Stephen Hawking Warns of Alien Menace
- Thread starter gturner
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If contact is made with an Alien civilization, it will almost certainly be by some method of long-range communication. Given the incredible difficulties of interstellar travel, the likelihood of Aliens visiting in person is virtually nil; the likelihood of being visited by a hostile culture is so close to zero as to make no difference.
The only threat to us from Alien contact is cultural; an Alien culture may be so extremely alien as to be meaningless to us, however it may be so advanced and exotic as to overwhelm our own. In fact, that could theoretically be a two-way street. It would be ironic-- and an interesting idea for an SF tale-- if the culture of each species were superseded by the other.
The only threat to us from Alien contact is cultural; an Alien culture may be so extremely alien as to be meaningless to us, however it may be so advanced and exotic as to overwhelm our own. In fact, that could theoretically be a two-way street. It would be ironic-- and an interesting idea for an SF tale-- if the culture of each species were superseded by the other.
Nardpuncher
Rear Admiral
I think it was just that computer that sits on his chair making stuff up.
Comparing our civilization and psychology to an alien one is wrong.. at best.
We have no idea how an alien psychology might look like and how they handle themselves. They may be aggressive like Klingons and wipe us out or makes us their slaves (or if lucky enough "just" part of their empire as another race) or they may be like Vulcans just out exploring the galaxy and meeting new races.
As it stands we have no idea how the aliens will be like until we meet them.. it can go both ways and it is a moot point to discuss it and most of all instill some panic into people.
We have no idea how an alien psychology might look like and how they handle themselves. They may be aggressive like Klingons and wipe us out or makes us their slaves (or if lucky enough "just" part of their empire as another race) or they may be like Vulcans just out exploring the galaxy and meeting new races.
As it stands we have no idea how the aliens will be like until we meet them.. it can go both ways and it is a moot point to discuss it and most of all instill some panic into people.
Sure why would he. He's not as foolish as this man-
"Everything that can be invented has been invented." Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. patent office, 1899 (attributed)
It's historical evidence that EVERY time an advanced culture meets a less developed one, the latter is erased from existence.
If Aliens conduct interstellar travel like the British, Spanish and French conducted sea travel, building colonies everywhere, looking for new resources, evangelize native tribes, then we'd be in serious trouble.
The only hope is that the Aliens share our history of wars, religious conflict, suppression and battles for resources. Because by the time they can afford interstellar space travel, all of that will be in their history, and they will have learned from their mistakes. And then they will indeed look for friends, and not for enemies.
At the moment, our culture is developing a sense for responsibility. For our society, climate, nature, coming generations. And many scientists believe that we will only travel to the stars once Earth is united in peace. You can't afford "real" space travel (not just some "put the flag there and get some stones back" missions, but the real deal) if you have wars, poverty and resource problems at your doorstep. Seafaring developed because of the need to trade. Many known cultures all around the world knew of each other and wanted to deal with their resources, so seafaring was one good mean of transportation. That isn't the case with space travel. Space travel is not a need, it's a luxury. And you will only do it if you really have no other problems.
Though nobody really knows what an Alien culture might look like. What if they have TWO planets in they solar system that are inhabited? At some point they would know of each other, receiving radio transmissions, looking through telescopes, etc... then space travel would indeed turn out to be an equivalent to the 17th, 18th, 19th century seafaring.
If Aliens conduct interstellar travel like the British, Spanish and French conducted sea travel, building colonies everywhere, looking for new resources, evangelize native tribes, then we'd be in serious trouble.
The only hope is that the Aliens share our history of wars, religious conflict, suppression and battles for resources. Because by the time they can afford interstellar space travel, all of that will be in their history, and they will have learned from their mistakes. And then they will indeed look for friends, and not for enemies.
At the moment, our culture is developing a sense for responsibility. For our society, climate, nature, coming generations. And many scientists believe that we will only travel to the stars once Earth is united in peace. You can't afford "real" space travel (not just some "put the flag there and get some stones back" missions, but the real deal) if you have wars, poverty and resource problems at your doorstep. Seafaring developed because of the need to trade. Many known cultures all around the world knew of each other and wanted to deal with their resources, so seafaring was one good mean of transportation. That isn't the case with space travel. Space travel is not a need, it's a luxury. And you will only do it if you really have no other problems.
