How do you envision an alien contact scenario playing out?
| There are a few questions about general belief in aliens here on MAL. This thread is more about thoughts on a contact scenario between humanity and extraterrestrial intelligent life. Would such life be hostile, friendly, or indifferent? Would we be able to communicate, or would our minds be on completely different levels? Would humanity be more or less advanced than the alien race? Would they seek to enlighten us, enslave us, eradicate us, avoid us, eat us, or something else entirely? Would they be a carbon-based life form with DNA and proteins like us or something based on another element and basic structure? |
| id kill the alien then sell it |
| dont ask questions, just do answers |
| i'll be "that person" and say:fuck it. communication may be hard, though. if we came into contact, they'd have damn good tech. better not enrage them. Maybe we should ask about their history and what they know of the universe and ask about their religions |
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| Human and alien communication would be like fish and human communication. If they're advanced enough to travel far distances in space then we'd look so primitive that there'd be no point. Though, I don't really believe in aliens, but if they are out there, then they're probably microscopic or single cellular. |
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| I would say one needs to look at what happend to the Native Americans when the Europeans found them. Thats why in general if I ran things one of my first tasks would be to send a hunter probe to kill the Voyager prope. Send out a replacement that lists some other planet as the meeting spot, and only send it once we have worlds to call home. The problem is with this we have no idea's what they might be, could be a reptilian race made of silicon based DNA that went to the stars as Expert Merchants, could be a rave of copper based humanoids part of some galactic empire, or even a near human race that comes to see us as enemies. Right now the Earth and all its people for its bolstering is frankly the equal of Alabama, Sudan, or Central Asia. A shitstain on the map that no rational person would ever visit. Howver should we ever be visited or make contact, it would be a good idea to be "Masters in our own home." Least we end up like several human ethnic groups that ran into stronger ones. On that note we also should try and make ourselves useful. First contact should be limited to Scholars, more to learn less likely to start shit. Then to diplomatic, if things don't melt down, then culturally. In general a slow approach. |
| I'm of the opinion that we have no freakin' clue what first contact would be like. Evolutionary psychologists have found that the way a species thinks depends on the environment that their ancestors had lived in. And an alien planet is bound to be a very different environment from what we know on Earth. 1) We don't know whether the aliens would be able to communicate with us. Their minds might be so different from our own that we would have no common points of reference with which to initiate a rapport. 2) We don't know what they'd want. Are they deceptive lizards that want to steal our water? Or do they represent a religious order that wishes to convert the entire universe to their faith? Or are they conquerors that simply want new land to divide amongst their warriors? Or do they want to share science and culture so that both races would be enlightened? Or do they want to marklar our marklar all for marklar because they're just too alien for their desires to be known to us? 3) We don't know how we'd react to it. There will be the paranoids who will automatically think that the aliens want to enslave us all. There will be New Agers who want a tour of the magical crystal spaceship so that they can commune with their past lives. And there will the other groups with their own prejudices. Which group will win out and speak for the human race would determine how things would go down. There are too many variables to give us any definitive answer. RedArmyShogun said: Right now the Earth and all its people for its bolstering is frankly the equal of Alabama, Sudan, or Central Asia. A shitstain on the map that no rational person would ever visit. Howver should we ever be visited or make contact, it would be a good idea to be "Masters in our own home." Least we end up like several human ethnic groups that ran into stronger ones. On that note we also should try and make ourselves useful. First contact should be limited to Scholars, more to learn less likely to start shit. Then to diplomatic, if things don't melt down, then culturally. In general a slow approach. This has always put things into perspective for me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wupToqz1e2g No matter how things wind up, a bit of humility is important for our benefit. |
| Somewhere, there is an unplugged toaster sitting on a Coleman stove. Does it feel lonely? |
| Maybe there's life outside but isn't smart enough to contact us. |
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| Hopefully if they do exist they have an equal or higher level of intelligence. Else they'll more than likely be enslaved knowing humans way of treating life *beneath* themselves. |
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| Implying they aren't here already Area 51, american government, open your eyes, sheeple |
Nonyflah said: For some reason this sparked a mental image of a pug peeing on a fire hydrant to mark his territory...Or do they want to marklar our marklar all for marklar because they're just too alien for their desires to be known to us? |
| I was once raped by a group of female aliens. Well you can't call it rape because I wasn't exactly complaining |
cabacc2 said: AfroRocker said: you watched too many tentacle rape hentaisI was once raped by a group of female aliens. Well you can't call it rape because I wasn't exactly complaining I don't watch hentai |
