The UN regains relevance

The UN has fallen pretty far in recent decades, having gone from a legitimate geopolitical organization to a recurring Jew-bashing conference.

But don't despair, they are working their way back to usefulness, as the Times of London reports:

The United Nations, tackling head-on the problem of what to do if an alien says "take me to your leader," is poised to designate a specific individual for the task. . . .

the UN is set to select an obscure Malaysian astrophysicist who is head of its little-known Office for Outer Space Affairs (Unoosa).

Mazlan Othman will describe her potential new role next week at a scientific conference at the Royal Society's Kavli conference centre in Buckinghamshire. . . .

The UN has tried previously to contact alien life. The two Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977 carried a message from Kurt Waldheim, then secretary-general, saying: "We step out of our solar system into the universe seeking only peace and friendship."

However, scientists are now embarrassed by Mr Waldheim's deployment as an interstellar envoy because it later emerged that he had been an enthusiastic member of the Nazi party.

Hat tip: James Taranto, whose added comment (end of column) is worth a look in addition.