First contact - science or magic

[Quasqueton]

The discussion of the movie Signs, in the movie forum, made me start thinking about this. (I don't want this thread to turn into a discussion about this movie.)

Say some strange humanoid-like creatures started appearing around the world in large numbers (many sightings, but not necessarily more than one at a time). Although there is plenty of recorded evidence (video, audio), and plenty of respectable and reliable eye-witness accounts, no one knows how these creatures arrived. (No spaceships or portals or such have been found.) No "equipment" has been found, either. (No guns, suits, or tools.)

How would the general media (news organizations) identify these creatures? The media, as well as the general populace, must call these creatures something. Would these creatures be called "aliens" or "demons", or something else? Natural or supernatural? Terrestrial or extraterristrial?

Would it be assumed that these creatures arrived on our planet, or that they were already here and just became active?

If the creatures had [so far] unexplained "powers", would they be called scientific or magical?

Which direction would the typical human's identification thought go with such creatures? Are we quicker to think of science or magic?

Quasqueton

 

[Umbran]

Sufficiently advanced technology being indistinguishable from magic, I'm not sure there's any real basis for distinction.

In terms of PR, I'd expect in the real world it'd be explained as science. Nobody wants to be associated with mysticism.

 

[BOZ]

agreed. the scientific community, and many other folks including most of the media, would never even consider magic/psionics/supernatural/angels/demons/etc as a rational explanation - it would come down to either explainable or unknown.

now, that would not stop many other folks from using one or more of the above explanations...

 

[Pseudonym]

I'd say they would be regarded as aliens and regarded as extraterrestrial in nature. Depending upong their actions, I suppose some would attach mystical significance to them, as even now we have people who's beliefs bridge the two. Angels are really ETs with a message of world peace sort of thing.

 

[Nareau]

Five years ago, I would have said science. However, given the recent mainstream fascination with Christian mysticism (The Da Vinci Code) and the supernatural (John Edward, etc), I'm not so sure. Compound this fascination with a seemingly widespread rejection of science (creationism vs. evolution*), and I'm prone to say that the US media would put a heavy emphasis on the religious angle.

Spider

* Don't mean to offend anybody, nor hijack this thread. Just my non-expert opinion.

 

[Pyrex]

I read a novel along these lines recently

Spoiler alert!
[sblock]
The Taking by Dean Koontz.

The book revolves around a small group of people trying to withstand/survive an alien-invasion-via-terraforming of the earth.

The kicker at the end being that given sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, it necessarily follows that magic is indistinguishable from sufficiently advanced technology.

More spoilers:

Spoiler

It wasn't, in fact, aliens invading, but rather the devil coming to claim the wicked in kind of a Noah's-flood redux.

[/sblock]

 

[gray stranger]

I guess I would call them aliens, and expect alot of people from my enviroment do the same

What I would like?

Aliens using magic, seriously

 

[Goblyn]

I guess I would call them aliens, and expect alot of people from my enviroment do the same

What I would like?

Aliens using magic, seriously

Illithids. Definitely Illithids.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Every read Lord of Light by Zelazany - there is a passage in there were Tak the Ape is telling Yama that Sam is playing dice with demon, Yama tells him they are not demons. Tak describes them and Yama repeats it word for for but leaves out the word supernatural.
Tak's response: I don't see the difference. Yama of course explains it but Tak comes back: it does not matter.

 

[paradox42]

Though I would certainly prefer it to be explained in a scientific manner, and would most likely think of it that way myself, I'm afraid I must agree with Spider that most people would assume they were demons- given the recent fervor with "end times" thinking. It's all over religious web sites if you check them out, and not just Christian ones. I think most people, regardless of media coverage, would think of them as supernaturals of some variety- whether angels or demons would depend upon their particular faith focus and how the new entities behaved.