NationStates Jolt Archive

Hey guys. I just finished reading Carl Sagan's "Contact", which was entertaining, if a little melodramatic. It made me curious though, particularly re the God question.

Probabilities aside, if an Extra-Terrestrial species made contact with humanity, how would you react? How do you think humanity would react?

Hey guys. I just finished reading Carl Sagan's "Contact", which was entertaining, if a little melodramatic. It made me curious though, particularly re the God question.

Probabilities aside, if an Extra-Terrestrial species made contact with humanity, how would you react? How do you think humanity would react?

humanity would probably try to nuke them.

If the alien race was so superior to us that they could communicate or travel over inter-stellar distances, then would they have the right to use us for food/clothes/medical testing like we do with animals, even those as intelligent as primates?

It's fairly likely that if an alien race is willing to communicate, it's not going to destroy us. The stable governments of the world will recognise this - anything who reveals its presence isn't going to attack (most likely). But, I think there'll probably be a lot of rioting, as the fundies claim it's just a trick from Satan, as the bible/qur'an/torah don't mention aliens in any form. Then again, they don't mention dinosaurs, either.

As with life on Earth:

1) Do they look like us? If no, mistrust ensues.
2) Is there technology absurdly ahead of ours (ie: 2001) or comprehendable (Independence Day). If the latter, warfare will likely ensue, as someone will think war's a good idea.
3) Can we communicate with them? If not, war definitely ensues.

2) Is there technology absurdly ahead of ours (ie: 2001) or comprehendable (Independence Day). If the latter, warfare will likely ensue, as someone will think war's a good idea.
3) Can we communicate with them? If not, war definitely ensues. In either case, the extra-terrestrials would no doubt turn the Earth into glass. If they can cross the infinite void, (something we can't even concieve of how to do yet), chances are they can blast us into sub-atomic particles.

I'm sad to think of this... but im almost sure that people like George Walker Bush, would quickly put an end to any peaceful negotiations...

I think most governments would realise that it would be a great opportunity to learn more about space, but alas I can almost guarantee that someone will be paranoid enought to fire nuclear weapons(or something like it) at them...

I hope that if Alians mace contact with earth people would stop with this whole religion bull..
I hate religion....
I`m gonna round up every priest everycleric every munk, and shot them back to the stoneage :sniper:

DEAATH TP PRIEST AND THE LIKES OF THEM

GO COMMIE POWER

I'm sad to think of this... but im almost sure that people like George Walker Bush, would quickly put an end to any peaceful negotiations...

I think most governments would realise that it would be a great opportunity to learn more about space, but alas I can almost guarantee that someone will be paranoid enought to fire nuclear weapons(or something like it) at them...

NO ONE would fire nukes, couse nukes would not do anything to harm them, well if they hit they would, but..
If someone can go from star to star they can of course counter nukes, ank hit us with some cind of Ubernuke..
So no one would have the guts

You people need to stop watching Hollywood's idea of first contact situations.
There wouldn't be any nukes, or space wars, or heaving sweating bosoms to ogle. I'm only marginally surprised that I haven't seen anyone opining as to what type of pets or slaves we'd all make.

In either case, the extra-terrestrials would no doubt turn the Earth into glass. If they can cross the infinite void, (something we can't even concieve of how to do yet), chances are they can blast us into sub-atomic particles.

Depends. The Aztecs couldn't conceive of riding on a horse, but that didn't stop them from having a viable calendar. It could well be that some race bases their science off something that's not carbon based... who knows?

You people need to stop watching Hollywood's idea of first contact situations.
There wouldn't be any nukes, or space wars, or heaving sweating bosoms to ogle. I'm only marginally surprised that I haven't seen anyone opining as to what type of pets or slaves we'd all make.

No sane alien race would keep us as pets. Too irrational and dangerous. Just like why humans shouldn't keep tigers.

No sane alien race would keep us as pets. Too irrational and dangerous. Just like why humans shouldn't keep tigers.
Agreed. The idea makes about as much sense as an interstellar species landing on Earth and turning us all into microwave dinners.

Agreed. The idea makes about as much sense as an interstellar species landing on Earth and turning us all into microwave dinners.

But... soylent green is tasty!! :D

I refuse to believe that intelligent life would want to have anything to do with humanity.

I think it's more likely we'll make first make contact with humans from other quantum 'universes' than with interstellar species of aliens from our own universe...

