Why we can’t get enough of aliens
April 26, apparently, was Alien Day. Before your imagination runs wild (which it is supposed to do on this occasion), this was not a day when the first alien was discovered on Earth or when aliens celebrated their domination of our planet, or when they declared their "alienable" rights in the galaxies. It is a day for the celebration of science fiction, especially in films that have captured the fascination of many humans. Held on 4/26, it is a reference to LV-426, the moon where a human crew discovers aliens in the 1979 Ridley Scott film Alien. Thanks to the abundance of sci-fi films, many of us have grown up with that irresistible fascination for life outside Earth and a nagging desire to believe in its existence.
It is interesting, though, how the word "alien" is used in a country where many of the most famous films on aliens have been born. In the US, an alien is not just an extraterrestrial; it could simply mean someone from a foreign country. So an illegal alien (the lowest rung in the immigration ladder) is a foreigner who got into the US without legal documentation or stayed longer than permitted by their visa. A legal alien on the other hand, is a foreign-born person who has all the right documents to be in the US. Remember how Sting famously announced his immigration status: "I'm a legal alien. I'm an Englishman in New York"?
Other than that curious deviation, in general, an alien refers to a being from another planet. And it's not just sci-fi movies that harp on extraterrestrials coming down to Earth, usually with sinister purposes (though sometimes they are cute little fellows who just want to go home).
The Pentagon, for years, had projects to investigate "military sightings of UFOs" (now known as "unidentified aerial phenomena"). In fact, just this February, after all the excitement over "Chinese balloons" and other unidentified objects, a US Air Force general said he would "not rule out aliens or any other explanation," though other defence and intelligence officials have said that the military has not yet found evidence of extraterrestrial activity in the US. Well, of course they have to say that, silly. It's classified information.
Now that one thinks of it, even our own land could be a site of alien activity. Remember the alien abductions in films like The X Files where humans were taken and then sent back, traumatised and with amnesia? Well, this could explain all the unexplained disappearances of people for days and months, after which they "reappeared" in far-off places, usually near the border, looking confused and disoriented. Most of all, they never talk about what had happened to them, just like those stupefied human abductees who can barely explain anything about their time aboard the alien ship.
In most sci-fi movies, the ill intentions of the aliens are amply displayed – how they just want to suck out our life force in order to survive, invade our planet altogether as their own abode is dying. This could explain the unsolved murders that keep adding to our repertoire of grisly events. The Sagar-Runi murder case, for instance, the probe report of which could not be submitted for the 97th time on April 9. If the concerned law enforcement agency has failed for 97 times to come up with some sort of deduction from the last 11 years of investigation, does this not sound a little "science fiction-y"? Other unsolved murders continue to pile up, with no clues regarding who could have carried them out. Sounds suspiciously like alien aggression.
Speaking of aggression, if any of you have seen Mars Attacks, you will know just how vicious and sarcastic little Martians can be. Not to mention, ugly as sin. Initially, when the humongous-headed Martians arrive, the people of the world (which basically means the US) herald their coming as they would that of a messiah. People from all walks of life travel thousands of miles to welcome them with open arms and doves that symbolise peace and friendship. Only the intentions of these little green men are not as noble, as is soon revealed when the officials of the welcoming committee are blown into smithereens with a ray gun by a cackling Martian, triggered by a hippie setting free a dove. After a lot of mayhem and destruction, a young boy saves the day when he inadvertently plays a favourite song of his grandmother's, whom he has rescued. The yodelling sounds of the song "Indian Love Call", that the boy plays in the car, is by default the only weapon to annihilate the marauding aliens – the melody causes their slimy green brains to explode. The hidden message in this: it is music (denoting love and soft power, perhaps?), not state-of-the-art arms, that can conquer the enemy and save the world. Superpowers of the world, which are so infatuated with war and sophisticated weaponry, should take heed.
Science fiction may stretch scientific phenomena for dramatic effect and to ensure box office hits, but many things in sci-fi films have predicted future scenarios – like holograms, smartphones, smart watches, and eye glasses that can be used as computer screens. Whether we will ever encounter little green or grey men with creepy eyes and bulbous heads, or amorphously shaped beings with superior intelligence, is something that at this time will remain within the confines of sci-fi films and literature. But the idea of life outside our planet is something that will fascinate scientists and ordinary people alike. There is something hopeful and humbling about thinking that there are living beings besides the ones we are familiar with in our earthly abode.
Meanwhile, there is that strange smell wafting from the kitchens, sending many a human out on the streets of Dhaka. Titas Gas says it's because of high pressure of gas in the pipes and the idea that there are major leaks is baseless. Maybe it's just aliens breathing.
Aasha Mehreen Amin is joint editor at The Daily Star.