🧠 When we imagine alien contact, we tend to picture intelligent beings.

But what if the first discovery is non-sentient life?

Would its extraterrestrial origin grant it greater moral value—or would we treat it like endangered species on Earth, where protections are uneven and exploitation persists?

This raises questions about whether scientific, commercial or national interests would endanger alien life, and if our current conservation ethics prepare us to protect life beyond Earth ⚖️