Pop goes the planet

Recently the work to try to find life in outer space has focused increasingly on Panspermia: the idea that human ancestors originated elsewhere in the universe and came to earth as bacteria. So if, one day, aliens from another galaxy do try to annex our little blue rock, we shouldn't look on it as an invasion, but instead a long overdue stay from some distant cousins.

Had they chosen yesterday to begin their infiltration, aliens would have been presented with the spectacle of the World Music Awards, who have arrogated the task of defining the best music on the planet. Apparently, the best that 6,000,000,000 of us can manage is James Blunt, Nickelback and Nelly Furtado. If there were ever a case for a suspected alien takeover, you'd surely have to ask the World Music Awards judges what they planet they had been on.