--- title: What Scientists Think About Aliens description: While Hollywood suggests we should expect to battle aliens, science tells a different story canonical: https://time.com/4766642/why-aliens-would-probably-come-in-peace/ author: Sarah Begley article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-05-04T10:51:41.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:54:21.193Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Why Real Scientists Think Aliens Would Never Eat Humans og:description: And 4 other extraterrestrial ideas og:url: https://time.com/4766642/why-aliens-would-probably-come-in-peace/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt376281b66aaf2b75/6988cbe7196cf4065a03ff75/why-aliens-would-probably-come-peace.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1938 og:image:height: 1090 og:image:alt: why-aliens-would-probably-come-peace og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why Real Scientists Think Aliens Would Never Eat Humans twitter:description: And 4 other extraterrestrial ideas twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt376281b66aaf2b75/6988cbe7196cf4065a03ff75/why-aliens-would-probably-come-peace.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why Real Scientists Think Aliens Would Never Eat Humans > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=fba0e754-c1df-467c-90e3-33520a64549a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=fba0e754-c1df-467c-90e3-33520a64549a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=fba0e754-c1df-467c-90e3-33520a64549a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=fba0e754-c1df-467c-90e3-33520a64549a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Unseen Apollo: Going To The Moon Through Astronaut's Eyes [Watch (HLS stream): Unseen Apollo: Going To The Moon Through Astronaut's Eyes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/c43u4clG.m3u8) (3:13)  _Published 2017-03-30. Nobody ever accused the Apollo program of failing to deliver the goods. There were the 842 pounds of moon rocks and the raft of scientific spinoffs and the deep thrills that every one of the 11 missions delivered. And then, there were the pictures._ by [Sarah Begley](https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley May 4, 2017 10:51 AM UTC  A new book posits that alien encounters would be far more benign than they appear in the movies; Arrival, above, is more realistic than most A new book posits that alien encounters would be far more benign than they appear in the movies; Arrival, above, is more realistic than most Courtesy Paramount Pictures and Hybride Technologies by [Sarah Begley](https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley May 4, 2017 10:51 AM UTC When the Martians first land on Earth in the 1996 sci-fi comedy _Mars Attacks!_, for a moment it appears all will be fine. “We come in peace,” says their leader, as the music swells and a dove soars overhead. Seconds later the Martian pulls out a laser gun and opens fire on a crowd of human onlookers. Yet another blockbuster alien invasion has begun. That’s Hollywood, of course. But the melodrama underscores one of humanity’s most widely held fears: that if and when we do encounter extraterrestrial beings, they will wreak all kinds of havoc, much as they do in the movies. Or will they? For his new book, [_Aliens: The World’s Leading Scientists on the Search for Extraterrestrial Life_](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250109639/?tag=timecom-20), quantum physicist Jim Al-Khalili asked a series of experts to explore how humans might actually make contact with aliens. The possibility is not as far-fetched as it once seemed: since NASA launched its Kepler mission in 2009, researchers have discovered thousands of new planets and “revolutionized our concept of how many habitable worlds could exist,” writes astrobiologist Nathalie Cabrol in one of the book’s essays. But while Hollywood suggests we should expect to battle their inhabitants, science tells a different story. Here, five popular alien myths that _Aliens_ debunks. **MYTH NO. 1: Aliens would eat us** Movies like _The Blob_ and _Critters_ imagine aliens harvesting humans for food, an unpleasant prospect. But it doesn’t track with the science of nutrition, writes astrobiologist Lewis Dartnell. In order for aliens to get nourishment from eating us, their bodies would have to be capable of processing our molecules (like amino acids and sugars). And that requires having a similar biochemistry–a long shot for a species that hails from a different world. **MYTH NO. 2: Aliens would breed with us** Both of this summer’s extraterrestrial blockbusters, [_Alien: Covenant_](http://time.com/4617863/alien-covenant-trailer-ridley-scott/) and [_Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2_](http://time.com/4754483/guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-2/), involve human-alien hybrids. But given that we can’t even reproduce with our nearest evolutionary relative, the chimpanzee, it’s “overwhelmingly improbable” we could do so with aliens, according to Dartnell. **MYTH NO. 3: Aliens would look like us** Human evolution depended on so many unique and unpredictable factors, it’s near impossible that an extraterrestrial species would have human-like features, like the aliens in _The Day the Earth Stood Still_ and [_Star Trek_](http://time.com/4482775/5-things-star-trek/). It’s far likelier, writes neuroscientist Anil Seth, that they’d be as different as the octopus, “our very own terrestrial alien,” which has a high level of intelligence, a decentralized nervous system and an alternative style of consciousness. **MYTH NO. 4: Aliens would be “living” creatures** Even restrained films like [_Arrival_](http://time.com/4475748/arrival-movie-review-denis-villeneuve/) get this one wrong, according to some scientists. Should aliens contact us, cosmologist Martin Rees believes