Would you rather...

Cure cancer

Make first contact with an alien race

The alien race will not magically cure cancer for you.

Accomplishment of the Century

Oct 16, 2009

VintageFantasy

Community arguments

Cure cancer

Ending cancer immediately saves hundreds of millions of lives — the humanitarian impact is certain, direct, and vast
First contact with an alien civilization carries existential risk; a technologically superior species with hostile intent could end humanity
A cancer cure is entirely within human control and benefits humanity with no unpredictable variables introduced at civilizational scale

Make first contact with an alien race

An advanced civilization capable of interstellar travel likely possesses medical technologies far beyond ours, potentially including cures for many diseases
First contact would be the most transformative event in human history, accelerating science and technology across every field simultaneously
Curing one disease saves many lives; alien contact could provide solutions to poverty, conflict, and existential threats across all of humanity

Last generated Jun 29, 2026.

Comments

Would you rather...

Cure cancer

Make first contact with an alien race