When most people think of extraterrestrial life, they think of little green men in flying saucers, ready to invade our planet and abduct our citizens. But what if our intergalactic coinhabitants were just peacefully curious about us and our planet? What would they have to offer us? In what ways would contacting aliens change our lives? Assuming that they are even remotely similar to us, they could completely turn life for Earthlings on its head.
One of the most obvious ways aliens could change how we live is by introducing us to new technology. If there is life out there that is intelligent enough to reach Earth, they must have some technology that we don't. There are so many inventions that Earthlings have that the extraterrestrials might have done a different way. Their planet could be home to different plants, metals, and other materials that revolutionize our fields of medicine and engineering. The possibilities are endless.
Another field that could benefit from contact with aliens is that of the creative arts. Every culture on Earth has art, music, and literature, which makes it difficult to imagine any life without these aspects. Many elements of music could be different on another planet, considering that they may have different materials to make instruments out of, and they may find different tonalities more pleasing. There are countless possibilities when it comes to different techniques aliens might have for art. Painting, sculpting, photography and more could be forever changed by their input. Never-before-seen fabrics and color combinations could revamp the fashion industry. Not to mention all of the stories they have written that we've never heard.
An interesting area that could be broadened by extraterrestrials is the area of religion. It would be interesting to see the different religions practiced by beings that have never been to our planet, and how their religions line up with ours. Many of Earth's religions have similar stories, does this trend carry into extraterrestrial religion? Do aliens have any religions that match up perfectly with ours? How do they worship?
Life on Earth is perfectly enjoyable the way it is now, but it can be fun to imagine how different it could be. A discovery as huge as extraterrestrial life could affect almost every aspect of our lives in incredible ways. Aliens could broaden our horizons and help us advance our technology and society and their teamwork could help us to discover more planets to share our ideas and learn more that we've never thought of.