The probabilities of catastrophic events happening, such as invasion by an enemy, are usually given via statistics which aim to give an indication of the likelihood of an outcome. 

“The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one, but still they come” (Jeff Wayne, 1978).

This quote from Jeff Wayne’s musical adaptation of HG Wells’ The War of the Worlds shows a very low probability, with an outcome that falls into the mere one per cent.  The chance therefore of the event happening is so low that nobody would think it possible, and therefore when it does, the shock is all the greater.

When HG Wells wrote The War of the Worlds in 1898, it was a startling look at invasion, and one that was not from earth, but from its nearest neighbouring planet where studies were already rapidly progressing.  The content of the novel showed that there could be a possibility of an unknown lifeform surpassing everything that mankind thought they could achieve in terms of warfare, hostility and survival, and perhaps most importantly,, that of superior intelligence and achievement.  Ironically, the turn of the twentieth century would bring the threat of the first world war, which would bring the meaning of invasion from a hostile enemy into a terrifying reality.  

“No one gave a thought to the older worlds of space as sources of human danger, or thought of them only to dismiss the idea of life upon them as impossible or improbable” (HG Wells, 1898).

While the War of the Worlds is a piece of science fiction, it draws attention to how vulnerable life can be and how quickly things can change if the million to one does happen. I like to integrate this concept of vulnerability into my own artwork. 

The topic of visitation by extra terrestrial beings is explored by artist Susan Hiller in her work Witness. One of the things stood out for me in Hiller’s work about unidentified flying objects and extra-terrestrial sightings are the witness statements; they are not criticised or disputed in any way for truth or fiction but just reported as they are told. Hiller’s artwork articulates what could be out there as opposed to trying to prove or disprove what is or isn’t.  Therefore, the probability of the sighting being true does not come into question and each statement taken from the claimant of the sighting is considered as a piece of evidence and not scrutinised for truth or fiction.  The probability of invasion by the alien being cannot be defined as it can neither be proven nor disproven.  In the end, it is up to you as an individual to decide.

The fight for survival is a trait which all living creatures possess when under threat, but unfortunately, when people don’t work together, the chance of survival diminishes.  Such examples are the dependence upon facts being told by governments and world leaders, the increased threat of Global terrorism, and in the current climate, the invisible threat of Covid19.  HG Wells had a great deal of foresight when he wrote the following words.

“At any rate, whether we expect another invasion or not, our views of the human future must be greatly modified by these events” (HG Wells, 1898).