If aliens contacted Earth, several things would happen:

- Governments would try to cover it up. Perhaps even starting wars to shift focus.
- Psycho conspiracy theorists would try to expose it.
- Politicians would want to nuke them (the aliens, though I'm sure they'd like to take the conspiracy theorists out at the same time).
- Alien lovers would want to be abducted and probed by them.
- Rednecks would take pot-shots at them with 'thar huntin' rifles'.
- Teenagers wouldn't care. They'd just sulk some more and play their death metal louder.
- Scientists would want more money.
- Insurance premiums would sky-rocket, and at the same time the stock market would crash. Businessmen everywhere would riot.
- Religious psychopaths would preach about how it was judgement day, and how these aliens were the modern equivalent of the four horsemen.
- People who take religious psychopaths seriously would riot.
- People who don't take religious psychopaths seriously would take up arms to protect themselves against the rioters who do take them seriously.
- Terrorists would say 'I told you so', after somehow pinning the blame for these aliens on the west, and so they'd start bombing people even more.
- Drug addicts would think it was a perfectly normal day.
- Politicians would finally get approval to nuke the aliens to hell, taking us with them.


All this would happen before we even found out whether the aliens were hostile or not.

There's no way in hell any sane aliens are ever coming near this planet.

If the alien race was so superior to us that they could communicate or travel over inter-stellar distances, then would they have the right to use us for food/clothes/medical testing like we do with animals, even those as intelligent as primates?

If they're that way inclined, then they'll be the top of the food chain and they can do whatever they want with us. I for one welcome our new green overlords.

If they're that way inclined, then they'll be the top of the food chain and they can do whatever they want with us. I for one welcome our new green overlords.
Oh, you've been watching the V. I'd gladly fight in the rows of the resistance. Friends of the visitors only get killed.

Why would any intelligent life want anything to do with humans? Seeing as how unstable we are as a species, they would probably decide to either wipe us off the solar system or cordon the area off to save the rest of the universe from an intergalactic headache the moment we figure out how to leave for deep space.

I hope that if Alians mace contact with earth people would stop with this whole religion bull..
I hate religion....
I`m gonna round up every priest everycleric every munk, and shot them back to the stoneage :sniper:

DEAATH TP PRIEST AND THE LIKES OF THEM

GO COMMIE POWER

Knock it off. Talking about killing every priest, cleric, and monk isn't the best introduction for yourself. Don't let me catch you doing it again.


~The Modified Freedom Forces of Euroslavia
Nationstates Forum Moderator~

Pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space,
'Cos there's bugger-all down here on earth.

If an Extra-Terrestrial Species Made Contact With Earth.....they'd leave the moment they realized some of us are still using floppies.

How would I react? "How the fuck did extraterrestrial life get here, when the travel been here and any ither star system is prohibitively long?"

How would humanity react? "Wait. We focused so much on weapons technology that we neglected our space program. That means that the aliens, who focused on their space program...."

How the aliens would react: "Oh. Shit."

And humanity would have access to the stars. And the universe would utter a collective sigh of "Fuck".

The fact is, if there IS life on other planets, the chances are that it is so different from life as we know it that we wouldn't even recognize it as such. Communication seems even less likely.

The fact is, if there IS life on other planets, the chances are that it is so different from life as we know it that we wouldn't even recognize it as such. Communication seems even less likely.


^^^

Yeah.

And the ironic thing is, that even if there is life on other planets that is like us, they'll probably think that they're the most screwed up species around as well.

Kinda sad that we all thing of ourselves in that way, considering what we've accomplished. Kinda weird that we all think that intelligent life elsewhere is either going to be super-intelligent and without flaws, or evil and hostile. We've all had too much sci-fi. I'm sure whatever we find, if anything, will have just as many problems as we do.

They would say to us "We came all this way...just to find out you're still blowing each other up, you still use these 'floppies', you buy computers with a crappy built-in operating system, and your still sending robots to do your work in space!". Basically, assuming they can comunicate on this level, that were a bunch of destructive, violent, idiotic apes; not to mention technological cheap-outs. :headbang:

In all seriousness, they wouldn't know what to make of us, with some of us welcoming them, others condemning them (some wearing bedsheets or waving a weird red and white flag with a weird symbol on it called a swastika), and others ignoring them completly. And a few wackos asking to be probed would just scare them. Personally, I'd be among those welcoming them...showing them our museums...places of cultural interest...some nice music and art. Just as long as they're not blowing us up. :rolleyes:

How the aliens would react: "Oh. Shit."


