astrobiology
Explanation
The Joke
A scientist is making a major announcement at a press conference. He reveals that they have detected an alien civilization approximately two kilometers away -- not in deep space, but essentially next door. The aliens have been recognized as such because they "just suck books from space via a weather balloon." The announcement is treated with the gravitas of a first-contact scenario, complete with an audience of reporters, but the details are hilariously mundane and absurd.
The second half of the comic delivers a double punchline. The scientist notes that the good news is that this discovery means universities and institutions don't need to fund space research or invest in expensive telescopes, since the aliens are so close. The second paper they are presenting is about "the viability of extracting free pizza" from the alien civilization. The audience erupts in applause, and the scientist says "Thank you, Mayor." This suggests the entire scientific establishment has been reduced to a local government affair, with priorities that match.
The Humor
The comic satirizes both the hype around the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and the way scientific priorities get warped by funding pressures and practical concerns. The idea that an alien civilization only two kilometers away would be discovered through a weather balloon, and that the immediate scientific follow-up would be about extracting free pizza, mocks how quickly grand discoveries would be reduced to petty exploitation. The detail that the audience is applauding for free pizza rather than the monumental discovery of alien life is a sharp commentary on human priorities.