NASA helped write a paper about the possible outcomes of extraterrestrial contact back in 2011 - Would Contact with Extraterrestrials Benefit or Harm Humanity? A Scenario Analysis - arXiv (arxiv.org)
This is just a short, easy-to-read paper I keep in my bookmarks and go back to occasionally. It explores, qualitatively, the various outcomes that contact with alien intelligence might have. I think it’s a really cool 25-page exploration of possibilities that are fun to think about. Some choice quotes:...