| you'll be buying car insurance and realize that the salesman...is an alien! |
| I CELEBRATE myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. |
cabacc2 said: As you are an atheist I guest you can't spend one damn day without trying to harass religions. Typical atheist guy that says "lol I am enlightened with knowledge because I am atheist lol lol lol lol lol my fail logic says that religion is against science I mean I dont even have arguments but rofl lol science above all lol lol etc"If the alien race is so advanced that they were able to travel to earth, they are most certanly already at a point where they got rid of religious belief systems. Those aliens would most likely have their own religion; They might even be Christian. |
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| It is extremely unlikely that we would ever meet aliens. From closest places where is possibility for life it requires WAY too much resources to even get here. if they would be close enough and have the technology and resources to come here.. they would have no damn reason to come here. TLDR we will never meet aliens.. |
| I don't exactly believe in aliens, but assuming they do exist, I doubt they would be hostile towards us. I think that's just a silly idea that came about because of alien invasion stories in movies and video games . It is possible, I suppose, but even if it did happen I don't think they would be nearly as effective as seen in fiction. It's hard to argue this point because stereotypes of aliens in the media makes me so skeptical on every aspect of what an alien race would actually be like, so I assume they wouldn't have super advanced weaponry, and they wouldn't be inherently intelligent beings just because their technology might be more advanced than ours. And they probably wouldn't be huge dicks to another race immediately after coming in contact with them. Maybe eventually if they're provoked. Now that I'm done taking apart the traditional hostile alien stereotype, maybe they would try to colonize some part of Earth and establish a presence here, and trade technology with us. That's as far as I can predict. When it comes to aliens, I always go by this rule: However it happened in fiction, that's not how it would happen in real life. |
cabacc2 said: Not sure if trolling or pretending to be dumb or genuinely knows nothing about religions and yet try to harass themReligion was invented for explaining things Myths are invented for explaining things. Religion is completely different. Go do some research plz. |
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| religion re·li·gion [ri-lij-uhn] Show IPA noun 1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. 2. a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion. I don't see anywhere the part where it states "religion wanna destroy science with a huge lazer gun" |
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| Be nice. Orbital Bombardment is not fun. |
| The Art of Eight |
lupadim said: cabacc2 said: As you are an atheist I guest you can't spend one damn day without trying to harass religions. Typical atheist guy that says "lol I am enlightened with knowledge because I am atheist lol lol lol lol lol my fail logic says that religion is against science I mean I dont even have arguments but rofl lol science above all lol lol etc"If the alien race is so advanced that they were able to travel to earth, they are most certanly already at a point where they got rid of religious belief systems. Those aliens would most likely have their own religion; They might even be Christian. Lupadim, almost everything you said there is complete horseshit. First, how the hell is that harassment? It's called "saying something you disagree with". It's like saying that people should be vegetarians is an insult to those who eat meat. If you want a civil discussion, stop with the damn kneejerk reactions and consider what someone is saying instead of reading your own prejudices into it. Second... Christian aliens? So I take it that there are also Jewish aliens? And that, at some point, they were conquered by Roman aliens? Christianity as we know it came about due to specific historical pressures. The odds of those same events happening in the same way are astronomical, even among humankind, let alone among a species that we know nothing about. Which leads me to... Third... We don't know how a non-human intelligence thinks, seeing as we've never actually definitively encountered one. For all we know, religion is a development that's unique to our species and may not have arisen anywhere else in the universe. Making an assumption that the aliens must be religious is just baseless wild speculation. And that brings me to cabacc2's comment. Just like assuming that aliens have to be religious, thinking that they have to be atheist is just as bad. Consider our own history. In the last few centuries, there have been countless scientific discoveries that were considered the death knell of religion. And yet, despite all of this, the majority of the world still consider themselves religious. It's a basic part of human psychology and it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to override that instinct. Likewise, if an alien race had a religious history, you'll very likely see it represented in the present day because it's ingrained into their society. |
| Somewhere, there is an unplugged toaster sitting on a Coleman stove. Does it feel lonely? |
| If Aliens came to us then their technology would be so much more advanced than ours, it shouldn't even be a question. |
an egomaniac and a fool |
| Would be like humans trying to communicate with apes, not going to happen. |
| Signature removed. Please follow the signature rules, as defined in the Site & Forum Guidelines. |
| Always pictured it à la Mars Attacks!, for some reason |
SapewlothMar 29, 2014 9:54 AM
| Proud founder of The Official Anti-Ging Freecss Fan Club Join now! Kellhus said: GuusWayne said: there is a limit to the suspension of disbelief And it's the fan that did it. Not the smoking porn reading rubik cube genius rape ape with a magic boat. |
