“Usually, when I try to talk to people about simple, cost-effective, off-the-shelf technology, people freak-out and run away screaming”

I think I’d work on your presentation, maybe your hair-doo; something.

I’ve never had anybody ran away screaming no matter what I said. Rolling on the floor laughing, maybe.

I think folks would respond in many different ways. Genetic diversity. It's really important for the species to have a large menu of responses to an approaching danger. That enhances the chances of at least some surviving.

Contact with a clearly superior alien species would be a very great potential danger, as well as opportunity.

Bob