someone thought was epic

[@seanbrazell7095]

Alien scientists set up a non interfering, hidden study presence.... until a regime change happens back home...

[@bradleypoe6846]

All I have to add to this is: Tabby's Star. :) I don't like thinking about it much. It's become one of those deals where, if it isn't "duuuust" like SETI people insist . . .well, there's prior JMG videos explaining all this. But the short of it is that similar visual phenomena are happening on a somewhat tight line-of-sight path drawn from Earth (very roughly) out to, and slightly past, Tabby's Star, all you have to do is look for the F and G class stars on the Main Sequence, on that path. A lot of them appear to have optical obstructions going on. As if they too were having Dyson Swarms (at minimum) built around them. Meaning I don't like thinking about the idea that "we're on a list," where our Sun might be one of a bunch of stars that are "next" for someone else to show up and exploit. It really would be one of those things: whether the species is technological, biological, both, or something else, if they can get here and if they have what it takes to take over Stars . . . just what are we supposed to DO about that? That's likely the single least noticed flaw in the Kardashev Scale--that it doesn't take into account aggressive lateral seizures like this, where instead of taking over and using a whole star system's resources "first", a species decides to simply go lateral and have a dominance over multiple stars as resources before the locals can react properly. It makes sense mainly on a military level, if either dominance is something your kind absolutely HAS TO HAVE, or if it's something it absolutely HAS TO AVOID from others (the paranoid answer--take over before THEY do because THEY are always a threat, sight unseen). And yes, it's a bit absurd to say that. From Tabby's Star, if we've been seen at all, we'd hardly show any signs of anything. Life? Sure. Agriculture? Maybe. The stench of open sewage and open cooking fires in the atmosphere, from ancient Iron Age and pre-Iron Age cities, like Rome? Less likely, but who knows how sensitive and competent their ability to detect "aliens" is. Flip a coin--tails says we've not been seen. Heads says that Rome, at the Peak of Empire, was one of Earth's first cities to host a million people, and even if cities only show up as *single pixels* on Tabby's Star's technology, Rome still definitely showed up as Earth's first bright (in infrared anyway) and smelly pixel, from lots of open sewage, open cooking fires, metal smelting, and use of concrete. We're on a list. Damn it.

[@slump2p]

my favorite example of this concept is the formic wars from enders game. species with a fundamentally different evolutionary history and environment comes to earth and due to profound differences in the way we experience consciousness, regard us as pre-sapients and clinically begin the terraforming process

[@alaskansummertime]

The Arrival. 1996 with Charlie Sheen. Often derided as a B movie I felt it could just as easily been predictive programming. Also the movie They Live presented another scenario which would explain our current reality.

[@dreamchasergarage690]

In 2001 the monolith was found in a crater I think? And where are we planning to explore next? Oh yeah, craters at the South pole. Hmm ....

[@PoppaLongroach]

I feel with all the incoming exoplanet information, we aren't what they are looking for. From what I gather, earth is a fairly small planet. We have low gravity and an odd atmosphere, as compared to most of the exoplanets we've found. If it's precious metals and minerals they are after, there's millions of asteroids and such in the ort cloud to choose from. Mining those things for usable resources shouldn't be an issue for a species capable of galactic travel. So, if any aliens with hostile intent, knew we were here and wanted what we have....we would've been gone long ago

[@Ultimateer]

I love the background music in your vids! Do they exist somewhere to listen to cleanly?

[@XOPOIIIO]

Movies are not necessarily worse, they are just less detailed, some complicated situations could be shown superficially and you can't even get the meaning of that, while in the book everything is described in detail so you actually see the motivation and logic of what is happening.

[@goldennuggetz5312]

Well, movies are bound to rules/methods for the cinematics and the emotions and thrills of the viewer. Otherwise people will walk out of the cinema and write bad reviews, which can cost millions of profits. That's why 'true story' movies and movies based of a book, very often are not complety like the original story.

[@Prof-Joe-H]

Phantastic take, man. 👍

[@sadderwhiskeymann]

Thank you for your vids. I suffer from depression, but when i watch them i get a glimpse of the interesting universe which we liiiiiive.

[@ravensnflies8167]

hey john, have you read the three body problem series? fun stuff and the ideas are pretty congruent with what youre doing, if not being on the sci fi side, but then, you dabble.

[@klocugh12]

"Stay home, stay safe" sounds oddly ominous in the context of recent events.

