2011-12-10
Original: 2011-12-10 on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1 (caption): We debated whether to send signals to space.
A woman with brown hair and glasses: "Finding intelligent life would be huge, but... what if we're advertising our existence to a hostile alien species?"
Panel 2 (caption): But when we began to discover Earth-like planets, the temptation became overwhelming.
A balding man with red hair, glasses, and a beard, holding papers: "This planet is only 30 light years away, and it's in the right ranges for life! We need to say hi!"
Panel 3 (caption): 60 years later, a signal came.
A woman with gray hair, holding a tablet: "We've received a message. It was so broad and powerful, it was detected by even our most distant satellites."
Panel 4 (caption): Turns out they had similar fears to us.
A person seen from behind, holding up a glowing tablet: "Huh."
Text on the tablet: "Translation: 'Dear invaders! The tastiest life is on "Earth," which can be found betwee[n]...'" (the message cuts off).
Votey:
Caption (in a red box): "Screw your votey! Phil Plait dressup doll!"
The drawing shows a balding, bearded man (Phil Plait) standing in white briefs and white socks, with body hair drawn in. Surrounding him are cut-out accessories to dress him with: a brown top hat, a gray space/astronaut helmet with a red visor, and a white bishop's mitre with a gold cross.
A woman with brown hair and glasses: "Finding intelligent life would be huge, but... what if we're advertising our existence to a hostile alien species?"
Panel 2 (caption): But when we began to discover Earth-like planets, the temptation became overwhelming.
A balding man with red hair, glasses, and a beard, holding papers: "This planet is only 30 light years away, and it's in the right ranges for life! We need to say hi!"
Panel 3 (caption): 60 years later, a signal came.
A woman with gray hair, holding a tablet: "We've received a message. It was so broad and powerful, it was detected by even our most distant satellites."
Panel 4 (caption): Turns out they had similar fears to us.
A person seen from behind, holding up a glowing tablet: "Huh."
Text on the tablet: "Translation: 'Dear invaders! The tastiest life is on "Earth," which can be found betwee[n]...'" (the message cuts off).
Votey:
Caption (in a red box): "Screw your votey! Phil Plait dressup doll!"
The drawing shows a balding, bearded man (Phil Plait) standing in white briefs and white socks, with body hair drawn in. Surrounding him are cut-out accessories to dress him with: a brown top hat, a gray space/astronaut helmet with a red visor, and a white bishop's mitre with a gold cross.
Alt text
A four-panel SMBC comic about sending signals into space. Panel 1, caption "We debated whether to send signals to space," shows a brown-haired woman in glasses saying, "Finding intelligent life would be huge, but... what if we're advertising our existence to a hostile alien species?" Panel 2, caption "But when we began to discover Earth-like planets, the temptation became overwhelming," shows a balding red-bearded man holding papers, excited: "This planet is only 30 light years away, and it's in the right ranges for life! We need to say hi!" Panel 3, caption "60 years later, a signal came," shows a gray-haired woman with a tablet: "We've received a message. It was so broad and powerful, it was detected by even our most distant satellites." Panel 4, caption "Turns out they had similar fears to us," shows a person from behind holding a glowing tablet and saying "Huh." The tablet reads: "Translation: 'Dear invaders! The tastiest life is on "Earth," which can be found betwee[n]...'" The joke: the aliens, equally afraid, sent out a fake message trying to lure invaders to Earth as bait. The votey is a bonus drawing: a red caption box reads "Screw your votey! Phil Plait dressup doll!" and shows a balding bearded man (Phil Plait) in white briefs and socks, surrounded by cut-out paper-doll accessories to dress him in: a brown top hat, a gray astronaut helmet with red visor, and a white bishop's mitre with a gold cross.
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.