That was an interesting read, but its logic seems a bit contradictory.

On the one hand it figures the aliens would be so technologically advanced that any resistance would be futile (and, as a side note, of course we couldn't fight Matrix-style; that would be a battle against self-aware machines we created, not an alien species ).

Yet it posits we'd be the ones that would have to establish the means to communicate.

Realistically, all of the underlying assumptions around intelligent alien life would mean that the likelihood of our civilization being the first they've encountered extremely low. And even if it was, the idea that such a race wouldn't have a protocol (or come up with one prior to first contact) for establishing communications with an alien (to them) race, that they'd just show up and look at each other saying "shoot, now what do we do" seems incredibly unlikely, assuming they have an actual desire to communicate with us.

And if they don't want to talk to start with, us making little models of triangles likely won't change their mind .

I don't know about that. the movie coming out a few years ago must have spiked interest in some folks.

I read it about the same age you did. Though I'm more a fan of Wells and his contemporaries.

Aren't we overlooking the obvious? Most existing data indicate that aliens aren't as interested in doing high school geometry as in, um, you know. All I can say is that I'm packing some KY in my alien kit.

As for the T shirt illustration, I think you want something like this on your chest, perhaps without the words or algebraic symbols:

Even on earth modern warfare is becoming automated, and precise disabling weapons using sound, heat, etc. are being used, not to mention our extensive stockpiles of chemical/biological stuff. If we can develop such precise ways of killing eachother I'm sure ET's would be capable of the same. I imagine they'd use drones or create a very specific pathogen to wipe us all out. Or maybe they'd engineer super mosquitoes that can breed outside of water and survive in freezing temperatures. Now that would be a nightmare.

Any mosquito with a beak long enough to nail me through my many layers of winter clothing would be aerodynamically challenged, and an economical replacement for clay pigeons. I'm going to stock up on #9 field loads just in case.