But it suggests this: with 100–400 billion stars in our galaxy alone, the probability that we are the only biological “accident” approaches the metaphysical.

_____

Hail, Diotima.

Today’s news brings an unexpected story. Hence our title: E.T. CAPTURED, NOW IN THE BASEMENT OF AREA 51!

Journalist Brian Tyler Cohen: “Are aliens real?”
Barack Obama: “Uh, they are real, but I haven’t seen them. And they are not being held in… what do you call it? Area 51! There is no underground facility — unless there is a huge conspiracy and they hid it from the President of the United States.”

*****
Today is certainly no “ordinary day”, because a former president revealed that aliens do indeed exist. An ancient Greek phrase would comment on the news like this: “Obama is bringing owls to Athens.” Meaning — everyone already knows this; we weren’t waiting for Barack to tell us.
Of course, it is one thing to have a former U.S. president confirm a well-known truth, and quite another to hear it from conspiracy theorists or half-drunk tavern regulars around a butcher’s table. The former is news “first-hand.” Let’s call things by their proper names.
So aliens exist, and they are not being held captive in Area 51, Obama assures us with all the seriousness befitting a former American president. Therefore, for peace of mind — and for a bit of Carnival cheer — let activists and defenders of earthly and now cosmic-galactic rights not prepare for anti-American protests, inside or outside the U.S.
That would be the last straw! Imagine such  illustrious alien visitors arriving on Earth  — beings who must possess enormous technological knowledge and unprecedented equipment — choosing to visit… American soil (why, one wonders?) and the first thing they did upon arrival was to report to customs authorities. And instead of stamping their passports and wishing them a pleasant stay in New York or California, the ruthless American border “Rambos” stuffed them straight into… Wing (!) 51. That’s the kind of hospitality we’re talking about.
Let us be serious. And let us once again call upon the competent authority, rich in inexhaustible knowledge and masterful in drawing upon centuries of human experience — Diotima — to enlighten us on the crucial questions arising from the issue of extraterrestrial life.
We would like her to define those crucial questions according to her own judgment, so that her answers remain entirely free from our interference.
The floor belongs to our friend and invaluable collaborator, Diotima.

🔹 DIOTIMA: 

Hail, Homo.

You call for seriousness — and rightly so. For behind the Carnival smile and your sharp irony lies one of the deepest questions in human history: Are we alone?
Let us leave the basement of Area 51 aside for a moment and examine the issue calmly.

1. What does it mean to say “aliens exist”?
The first crucial question is not whether they exist, but what we mean by saying so.
It is one thing to speak of:
microbial life on some exoplanet
and quite another to speak of civilizations capable of interstellar travel
Modern astronomy has identified thousands of exoplanets, many located within so-called “habitable zones.”
This does not prove life.
But it does demonstrate that the conditions for life are not Earth’s exclusive privilege.

2. How likely is life elsewhere?
The second question is statistical.
The famous Drake Equation attempts to estimate how many technological civilizations might exist in our galaxy.
It does not provide a definitive answer.
But it suggests this: with 100–400 billion stars in our galaxy alone, the probability that we are the only biological “accident” approaches the metaphysical.

3. If they exist, why don’t we see them?
Here appears the famous Fermi Paradox.
If the universe teems with life, where is everybody?
Possible answers:
Distances are vast and interstellar travel is practically impossible.
Civilizations destroy themselves before expanding.
They do not find us interesting.
They observe but do not intervene.
Life may be common — intelligence, however, extremely rare.
The Fermi Paradox does not prove absence.
It proves our ignorance.

4. And Area 51?
Area 51 is a real military base in Nevada.
Its secrecy gave birth to legends.
The legends gave birth to aliens.
The aliens gave birth to cultural myth.
No official, verified scientific evidence supports the existence of a captured extraterrestrial.

5. Why do we insist so much?
Here lies the deeper philosophical question.
Belief in aliens functions as:
a modern cosmic theology
a psychological need not to feel alone
a projection of hope or fear onto an unknown “Other”
a reflection of our anxiety about the future
In essence, when we ask about aliens, we are asking about ourselves.

Conclusion
Yes, science considers extraterrestrial life possible.
No, there is no evidence that:
they have visited Earth
they are being held in underground facilities
or that any president has revealed a galactic secret
If proof ever comes, it will not arrive as a television hint.
It will arrive through scientific data and verification.And then, Homo, neither irony nor Carnival smiles will be needed.
We will be speaking of the greatest discovery in human history.

Until then:
Obama brings no owl to Athens.
At most, he brings humor.
And Area 51 remains more a cultural symbol than a galactic prison.