Alien/UFO Conquer or be conquered

[KohPhi]

The age old question, "are we alone" has been debated ad nauseum on this and countless other forums and both the 'for' and 'against' can lay claim to providing strong, persuasive arguments to support their beliefs. Tonight I read a post by Duritz on another thread on this forum (UFO disclosure imminent) that he wondered how we would eventually cross "the great divide" and either visit, or be visited by other life forms.
My belief is that if we have the technology to visit other worlds then more than likely, we would be the more advanced species in that contact. On the other hand, it worries the s**t out of me if the day comes if we were to be 'visited' for exactly the same reason.
The question is, do we actually want contact?

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Not necessarily and answer to your question, but gives some info towards the different levels of civilisation and how other civilisations might be fairing at this point

 

[Duritz]

As I said in that other thread, this is an excellent question and well worth discussing, and deserving of its own dedicated discussion. Full credit to KohPhi for bringing it up and starting this.

This is essentially the question that we all should be asking. Rather than "does intelligent life exist" we need to know "how does life change when we find out sentient life exists"

I am perhaps being too human when I lean on the Carl Sagan theory that sentient life must be by definition benevolent, but it's what we all want after all. Carl didn't have a leaning towards self preservation, he called it as he saw it, and if he believes advancement can only be through benevolence, then biased or not, I am all for it.

 

[Catfish Alley]

While it would be amazing, if for some reason there was a world-wide vote I'd probably be against it. I'd rather see humans go to uninhabited worlds. Ideally, I'd want the best of both worlds. The ability for humans to populate other planets, but for other sentient life to be out of reach - at least physically. Would be great if we could share and learn at a safe distance - like an outback school with remote learning.

 

[DIG]

The Voyager crafts had a kind of map and instructions on how to find Earth, on a gold record.

Nice that 1970s America on behalf of civilisation assumed everything out there is benevolent!

 

[KohPhi]

The Voyager crafts had a kind of map and instructions on how to find Earth, on a gold record.

Nice that 1970s America on behalf of civilisation assumed everything out there is benevolent!

It's a fair point. I too would like to think that a civilisation advanced enough to get here would be benevolent by nature and reason. But drawing parallels from our own human history, how many times have a more 'advanced' group of people visited countries with anything other than self serving reasons behind them?

 

[little graham]

The question is, do we actually want contact?

We've got no choice. It's happened multiple times over thousands of years. not only is there technological evidence of 'Alien' visits here but there's also DNA evidence that supports a mass migration here.

 

[little graham]

how many times have a more 'advanced' group of people visited countries with anything other than self serving reasons behind them?

There's so much on this out there is not funny. I'm quite shocked you would even ask such a question.

 

[KohPhi]

There's so much on this out there is not funny. I'm quite shocked you would even ask such a question.

It was a rhetorical question but thanks for the response anyway

 

[Duritz]

We've got no choice. It's happened multiple times over thousands of years. not only is there technological evidence of 'Alien' visits here but there's also DNA evidence that supports a mass migration here.

Do share the evidence Mr Tsoukalos.

 

[GreyCrow]

There is no benevolence when exploring. As altruistic and generous we think we are as a planet , we really aren't. I would like us to start exploring the outerverse as soon as possible. I think we are slowly draining this world of all it has. So if anyone wants to visit , do us a favour and put the lights out. That's a good chap

 

[STFU Donnie]

It's a fair point. I too would like to think that a civilisation advanced enough to get here would be benevolent by nature and reason. But drawing parallels from our own human history, how many times have a more 'advanced' group of people visited countries with anything other than self serving reasons behind them?

The analogy I've heard used when discussing the benelovence of alien explorers is that it would be like us wiping out an ant colony in Africa. Why would they/we do it?

But, how guilty would they/we feel after wiping out an "ant colony"?

 

[SizeMatters]

I doubt we will ever meet another civilisation. I read somewhere that we will only ever be able to go as far as 0.00000000001% of the observable universe. That's if we left right now, and somehow can travel at the speed of light and have enough technology/supplies/government support etc for something this huge to take place. Every year we continue to wait the distance we will have to travel will increase in light years as the universe expands.

So assuming aliens etc are facing the exact same problems we will be facing (highly likely as the laws of physics are universal) than I can almost safely say we have never been visited nor will we ever be visited. So really, the chances of use being conquered is virtually 0.

But that is not to say we aren't alone, we probably aren't IMO just that we will never have any proof.

 

[van peebles]

The Voyager crafts had a kind of map and instructions on how to find Earth, on a gold record.

Nice that 1970s America on behalf of civilisation assumed everything out there is benevolent!

Would laugh if aliens landed on earth and took a absolute disliking to americans.

 

[HARKER]

The question is, do we actually want contact?

What have we got to lose? Life? Who cares for the existence we currently know as it's largely insignificant other than to follow biological laws of propagation, without purpose.

What are we currently doing other than raping our own planet?
Someone needs to show us a better way and if it costs us our 'meaningful' lives, then so be it.

 

[KohPhi]

Would laugh if aliens landed on earth and took a absolute disliking to americans.

Some things are indisputable

 

[Aramis]

We've got no choice. It's happened multiple times over thousands of years. not only is there technological evidence of 'Alien' visits here but there's also DNA evidence that supports a mass migration here.

still waiting on the "evidence"....

 

[Seeds]

The analogy I've heard used when discussing the benelovence of alien explorers is that it would be like us wiping out an ant colony in Africa. Why would they/we do it?

But, how guilty would they/we feel after wiping out an "ant colony"?

It wouldn't be the same though. Any alien race intelligent enough to invent the technology to get here would be able to recognise that we are conscious beings capable or feelings such as happiness, pain etc. we already have provided basic rights for animals with less significant range of emotions such as elephants, chimps, dolphins etc as we have become more intelligent and have come to understand that they have some feelings that we ourselves experiance. A more intelligent race than ourselves would certainly have some sympathy for our existence unlike we do with ants. Ants are subconscious animals. They feel nothing. Thus no one cares.

 

[GreyCrow]

A more intelligent race than ourselves would certainly have some sympathy for our existence .

Or fear.