April 27, 2010

  • http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2010-04-26-hawking-aliens_N.htm?csp=34

    Recently, famed british astrophysicist Stephen Hawking said that we humans need to "think very carefully" about trying to contact extraterrestrial life. Although there's good intentions about trying to reach out to lifeforms in space, there's a sort of naivete in assuming we'll get a positive reaction. Hawking said that alien lifeforms could potentially be like Christopher Columbus arriving in the Americas, and we humans could be like the native Americans who got screwed by his arrival. That is a rather scary thought about what could happen.

    I've always had a positive outlook at aliens in space, and always thought that they could potentially be enlightened beings that would be above evil things like war. All these years I've held that belief, but now I've got to change it, as I now share Stephen Hawking's opinion about the subject. If these aliens are so advanced technologically to be able to travel to other planets, why wouldn't they want to do whatever they can in their powers to obtain our resources? Isn't that something WE would do? These aliens could take advantage of our gullibility to think they "come in peace," and then annihilate us with their advance weaponry. Isn't that something WE would do?

    Am I being too pessimistic about this?

    Is Star Trek wrong in thinking that there's an intergalactic federation of alien planets out there, who joined forces for the betterment of preserving peace, and whose only goal is exploration to expand one's enlightenment?

    Are we just giving these aliens a sign on our planet that reads "sucker?"

    Kevin & Bean show - Stephen Hawking On Extra Terrestrials (audio)

Comments (1)

  • Actually even if they're super nice aliens, they could possibly destroy us without even knowing.  Just imagine the last time you were commuting to work.  Are you sure you've never run over an ant that was minding it's own business.

    Maybe an ant isn't important enough in your world view.  How about miners dying in Africa for your smartphone.  Blood diamond's this is not, but China is heavily colonizing Africa as we speak and there are preliminary reports of a new type of segregated society is forming there.

    My point is even if aliens are very altruistic, they aren't going to tiptoe around everywhere, worried that they might crush puny younger races.

    If they're not altruistic, we have even worse problems.  Makes you rethink opposition to weapons development.

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