Because I'm slightly bored with commenting on the stories we're reading (and because I still have to finish reading them for tomorrow), I wanted to start a random, though still related, topic to discus:
If there was an option, should we, people of earth, encourage contact with an (intelligent) alien races?
I imagine that trying to communicate with another race would be extremely difficult anyway. Also, a human would probably find it really easy to offend an alien (just think of all the "weird" customs we have on earth, most of which differ greatly for different cultures) without meaning to. One scifi show (Babylon 5) involved a war between humans and another race that was all started because of a misunderstanding. An alien race approached earth with their spaceship's gunports open., which to them was a sign of respect, but was considered a sign of attack to the humans who then fired first. Earth was almost wiped out by the alien race.
On the other hand, talking to another race has endless possibilities for scientific advances. Not to mention the implications of finding intelligent life (religious ramifications being just one thing that comes to mind). Also, people are just plain curious. It would be facinating to compare and contract the two races from completely different part of space.
Personally, I think it'd be cool but that might not be the smartest choice.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
How to guide to communicating with aliens: http://web.media.mit.edu/~minsky/papers/AlienIntelligence.html
ReplyDelete"You're an interesting species. An interesting mix. You're capable of such beautiful dreams, and such horrible nightmares. You feel so lost, so cut off, so alone, only you're not. See, in all our searching, the only thing we've found that makes the emptiness bearable, is each other." -Alien in "Contact"
ReplyDeleteI think we would encourage contact with an alien race since we are so curious about everything different. We would also have the chance to gain invaluable technologies from the alien race. And if we knew there was intelligent life in space and just ignored it would drive me crazy knowing we had the chance in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI was going to say the same as Kenny, that the technological possibilities would be too overwhelming to not make contact. Although I could totally see first contact happening just as it did in Tim Burton's 1996 film, MARS ATTACKS!
ReplyDeleteI would also agree that we need to encourage contact. Because if you dont make friends, you make enemies. Furthermore, we need to get of this rock before we all kill ourselves. Aliens could offer us space travel.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely should be in contact with aliens, if they exist. Open the borders to trade! (sorry, capitalist). I am among those that think that if there were aliens, theres a possibility that 1: maybe we are more advanced than them? and 2: they probably won't want to kill us. But thats just me.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIf aliens entered our solar system, I don't think they'd be interested in messing with us. Based on the fact that 1) we haven't left the earth in any significant way and 2) mars and mercury are similar rocky planets without all that H20 sloshing about, I feel like we would be ignored as just another native species of this solar system, unless the aliens are all biologists who want to do a Planet Earth series on us. What would bring an alien race to our solar system in the first place? I would think they'd be looking for rare heavy elements that they use in their travel technology. If that's the case, then they might come to earth, but I doubt they'd bother with us more than we bother with primates while cutting down their rainforests.
ReplyDeleteThe other way we could talk to aliens is through electromagnetic signals, like radio waves that don't appear naturally. Interestingly, the closest planet (if we assume that life evolves similarly to Earth life elsewhere)is 10.5 light years away and I don't know of any government body on earth that is consistent or stable enough to maintain the same stances on anything for more than a few years, much less enough time to send a message, get a response, and then send a new message. (>21 years)
I love the idea of making contact with another race, but I sometimes fear that my idea is a bit romantic. What about the idea of the human race being completely wiped out (or made into slaves or something) by a more powerful race. Isn't that just as likely as us gaining some technological (or cultural) insight?
ReplyDeleteI think from a religious and philosophical standpoint, we as a people would be compelled to contact other intelligent life forms, if it were feasible. In my estimation, we would gain invaluable insight not only into the state of the universe, but also the human condition if we were to be made aware of a perspective from an alien race.
ReplyDeleteHumans could definitely benefit from making first contact with aliens. But the question is are we really ready? Are we ready to have our egos dashed to dust as we realize we're not so unique among the cosmos?
ReplyDeleteI don't know if anyone saw "District 9", but it tackles that very issue in a gritty and innovative way.
As long as I am not forced into the role of "dog trainer at gun point/evaporation point/whatever point", I'll be okay with it.
ReplyDelete