First Alien Contact

[xChurch]

So a civilization advanced enough to have interstellar technology is, in your reasoning, operating in a worst manner possible, spending incredible amounts of resources to capture and dominate a planet with no resources.

Just consider it for a moment. I don't know if it would be possible for this ridiculous civilization to even survive long enough to advance to interstellar technology. Even if I am willing to accept this premise, I still think the technology (overall, not just interstellar travel) would change this hypothetical alien society so much they would no longer be savage, irrational, and in need of superficial boost.

Some people have a very hard time not anthropomorphizing things, especially when we're the only intelligent being we have for comparison.

[TonyMonktana]

[derpkitteh]

they don't mention the nords, they must be lying. also, the reptilians are from earth, not space.

the arcturians are telepathic energy beings, and the mantids are in control of the greys.

[jimboa24]

On a completely unrelated note, I hated Avatar. It took the entire planet/moon and every living creature in it to repel what amounted to a very small security detail for a mining operation. What the fuck are they going to do when humanity comes back in full force, and bombs them from orbit? I'll tell you what they're gonna do: burn.

[xChurch]

snip

Pretty sure conspiracy theories aren't allowed here.

On a completely unrelated note, I hated Avatar. It took the entire planet/moon and every living creature in it to repel what amounted to a very small security detail for a mining operation. What the fuck are they going to do when humanity comes back in full force, and bombs them from orbit? I'll tell you what they're gonna do: burn.

Since they've got 3 more movies planned I'm guessing it's not that simple.

[Daethz]

Who should meet them? a ICBM or rocket depending on the size of the alien scum.

[Sierra85]

Who should meet them? a ICBM or rocket depending on the size of the alien scum.

if aliens can travel the stars do you really think an ICBM or nuke or any sort of technology we have could harm them?

[Deleted]

Why would they stop being animals? It's a nice idea that technology can lift a race out of it's animal state, but all it seems to do for us is change how we live out our animal impulses. A government developed around safely feeding the animal impulses of it's people is going to be successful. It's possible they thrived and out competed using some unfamiliar method and would need to satisfy some strange impulses instead, but it's not unreasonable to expect a performance of war.

People don't want wars, investors in military technology want wars. A relativistic civilization doesn't even need weapons, as a small cargo ship accelerated to just a fraction of relativistic speeds would release incredible amount of energy upon impact, completely obliterating Earth in an instant. Incredibly trivial task for interstellar civilization, impossible to intercept.

Your flaw is simple, you are a human individual. You have exactly one reference point, your race. That's a very small sample. Because we are violent apex predators, they must also be violent apex predators, capable of incredible technical feats, yet remaining insanely child-like, correct? You cannot even comprehend the difference. A common ape shares 92 to 98% of our DNA, and that is ~5% difference making Voyager probes, Hubble telescopes, breeder reactors. We don't fight apes with weapons of mass destruction, we don't fight apes with guns or governments, it isn't a satisfying enemy. Apes don't offer anything to us and fighting them would be just insane, if you could even call it a fight in the first place.

And using your reference point, yes, it is an observable fact that technology (knowledge) is the only concrete point driving humans to be more humane. Less animalistic in our ways as you would say.

[Anonymous1038853]

These two would be the most qualified amongst humanity.

Did that actually ever happen? Did they bang in space?

[Feredir]

I think it should be Steve Buscemi, it might put them at ease to make first contact with someone who looks like them

[hrugner]

People don't want wars, investors in military technology want wars. A relativistic civilization doesn't even need weapons, as a small cargo ship accelerated to just a fraction of relativistic speeds would release incredible amount of energy upon impact, completely obliterating Earth in an instant. Incredibly trivial task for interstellar civilization, impossible to intercept.

Your flaw is simple, you are a human individual. You have exactly one reference point, your race. That's a very small sample. Because we are violent apex predators, they must also be violent apex predators, capable of incredible technical feats, yet remaining insanely child-like, correct? You cannot even comprehend the difference. A common ape shares 92 to 98% of our DNA, and that is ~5% difference making Voyager probes, Hubble telescopes, breeder reactors. We don't fight apes with weapons of mass destruction, we don't fight apes with guns or governments, it isn't a satisfying enemy. Apes don't offer anything to us and fighting them would be just insane, if you could even call it a fight in the first place.

And using your reference point, yes, it is an observable fact that technology (knowledge) is the only concrete point driving humans to be more humane. Less animalistic in our ways as you would say.

Yes, they could wipe us out in an instant, which is the only reason why a war for morale is the only reason we'd see it coming. Humans can nuke each other, or kill each other with drones, but we still like the idea of "boots on the ground" despite being well past that stage in military tech. Maybe they'll

You're moving back to apes again. No, we don't fight apes, but we do eradicate other species for fun(game hunting) and to pretend to be effective when we're floundering for a solution(zika mosquitoes). We don't do either of those things because we are rational creatures, only because we're animals acting out our heritage.

I think you over estimate how humane humans really are. Technology hasn't removed our interest in killing one another, nor has it removed our tendency toward brutalizing delicious animals. We haven't used our great brains in solving any real humanitarian problems. We still seek to compete with others despite being, as a culture, entirely capable of removing the need to compete. Every bit of technology we create becomes an imagined necessity rather than a relief of need.

But yes, another race could have entirely different interests and methods. I'm simply giving a possible explanation for a race killing us the old fashioned way rather than with a rock from space.

[Drusyn]

If aliens came to earth what would happen and who do you think should be the first person to make first contact?

Someone who is already an ambassador of some sort should probably be the one to greet them. I hope they are peaceful and their women are sexy, I will be first in line to sacrifice my body to see if it's safe to reproduce with them.

[Yvaelle]

On a completely unrelated note, I hated Avatar. It took the entire planet/moon and every living creature in it to repel what amounted to a very small security detail for a mining operation. What the fuck are they going to do when humanity comes back in full force, and bombs them from orbit? I'll tell you what they're gonna do: burn.

A conscious planet might perceive that it now faces interstellar threats, and begin to evolve accordingly