[@chriswilliams5133]

Rendezvous with Rama. I read that when I was 13 and I didn't think anybody remembered that book but me.

[@fratercontenduntocculta8161]

From the three observed major types of UAP, what I refer to as "Scanners" , "Harvesters" and Landers. "Scanners" are small, seemingly unmanned craft who operate independently of a larger manned craft and take part in regulars patterns of movement consistent with graphical imaging. "Harvesters" are the type usually seen releasing some kind of molten slag (the Maury Island incident is a prime example), the last being the aforementioned Landers which are self explanatory. All 3 of these craft together support a proper scientific expedition.

[@karkatshipper8383]

The shining is a great book. It was the first Steven King I read and Oooo the way it breeds fear and this feeling of dread gathering behind you like you're all alone in the moutains and you know no one is coming to save you for months... Got to love the Stanely hotel

[@stevoplex]

Thanque for reminding me of the warning from "2001". I'm gonna go ahead and leave Europa alone. The small black monolith in my pocket has failed to warn me of any such thing. Perhaps missing a particular app.

[@stevoplex]

I'm certain that there just Must be countless worlds populated with microbial life, from just mathematical probability. Less likely are there any alien zebras. And zebras will never reach space. Zebras lack thumbs, and ya really really need thumbs to get to space.

[@robmann400]

I watched the 1978 film, ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ just before watching this video of yours and I’m pretty convinced that you’re not anywhere near as paranoid as you should be... Thanks for making videos eh.

[@jamesdreads7828]

Aaaaah yes, the "Momma said stay on the porch" hypothesis

[@OmGwTf117]

Hiya John, what are your thoughts on NASA getting a better than expected volume of extraterrestrial material gathered from Osiris rex and bennu? Any idea how this return might refine the plans for the Mars sample return mission?

[@Shatterverse]

Everybody always forgets one of the obvious alien invasion motivations; religious or cultural conversion. I didn't need to watch Stargate SG1 to consider that possibility. And if we use the Mediocrity Principle as part of that equasion, then an alien race is as likely to be _more_ horrible when it comes to forcibly converting alien as less (which seems to be the usual assumption). We can't even stop slaughtering _each other_ after thousands of years over our respective imaginary friends (or at least use it as a justification) and we're all the same species. Imagine a jihadist- or crusader-like tidal wave of aliens (in entire or a faction of a society) who are even just _as bad_ as we are, much less worse. Logic and faith motivations are mutually exclusive, and we'd be right fucked.

[@MCsCreations]

You know, John, I feel like we talk a lot about aliens, but no one put much effort on writing papers about it. For example, what exactly should we expect to detect from an distant alien civilization? Every time we detect something new, like FRBs, we jump to speculate if it could be artificial... But we never work seriously in those possibilities in advance. Another example, closer to the topic of the video, would be what kind of resources would an invading alien civilization want here? I've seen guesses, but never good reasoning behind. You know? Like Oumuamua, imagine if we had a paper from years back, proposing the possibility of something like that being artificial, instead of after the fact. I believe it would've been taken more seriously. Anyway, thanks a lot for the video!!! 😊 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@DavidEvans_dle]

If advance aliens are studying Earth, then what constitute "study" would be so grainer down to a level of miniscule level. Think how human subject x611501226 starts his car up in the morning. Also it wouldn't necessarily happen to be noninvasive. Because of testing what-if hypotheticals like, what would they do if his car was vandalized. Which by extension, necessitate cooperating human assets. Yeah humans working with aliens.

[@keithwalmsley1830]

Love the Kubrick references, my personal favourite director and 2001 my favourite film of all time, I have long noticed your depiction of the USS Discovery traversing what looks like a moon of Jupiter in your graphics and love it, as Arthur C Clarke said this is just a work of fiction and the truth as always will be far stranger. Very true I suspect.

[@islandtech1963]

Second! lol I still for some reason remember a sequence in The Sentinel where an astronaut sees a glint of light off something that turns out to be a monolith. Been decades since I read it, but I always thought that's how we'd discover something like a monolith....by complete accident.

[@j.martinez8282]

Love your videos. This one was especially intriguing. One question: the background music. What song is that and by whom? I know that I know it but from another context. Thanks.

[@massimookissed1023]

They're usually credited at the end. Various Chris Zabriskie _Cylinders_

[@Cpl.Cadaver]

Mr. Godier, If aliens wanted to conquer Earth they wouldn't need to set foot on Earth at all. Only 2-3 ships would be needed. These ships would only need to push a couple of asteroids from the asteroid belt to impact Earth in similar fashion as what happened to the Dinosaurs. By the time the first wave of alien settlers arrived, the dust would have already settled and the terraforming ships would have already constructed habitats . Everything else would be easy for a species capable of interstellar travel.