Nonyflah said: lupadim said: cabacc2 said: As you are an atheist I guest you can't spend one damn day without trying to harass religions. Typical atheist guy that says "lol I am enlightened with knowledge because I am atheist lol lol lol lol lol my fail logic says that religion is against science I mean I dont even have arguments but rofl lol science above all lol lol etc"If the alien race is so advanced that they were able to travel to earth, they are most certanly already at a point where they got rid of religious belief systems. Those aliens would most likely have their own religion; They might even be Christian. Lupadim, almost everything you said there is complete horseshit. First, how the hell is that harassment? It's called "saying something you disagree with". It's like saying that people should be vegetarians is an insult to those who eat meat. If you want a civil discussion, stop with the damn kneejerk reactions and consider what someone is saying instead of reading your own prejudices into it. Second... Christian aliens? So I take it that there are also Jewish aliens? And that, at some point, they were conquered by Roman aliens? Christianity as we know it came about due to specific historical pressures. The odds of those same events happening in the same way are astronomical, even among humankind, let alone among a species that we know nothing about. Which leads me to... Third... We don't know how a non-human intelligence thinks, seeing as we've never actually definitively encountered one. For all we know, religion is a development that's unique to our species and may not have arisen anywhere else in the universe. Making an assumption that the aliens must be religious is just baseless wild speculation. And that brings me to cabacc2's comment. Just like assuming that aliens have to be religious, thinking that they have to be atheist is just as bad. Consider our own history. In the last few centuries, there have been countless scientific discoveries that were considered the death knell of religion. And yet, despite all of this, the majority of the world still consider themselves religious. It's a basic part of human psychology and it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to override that instinct. Likewise, if an alien race had a religious history, you'll very likely see it represented in the present day because it's ingrained into their society. I don't think considering aliens as atheist is bad. Considering that if we would meet aliens suddenly they would have to be ahead in technology a lot which means they would have a lot better understanding about things. Most of people who are religious these days are brainwashed, not educated or not extremely intelligent. Since if you are educated, not stupid and not brainwashed you will understand why every known religion is just bs. |
| Ehh Kyonyo that line of thought is far more wrong than you would think. A number of people in the fields of science are religious, past and present. On the otherhand Progress doesn't mean athiest. Take Imperial Japan as an example, hell even some japanese still consider the Emperor Divine. Now think of running into a militant expansionst race who see technolgy as a means to get closer to god than as a replacement, Hope you don't mind conversion. Because I doubt such a civilization would take kindly to our back talk. Though that is another issue to consider. Any space faring civilization would likely operate under a single view and ideal. They may look down on humans as devided uncultured savages. |
| All hail Spode! |
RedArmyShogun said: Ehh Kyonyo that line of thought is far more wrong than you would think. A number of people in the fields of science are religious, past and present. On the otherhand Progress doesn't mean athiest. Take Imperial Japan as an example, hell even some japanese still consider the Emperor Divine. Now think of running into a militant expansionst race who see technolgy as a means to get closer to god than as a replacement, Hope you don't mind conversion. Because I doubt such a civilization would take kindly to our back talk. Though that is another issue to consider. Any space faring civilization would likely operate under a single view and ideal. They may look down on humans as devided uncultured savages. -I'm myself at science field in a country that has good education and we kinda lack religious people here. Only few religious one I know are people who got brainwashed by their parents since they were child. -It kinda does does mean that. -japan is nowadays one of most unreligious country in world. |
RedArmyShogun said: Ehh Kyonyo that line of thought is far more wrong than you would think. A number of people in the fields of science are religious, past and present. On the otherhand Progress doesn't mean athiest. Take Imperial Japan as an example, hell even some japanese still consider the Emperor Divine. Now think of running into a militant expansionst race who see technolgy as a means to get closer to god than as a replacement, Hope you don't mind conversion. Because I doubt such a civilization would take kindly to our back talk. Though that is another issue to consider. Any space faring civilization would likely operate under a single view and ideal. They may look down on humans as devided uncultured savages. Coming from a different direction, same conclusion. The human brain has an infinite capacity to reconcile two seemingly incompatible ideas (and I'm not necessarily saying that religion and science are incompatible). While one scientist may consider their field to be an argument against religious belief, another scientist in the same field might view it as a way to see into the mind of their god. It all depends on how they see their world. Now, back to the topic at hand: Aliens. I disagree with space faring aliens having a single unified culture. On Earth, there are now three separate cultures who have their own independent space programs. As time goes on, we may see more