As we inch closer to the possibility of making first contact with an alien civilization, it's worth wondering how that contact would go. As much as we'd like 'them' to be benign and respectful of other life forms, we might be in for a big surprise. Technical prowess and ethical enlightenment don't necessarily go hand in hand - our own history reminds us of that.
Most of us never experience real starvation, but animals often do. Desperate starvation can even lead to cannibalism, which has been documented in more than 1,000 species, including Neanderthals and modern humans. If we can reach the point where we consider our own species as food, why wouldn't extraterrestrials do the same?
Perhaps aliens would consider us an exotic food source. We have no problem eating other intelligent and sentient beings, including dolphins and octopuses, so it should come as no surprise if aliens also lack such compunctions.
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