You’ve probably had the same thought. How will this country ever be unified again?

Alien invasion, right?

If you come from the “Independence Day” school of domestic relations, you may be interested in an upcoming event hosted by Zócalo Public Square, an ideas journalism and events organization created by Arizona State University.

On Sept. 27 at 7 p.m., Zócalo will host a panel discussion entitled “How Should We Prepare For Aliens to Arrive on Earth?”

While Zócalo has covered local issues and hosted local events in the past, this particular event is being held in person at the ASU California Center in Los Angeles. It will also be streamed live.

Moderated by Julian E. Barnes, national security reporter for the New York Times, the panel speakers include Senior Operations Specialist Corey Gray of LIGO Hanford Observatory in Washington state; ASU astrobiologist and theoretical physicist Sara Imari Walker; and Afrofuturist poet, fiction writer and editor Sheree Renée Thomas.

The talk comes as the government appears to be more open than ever about the possible existence of alien life. In May, Congress held its first hearing on UFOs in more than 50 years. And last month, the Pentagon created an office to track what it calls UAPs, or “unidentified aerial phenomena,” NPR reported.

Some of the questions to be addressed at the talk include: “What will contact with a new intelligent lifeform mean for humanity’s future? Can the close encounters Hollywood has imagined help us plot our way forward? And, is it possible that humanity will find unity in how we present ourselves to the new arrivals?”

For more information and to register, visit Zócalo Public Square.