#2359: Evidence of Alien Life

[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 on 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.