What would happen to the global financial system if governments disclosed evidence of extraterrestrial life?

In this episode of the Mouthy Money podcast, Edmund Greaves and Chris Tuite explore a surprisingly serious question sparked by a real report from a former Bank of England analyst.

The discussion considers the idea of an “ontological shock”. A moment so disruptive it forces society to rethink reality itself and why alien disclosure could trigger the biggest financial crisis in history.

From market panic and bank runs to the collapse of entire industries, the pair examine how advanced alien technology could instantly rewrite the rules of energy, defence, AI and even capitalism itself.

Using aliens as an extreme thought experiment, the episode considers how central banks manage risk, why not all threats can be planned for, and where preparation turns into over-engineering.

Along the way, they draw parallels with COVID, black swan events, climate risk and technological disruption - asking what this means for investors, institutions, and ordinary savers.

Serious, speculative and deliberately provocative, this episode isn’t really about aliens. It’s about risk, uncertainty, and how fragile the systems we rely on really are.

Read editor Edmund Greaves's full article here:

https://www.mouthymoney.co.uk/investing/should-the-bank-of-england-prepare-for-aliens-a-thought-experiment-in-extreme-risk/

Chapters

00:00 – Should the Bank of England prepare for aliens?

01:55 – The real report that sparked this discussion

04:00 – What is an “ontological shock”?

06:50 – Would alien disclosure trigger a financial crisis?

11:30 – Technology, energy, and instant market winners & losers

16:30 – Panic, bank runs, and insider information

20:00 – Can you prepare for unknown unknowns?

24:40 – Are we over-managing risk in finance?

26:45 – What this really means for investors

29:00 – Final thoughts: aliens as a risk thought experiment

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DISCLAIMER

This video is produced for general informational purposes only. It should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, mortgage or other forms of financial advice. If in any doubt about the themes expressed, consider consulting with a regulated financial professional for your own personal situation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you started with. Investments are speculative and can be affected by volatility. Never invest more than you can afford to lose. For more information visit ⁠⁠⁠www.fca.org.uk/investsmart⁠

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