September 14, 2020
#2359: Evidence of Alien Life explain
[The comic is laid out like a 3 by 3 grid, with the amount of evidence down the left-hand side (Weak Evidence of Alien Life/Promising Evidence/Definite Evidence) and the type of reaction across the top (Not Cautious Enough/Appropriately Cautious/Too Cautious). Each box is a combination of the row label and column label.]
[Row 1: Weak Evidence of Alien Life]
[Column 1: Not Cautious Enough]
[Cueball is looking through a telescope. There is a long, thin asteroid seen through the telescope, shown on the upper-left hand corner in the panel.]
Cueball: This asteroid is probably an alien probe!
[Column 2: Appropriately Cautious]
[Same scene as before, except the asteroid is omitted.]
Cueball: This asteroid is weird and we should take a closer look.
Cueball: It’s not aliens.
[Column 3: Too Cautious]
Cueball: This asteroid appears to be far away, but it could also be nearby and just very small.
[Row 2: Promising Evidence]
[Column 1: Not Cautious Enough]
[Ponytail runs excitedly to Cueball. She carries a notepad with a V on it.]
Ponytail: They found life on Venus!
[Column 2: Appropriately Cautious]
[Same scene, except Ponytail is simply looking at her notepad.]
Ponytail: These molecules might be produced by life, or by weird high-heat chemistry.
[Column 3: Too Cautious]
[Same scene, except Ponytail’s arm is slack by her side.]
Ponytail: There is growing evidence that the atmosphere of Venus contains molecules.
[Row 3: Definite Evidence]
[Column 1: Not Cautious Enough]
[There is a UFO with two aliens coming out of it. Cueball excitedly runs to the aliens, while Megan waits. There are three UFOs flying in the background.]
Cueball: I’m going to go give those aliens a hug!
[Column 2: Appropriately Cautious]
[Two aliens are on the ground, and the foreground UFO is no longer in the frame. Cueball is talking to Megan. There are three UFOs in the background.]
Cueball: Oh wow, aliens!
Cueball: Should we try to communicate?
[Column 3: Too Cautious]
[Three UFOs are shooting beams into the United Nations building, vaporizing it. Cueball and Megan are watching.]
Megan: The energy beams vaporizing the United Nations could be a possible biosignature.