going up into space on their own power. What we are likely to see, though, is contact primarily with one of those many cultures. Let's look at our own history. During the colonization of the Americas, the north was mostly influenced by the French and English while the south was primarily by the Spanish and Portuguese. A lot of this is because those cultures had laid claim to those lands, barring exploration by their rivals. Likewise, the different cultures of an alien civilization would spread out in their own preferred direction until one of them might come across Earth. We would still primarily see a single unified people, but only because the other groups either have no idea that we exist or because we've been put under the "protection" of those who came across us first. Whether they'd look down on us for being divided may not happen, but they probably would favour the nations whose ideals most closely match their own. Of course, that's assuming that their method of thinking makes it possible for those ideals to exist at all. |
| Somewhere, there is an unplugged toaster sitting on a Coleman stove. Does it feel lonely? |
| Maybe on the various cultures. We'll never know untill we meet them. Would be funny if it was like in some anime and they and we know of each other already, its just we are too stupid to sit at the cool kids table. |
cabacc2 said: you cant make assumptions about the belief of an individual, but you see the tendencies of the group as whole. And after seeing these tendencies I have to admit that: the more knowledge there is in this group, the less likely is an individuum that is part of the group to be religious. The Science-Community is actually the best example for that. That actually brings me to another point. The scientific community itself may be atheistic but those who make use of scientific discoveries might not be. Consider all of the fears that religious extremists might get their hands on a dirty bomb or a nuke or a deadly artificial viral strain. Even if the ones who do the science are enlightened, it doesn't stop the unenlightened from using the results. Going back to the colonial era again, so there was an incredible discovery. An entire continent that nobody knew even existed. How long did it take before somebody thought it would be a good idea to conquer the people there and convert them to their own religion? |
| Somewhere, there is an unplugged toaster sitting on a Coleman stove. Does it feel lonely? |
| I was simply using religion as a convenient example. I agree that the mind of an alien may very likely be completely different from our own. But that doesn't discount my conclusions. A person can be smart and level-headed. But a civilization is as enlightened or backward as those who rule it. Even in Europe, where you say most people are apatheist, there are other extremes of thinking which can just as easily lead down a very nasty rabbit hole. Consider the Neo-Nazi groups that are becoming popular in various countries. Consider Vladimir Putin who seems to be trying to recapture the days of Soviet Hegemony (and using the Neo-Nazis as an excuse, ironically enough). It only takes one extremist thinker in a seat of power to turn things upside down for everybody. So, it's true that the psychology of an alien might make it unlikely for them to embrace religion, but there are still modes of thinking that could be less than ideal for those who are being contacted. |
| Somewhere, there is an unplugged toaster sitting on a Coleman stove. Does it feel lonely? |
Jackrabb1t said: There are a few questions about general belief in aliens here on MAL. This thread is more about thoughts on a contact scenario between humanity and extraterrestrial intelligent life. Would such life be hostile, friendly, or indifferent? Would we be able to communicate, or would our minds be on completely different levels? Would humanity be more or less advanced than the alien race? Would they seek to enlighten us, enslave us, eradicate us, avoid us, eat us, or something else entirely? Would they be a carbon-based life form with DNA and proteins like us or something based on another element and basic structure? I do not think they would have a need to contact us.If anything they would probably study us from the safety of their planet to see what different technological primitive societies or different element based life forms look like.If a civilization can produce a space craft capable of flying to different planets in a short amount of time then that means they have pretty advance technology in order to support the creation of something like that. That means they have advance resource gathering, advance medical care, advance spy technology, stealth technology, food production and so on.Plus what may be a requirement for life on one planet maybe what kills life on another,so there is the huge possibility that extraterrestrial life may not be compatible with our planet. |
| Look not upon the Alien. Speak not unto the Alien. Alien filth will only be a hindrance to us when we rise up to grasp our manifest destiny amongst the stars. Thus we must greet them with blazing guns, seek out their places of might and leave their worlds like broken shells. |
| If they check the web we are doomed, they'll just deem us unworthy. |
| I will be going with Stephen Hawking's theory on alien communication. If there are aliens out there, and I sure as hell would like to believe so, we must assume that they are not trying to make peace with us. They are here to use us for their own personal gain. Slaves, resources, a new place to inhabit, it doesn't matter if they declare that they are here for peaceful reasons. Aliens will try to conquer the world in the same way that famous explorers in the past conquered the New World and wiped out the native population. If history repeats itself, there's a very likely chance it will on a larger scale. |
| Just need to find out how to quote this every time so I can dodge the stupid 30-character limit. |
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