[catacombs]

1. Find life outside the solar system.

2. Send message to them via the Sun.

3. Aliens receive message, determine Earth's location and send invading fleet to conquer the planet.

4. Discover the fleet via Hubble telescope and warn humanity.

5. World focuses attention on humanity's survival and diverts funds to spaceship manufacturing and jump starts the next phase of technological innovations.

...

450. Profit.

[DannyB2]

> World focuses attention on humanity's survival

We can't focus on global warming. Would we actually focus on an impending asteroid collision, or an incoming alien invasion?

[catacombs]

I think anything that is a danger to Earth that is not human caused would receive more attention.

[zpeti]

I see what you did there...