100/1 Odds On 'First Contact' Within a Year 309
astroengine writes "After all the kerfuffle of 'Ambassadorgate' — when the UK media went nuts over the rumored promotion of Mazlan Othman to become the UN's first choice as mankind's alien point of contact — it would appear that gamblers saw this as a tip that an alien landing was imminent."
"The chances of anything coming from Mars... (Score:3, Informative)
...are a hundred to one, they say...
but still they come! [youtube.com]
summary is incorrect (Score:5, Informative)
The summary is incorrect. The 100 to 1 odds aren't even for first contact, but merely that the US/UK will announce the existence of aliens. From TFA:
the gambling company is offering odds of 100/1 on either the US President or the serving British Prime Minister to announce the existence of intelligent extra-terrestrials within a year of the bet being placed.
Re:Like state sponsored lotteries (Score:3, Informative)
"giving great odds on an impossible event"
It's a tax on stupidity, and the money keeps rolling in!
Re:Let me be the first to say... (Score:3, Informative)
It also depends upon the definition of "first contact". Physical contact with an intelligent alien species that has traveled to earth? Communications with an extraterrestrial species? Discovery of any form of extraterrestrial life? I'd need to know the specifics before I'd put money on either side of that bet...
On of my high school teachers described me as a "close encounter of the fourth kind" which he said meant "contact with an alien to the point where it becomes annoying". ;-)