we will hear not from fellow organic creatures, but from the robots they produced, who can, in theory, live forever. **MYTH NO. 5: Aliens would steal our water and metal** The aliens in Independence Day famously arrive to strip Earth of its resources. But again, that logic doesn’t add up, writes Dartnell. Most of our metal is in the Earth’s core, not its crust; asteroids would be far better targets for mining. And icy moons, like Jupiter’s Europa, would be easier places to stock up on water. They’re uninhabited, and they don’t have Earth’s strong gravitational pull. So if aliens aren’t interested in harvesting our lands or our bodies, why would they make contact? Dartnell suspects a purer motive: curiosity. “If aliens did come to Earth,” he writes, it would probably be “as researchers: biologists, anthropologists, linguists, keen to understand the peculiar workings of life on Earth, to meet humanity and learn of our art, music, culture, languages, philosophies and religions.” Presumably, we would hide our alien movies. ## Transcript [00:00] [ INAUDIBLE ] Lift off. The [00:04] Apollo Lunar missions were as much exercises in [00:07] photographic reconnaissance as they were in exploration. [00:11] [ MUSIC ] NASA was very good [00:16] at selecting and curating the pictures they would release. [00:19] What's left behind With the the thousands of outtakes, the [00:23] rough shots. It was these things though, these unplanned [00:27] images that captured the Apollo moon missions as the [00:31] improvisational camping trips that they were. [ MUSIC ] [00:42] Apollo 7 was the first test of the Apollo command service [00:46] module in lower the orbit. No astronauts were going to get [00:49] anywhere near the moon if the third stage of the [00:53] [ UNKNOWN ] rocket didn't last the [ UNKNOWN ] of the [00:56] orbit, and if the [ UNKNOWN ] couldn't turn around Open [01:00] the pedals of a compartment on that third stage and extract [01:03] the Lunar Module. This maneuver was practiced on Apollo [01:08] 7, producing this picture of the third stage, and its open [01:12] LEM compartment with no LEM aboard. The [01:17] Lunar Module was usually a bright and busy place, but [01:21] not on Apollo 13. When the crew had to take refuge inside [01:25] and shutdown most of their power using the lamb as a [01:29] lifeboat to make their way back to Earth. Here is a rare shot [01:33] of what it looked like inside that cold, dark module. [01:36] [ MUSIC ] On the last three Apollo missions, [01:41] Apollo 15, 16, and 17. The astronauts carried [01:46] with them an offroad vehicle known as the Lunar Rover. [01:49] Here, Apollo 16's John Young leans almost jauntily [01:54] against his ride. With the overexposed top half of the [01:58] image, creating the overall effect of a casual vacation shot, [02:02] snapped during an offroad trip In the desert Southwest. No [02:08] limb could land at an incline greater than 15 degrees [02:13] lest it become impossible to take off again. Apollo 15 [02:17] pushed that rule touching down at a 10 degree incline. [02:22] NASA was perfectly happy to release photographs of the [02:25] Apollo 15 LEM, shot from in front. But profile shots [02:29] were kept out of circulation. Rovers [02:34] worked hard, and sometimes they broke down. After the [02:37] first of three lunar expeditions, the fender on the right rear [02:41] wheel of Apollo 17's lunar rover Broke off. This [02:45] was a problem because fine lunar dust kicked up by the [02:49] tires could foul machinery and potentially even the [02:52] astronaut's life support equipment. The solution? Four [02:57] lunar maps folded just so and fastened with what [03:00] Commander Gene Cernan called good old fashion [03:04] American [ UNKNOWN ] [ INAUDIBLE ] [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4766642/why-aliens-would-probably-come-in-peace/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4766642/why-aliens-would-probably-come-in-peace/"},"headline":"Why Real Scientists Think Aliens Would Never Eat Humans","datePublished":"2017-05-04T10:51:41.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:54:21.193Z","description":"And 4 other extraterrestrial myths debunked","url":"https://time.com/4766642/why-aliens-would-probably-come-in-peace/","keywords":["Books","aliens"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt376281b66aaf2b75/6988cbe7196cf4065a03ff75/why-aliens-would-probably-come-peace.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sarah Begley","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt376281b66aaf2b75/6988cbe7196cf4065a03ff75/why-aliens-would-probably-come-peace.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"why-aliens-would-probably-come-peace","caption":"why-aliens-would-probably-come-peace","creditText":"Courtesy Paramount Pictures and Hybride Technologies","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/books/","name":"Books"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4766642/why-aliens-would-probably-come-in-peace/","name":"Why Real Scientists Think Aliens Would Never Eat Humans"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Unseen Apollo: Going To The Moon Through Astronaut's Eyes","description":"Nobody ever accused the Apollo program of failing to deliver the goods. There were the 842 pounds of moon rocks and the raft of scientific spinoffs and the deep thrills that every one of the 11 missions delivered. And then, there were the pictures.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/c43u4clG/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-03-30T16:13:18.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/c43u4clG.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4766642/why-aliens-would-probably-come-in-peace/","duration":"PT3M13S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4766642/why-aliens-would-probably-come-in-peace/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```