Obsession with Aliens ..

[gvstn]

8. I can't say it isn't productive in all cases.

I liken it to a kid that gets into model planes. In and of itself it isn't productive but they might learn about the basics putting a model together. How much glue is too much, or that thin coatings of paint are better than thick ones. They may learn some factoids about different aspects of aviation or aerodynamics. Gets their brains firing in different ways that can be used later.

People obsessed with aliens might similarly gain a greater grasp of the hugeness of the cosmos than your average person. They may understand more about propulsion or star/planet formation because of their hobby. These little factoids could help them problem solve at work because of their slightly different perspective.

Don't forget most of the little gadgets we all possess now were envisioned years ago on Star Trek. Seems like a lot of today's "concept" people took those ideas to heart as kids and are trying to bring them into reality.

As far as the Ancient Alien crowd there I have to agree with you completely. That stuff does wear on me. It seems that some people can't accept the possibility that a great leader and a great genius could work together to create an awesome architectural feat unless it happened in the past few hundred years.