How i think the aliens would react:Bloody hell lads,all the religions were wrong!there is life on other planets!well sort of.



It's life Jim,but not as we know it

.
There wouldn't be any heaving sweating bosoms to ogle..

How dare you deprive me of that in my hour of need!

I plan to be neck deep in heaving sweating bosoms when that moment comes...

You people are ignoring the possibiliy that we get there first, which seems fairly likely since the early stages of space travel (ie those we're in) are so unprofitable that few species would be likely to go through with it.

If we find alien life we will likely take a long time to make sure we can talk to them safely and they will most likely do the same to us. Eventually whichever race discovered the other would have to make some gesture that proves their existence and opens communications.

It would be a long time until anyone other than scientists talks to the aliens, but at that point probably the more advanced race will use the other for sweatshop labor.

You people are ignoring the possibiliy that we get there first, which seems fairly likely since the early stages of space travel (ie those we're in) are so unprofitable that few species would be likely to go through with it.

If we find alien life we will likely take a long time to make sure we can talk to them safely and they will most likely do the same to us. Eventually whichever race discovered the other would have to make some gesture that proves their existence and opens communications.

It would be a long time until anyone other than scientists talks to the aliens, but at that point probably the more advanced race will use the other for sweatshop labor.


If that did happen chances are nobody would be told about it for a while,conspiracy theories would ensue,then once the public in general found out all of the politicians with any sense would be trying to make it seem like we just want to be friends with them.which may be true but there almost definately be a small commitee trying to work out the best place to drop the nuke just in case things go down the shitter.


i wonder how long it would take before people with alien fetishes started coming out of the woodwork?and god imagine how the trekkies would react.it'd 'prime directive' left right and center!

You people are ignoring the possibiliy that we get there first, which seems fairly likely since the early stages of space travel (ie those we're in) are so unprofitable that few species would be likely to go through with it.

If we find alien life we will likely take a long time to make sure we can talk to them safely and they will most likely do the same to us. Eventually whichever race discovered the other would have to make some gesture that proves their existence and opens communications.

It would be a long time until anyone other than scientists talks to the aliens, but at that point probably the more advanced race will use the other for sweatshop labor.
You're assuming that aliens have a concept of profit, or that space travel is as difficult for them as it is for us.

I refuse to believe that intelligent life would want to have anything to do with humanity.

You took the words right out of my mouth.

I don't recall who said it, but there was this quote, or something similar:

"The surest sign that there is intelligent life in space, is that so far, none of it has contacted us."

by "made contact" do you mean we got a signal that was unmistakably artificial and somehow we decoded/translated it so we could understand what it was etc and had the opertunity to send a reply even though it would probably take many thousands of years to reach the aliens .....

or do you mean they just turn up one day in fuck off spaceships around earth.


ther'd be a big difference

You took the words right out of my mouth.

I don't recall who said it, but there was this quote, or something similar:

"The surest sign that there is intelligent life in space, is that so far, none of it has contacted us."

Calvin, a hyperactive six year old in a comic strip of the same name, Calvin and Hobbes.

To be frankly honest, life on Earth has been around for.. say, two billion years. The planet itself is about 6 billion years old. The solar system is perhaps 14-15 billion years old. Intelligent life, us, which has the ability for complex thought, and a system of language and government, has only existed in modern organization for the past 15 thousand years or so. Humanity itself has only had the capacity for language about 100 thousand years. Which means that there is an exceptionally small window of opportunity to meet another advanced civilization. They would have to be within thousands of years in our timeline, and if by chance aliens happened to stumble across the Earth after it is blown to hell, or uninhabited, or perhaps ten years before the first humans exhibited signs of complex learning, they would simply have passed on. I think that our species, as the eons go by, may actually never get the opportunity to meet another intelligent species, unless domestic species adapt qualities necessary to be called intelligent.

Edited: Oh, I recommend to everyone, read Solaris, and see the two movies. It poses the interesting question of "If there is intelligent life, can we even relate to it enough to even make intellectual contact?" It's vastly intruiging... and despairing in itself. If we find life elsewhere, it will not look like us, it will not have our same experiences, and we may find ourselves at a loss to make contact.