Though nobody really knows what an Alien culture might look like. What if they have TWO planets in they solar system that are inhabited? At some point they would know of each other, receiving radio transmissions, looking through telescopes, etc... then space travel would indeed turn out to be an equivalent to the 17th, 18th, 19th century seafaring.
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Nobody dismisses interstellar travel. If you delve deeper most people agree it will probably happen - just not the way the FTL/warp/wormhole fanboys imagine it will.
Would an advanced alien civilization allow their fate to rest in our hands? Because that is what trust means.
If we were a threat to them, they would surely know that it would take only one discreetly launched biological weapon to devastate their home world.
Such a weapon and delivery system may not be possible now, but it will be possible in the future, and may even become possible on an amateur level that could be carried out without government approval.
Would an advanced race choose to be that fragile and vulnerable?
Risk will only grow as the interstellar distances become less and less of an obstacle for us. They would know that they could eliminate that risk simply by eliminating us.
And the reality is that we would have the exact same dilemma about them, and it is exactly the prisoner's dilemma.
Living with a growing risk of being eliminated by a known alien race (8/10)
Living without risk because we've eliminated that alien race (10/10)
Being eliminated by alien race (0/10)
If we were a threat to them, they would surely know that it would take only one discreetly launched biological weapon to devastate their home world.
Such a weapon and delivery system may not be possible now, but it will be possible in the future, and may even become possible on an amateur level that could be carried out without government approval.
Would an advanced race choose to be that fragile and vulnerable?
Risk will only grow as the interstellar distances become less and less of an obstacle for us. They would know that they could eliminate that risk simply by eliminating us.
And the reality is that we would have the exact same dilemma about them, and it is exactly the prisoner's dilemma.
Living with a growing risk of being eliminated by a known alien race (8/10)
Living without risk because we've eliminated that alien race (10/10)
Being eliminated by alien race (0/10)
the aliens have already arrived they are in our heads ., they are considered to be a kind of cognitive virus . self replicating idea form., yes just because you have read this now you are infected by these aliens as well hahahahaha...
be aware be very aware someone is coming woot ., LOL
what would happen if I mixed Mr. Hawking's meds with my own?
., ?
I saw aliens the other year they were in transit to the other side of reality they just stopped IN to say hello ,, hello.,
be aware be very aware someone is coming woot ., LOL
what would happen if I mixed Mr. Hawking's meds with my own?
., ?
I saw aliens the other year they were in transit to the other side of reality they just stopped IN to say hello ,, hello.,
I think that Professor Hawking has a point, but any race capable of crossing the stars would surely have high-energy technology capable of wrecking the planet, beefed-up defences or no; so right now ir would most likely be a waste of resources for us to do so. Maybe the norm with intelligent species is to live quietly and so not get noticed too easily.
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We could've had some really cool space defences..
http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/ProjectOrionBattleshipPage.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMLhmDQAsmc
But darn if Congress didn't let us..and that pesky UN Treaty..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Space_Treaty
http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/ProjectOrionBattleshipPage.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMLhmDQAsmc
But darn if Congress didn't let us..and that pesky UN Treaty..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Space_Treaty
Something to feed the conspiracy theorists out there for a while:
Every once in a while, the USAF's Alien Cultural and Technology Transfer Unit floats a news article like this to see how people would react to the knowledge that Aliens have been here for 50 years working with our government.
Then they monitor geeky science fiction boards to see how people react, figuring that if even the people who arguably should be the most accepting of alien life still react like terrified bushmen encountering a jeep at the mere thought of an actual alien encounter, it's a good bet that society isn't ready to know the truth...
There, that ought to set some heads to thinking....
Every once in a while, the USAF's Alien Cultural and Technology Transfer Unit floats a news article like this to see how people would react to the knowledge that Aliens have been here for 50 years working with our government.
Then they monitor geeky science fiction boards to see how people react, figuring that if even the people who arguably should be the most accepting of alien life still react like terrified bushmen encountering a jeep at the mere thought of an actual alien encounter, it's a good bet that society isn't ready to know the truth...
There, that ought to set some heads to thinking....
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