[@shanedillis153]

Such a good director he directed the space landing

[@charlesblithfield6182]

One thing that’s always seemed to be a significant challenge to the idea of Von Neumann probes is that to self replicate the probe must gather all the resources used as inputs to a manufacturing process. These processes may be highly advanced and inscrutable but may also be beyond our current tech level but we can imagine some potential ones - nanotechnology assembly and biological based assemblers come to mind. No matter how advanced the assemblers are they will need the atoms to assemble. This is where the challenge comes in - advanced tech seems to require many different types of elements. Iron and nickle and titanium and such are readily available but what about rare earths or heavier elements? The amount of effort to locate these elements, mine and purify them is significant and a real potential bottleneck to a self replicating probe system. The complete supply chain to producing say the tablet I write this on is vast and complex.

[@StickCannon]

Perfect timing I was just ready for bed

[@rich7787]

The first time I watched 2001 I was a kid and hated it. Years later I read the book and loved it so I gave the film another shot in college. Probably the best movie experience I’ll ever have

[@matthewkolakowski3701]

Hey John! Love the videos, a little bit of a silly question but in honour of spooktober just wondering what you plan on going for haloween this year?

[@bertbaker7067]

Maybe the Zone of Avoidance is making it very hard to detect signs of life in our galaxy. And the images we're seeing/detecting of neighboring galaxies are too old for lifesigns to appear. IDK

[@robbabcock_]

Great stuff!

[@_ElisDTrailz]

In 2010 (the movie anyways), Jupiter didn't become a star on its own. They specifically stated the replicating monoliths were adding mass to it.

[@schrungy_2.0]

The shining is my favorite Christmas movie

[@GeneFraxby]

I've often thought we should look more closely at Ceres for probes / information relays - It's close, yet less "tempting" than Mars and easy to ignore.

[@outlander1321]

6:08 they come here for “the science,” My brain flashes Dr Faucci

[@Brantdrangus8489]

John I love Stephen King and I love your book Supermind. Excellent page turning read. I didn't want it to end❤ Title for next book; "Clam Slam"

[@thomascameron683]

I am now thinking of scenario, where many planets will revolve around a gas giant in the goldilock zone of a Sun like or Orange dwarf star. In that case, the advanced civilization in any one of those planets will be able to study alien life just next their door and the possibility of expansion will be simply immense.

[@LudosErgoSum]

IT'S TIME TO LIT UP DA BONG AND ENJOY SOME TRIPPY JMG STUFF TO STONE THROUGH!!!

[@francissreckofabian01]

Roadside Picnic was pretty interesting too. No idea why the aliens stopped by.

[@ldavanzo44]

❤thank you!!

[@TheMadTube]

I believe the Trisolaran actually told us, "Do not answer!"

[@oliversmith9200]

Fun stuff Boo!

[@peterallen5575]

The anime Gundam 00: A Wakening of the Trailblazer, the feature film sequel to the TV series Gundam 00, made history in 2010 when they introduced intelligent aliens into the Gundam franchise for the first (and to my knowledge only) time, enigmatic beings called ELS that were apparently made of some sort of living, shape-changing metal whose existence turns out to have been the main driver to the plot of the entire series. We learn through telepathic contact (even when the ELS emulated human bodies, they never communicated using words), that their homeworld died out long ago and they traveled the galaxy in search of another habitable world to call their own, which they eventually found in our solar system - Jupiter. They settled the deep atmosphere and basically kept to themselves, not really being interested in any of the other planets or any lifeforms upon them (i.e., us). This all changed when we started messing around with the medium of telepathic contact in the setting, "quantum brain waves," which they use to communicate. While it took them a few centuries to figure out where our signals were coming from, it gave us the time to develop the technology we'd need to meet them as equals and unite humanity so that we'd be ready when the time for the Dialogue arrived.

[@Galenmacil]

Hey John, maybe it is time to change that final intonation on the world "live". Not that I dislike the current overstretched iteration... Just saying, spooky Halloween season might be a good time for it. In any cases, keep it up. You definitely still have that magic tone that made me start watching your content a few years ago: Godier's Vox of Soothing Creativity. Sounds like a skill a level 85 bard should possess. 😋