Aliens – what if they’re real? Would they be a peaceful bunch or the savage conquerors we’ve seen so many times throughout Hollywood history? It seems Stephen Hawking, one of the world’s most renowned scientists, believes that making contact with extraterrestrial life would actually end quite badly for mankind.

Yahoo! has posted an article where Hawking states that we shouldn’t be asking ourselves if aliens exist, but should instead be asking “What are they like?” Given the vast expanse of the universe and the sheer number of galaxies and planets within those galaxies, it is likely that there are other intelligent forms of life out there, but Hawking warns that contacting them would be quite dangerous.

He explains, “If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn’t turn out well for the Native Americans…Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonise whatever planets they can reach.”

Mr. Hawking makes a pretty good point; human history and our experiences suggest that a meeting between humans and an alien species would not be a peaceful one. What do you think? Are aliens going to be super chill dudes that knock back a few rounds with us or will they be murderous planet-snatchers that aim to wipe us out and take Earth as their own?