What if we are not allowed to leave earth?

[Gaexion Ramza Beoulve]

We aren't killing the planet, we're only making it cringe. We're killing ourselves...the planet will recover fine.

Since the implementation of flight we've covered little over a century. In that time we've developed cellphones and microwaved burritos...so be patient eh?

It's been 100,000 some odd years since we discovered fire, 20,00 since we developed soap, and we spent a couple of millennia without writing or farming, and several centuries committing mass genocides and continental war. So...try to have some perspective.

[Ghostpanther]

We aren't killing the planet, we're only making it cringe. We're killing ourselves...the planet will recover fine.

Since the implementation of flight we've covered little over a century. In that time we've developed cellphones and microwaved burritos...so be patient eh?

It's been 100,000 some odd years since we discovered fire, 20,00 since we developed soap, and we spent a couple of millennia without writing or farming, and several centuries committing mass genocides and continental war. So...try to have some perspective.

The planet is more than just humans. We have already wiped out several species of animals and threaten many more. We can not physically get rid of the planet of course. But we certainly can destroy what is in it when it comes to many forms of life.

[cubby]

Landing men on the moon was the biggest, most expensive dick-measuring contest in the history of mankind.

But that does not mean we did not profit enormously from it at least where technology is concerned.

I'm pretty sure I never said we didn't. Moon landing and the tech push up to it was enormously beneficial for this country, even if we hadn't landed at all.

[Flarelaine]

I'm pretty sure I never said we didn't. Moon landing and the tech push up to it was enormously beneficial for this country, even if we hadn't landed at all.

You didn't. My first paragraph implied it, that's why I added the second.

[DarkAmbient]

If an advanced alien species considered us such a danger that they would take clandestine measures to suppress our technological advancement, surely they would just wipe us out and be done with it?

I don't believe we'll ever leave this solar system or discover intelligent alien life. We are going to become extinct on this rock and nothing will ever know we existed.

[Thirza]

I think it is unrealistic that they would curtail us at the planet, more likely it would be our system.

Unless they are hiding other ecosystems on other planetoids in our solar system from us with advanced technology, which to me seems wildlyx1542462 unlikely.

[Kuntantee]

There are several problems with your post. First of all, it is unlikely that humanity will go extinct just because certain population is unsustainable. What will happen is population decline aka massive deaths and low life expectancy.

A) Doesn't want to destroy us outright [...]

Why? This whole idea is trash if you can not come up with a valid reason why they do not want to destroy us, but keep jamming.

[Thirza]

Why? This whole idea is trash if you can not come up with a valid reason why they do not want to destroy us, but keep jamming.

It would have to be a benevolent overseer type race that has some sort of prime directive to fit inside his idea.

[Galactis]

There are several problems with your post. First of all, it is unlikely that humanity will go extinct just because certain population is unsustainable. What will happen is population decline aka massive deaths and low life expectancy.

Second, I see no difference between this idea and the one that suggest we are living in a simulation. It could be the case.

Not true, at the rate we're going long term. Mammalian species variations only live 1-2 million years, we're damn near half way or over half way to 1 million years. Also, longer term our home Star, "Sol or The Sun" is slowly over billions of years running out of Hydrogen and is getting larger and larger. The Earth will be completely vaporized by about 4-5 billion years from now. That is to say if our species is even able to survive 1 million years let along 1 billion. I'm not favoring the outcomes AT all for humans, we will more than likely need to be OFF of Earth and become interplanetary, interstellar, or intergalactic, in that order over time.

Back to the OP, if we are truly unable to leave Earth. Then we as a species and as everything else that has evolved over time on Earth will die and be destroyed. Granted, that doesn't mean life or complex life, or even intelligent life doesn't exist somewhere else. They may be studying us right now for all we know.

And.....Even in the LONGEST most possible amount of time like a billion, trillion, trillion years when all but the last brown dwarf stars which will be the last stars living burn out. The slow, eventual, LONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGG heat death of the universe will, and continue as is today beat on down the road and wipe everything else out.

If we survive at least 100 billion years, we more than likely need to find a way to get out of our universe at that point.... Frankly, I don't see it as probable;however, theoretically possible with some new form of physics.

So at least lets do our best right now... Hows that for starters.

As a follow up to the "if we are not allowed". By whom or what does not allow us the virtue of free will? or is it a physical or ethereal issue?

[Shadowferal]

If an advanced alien species considered us such a danger that they would take clandestine measures to suppress our technological advancement, surely they would just wipe us out and be done with it?

Because it'd be easier if we destroy ourselves.

I don't believe we'll ever leave this solar system or discover intelligent alien life. We are going to become extinct on this rock and nothing will ever know we existed.

I agree.

[Thirza]

Some bleak ass edgelords up in this piece.

[Shadowferal]

We aren't killing the planet, we're only making it cringe. We're killing ourselves...the planet will recover fine.

Since the implementation of flight we've covered little over a century. In that time we've developed cellphones and microwaved burritos...so be patient eh?

It's been 100,000 some odd years since we discovered fire, 20,00 since we developed soap, and we spent a couple of millennia without writing or farming, and several centuries committing mass genocides and continental war. So...try to have some perspective.

Current perspective is "money rules."
We'll come up with Soylent Green a lot sooner than anything else.

[Celista]

Because it'd be easier if we destroy ourselves.

I think that the fact that we haven't been wiped out yet signals that they're giving us a chance to un-fuck ourselves out of our self-destructive behavior.

Of course there's the possibility that no one knows we exist yet but in my opinion that possibility is overall quite small.

[Puremallace]

We are an extremely childlike species that only brings death and war to any place we go so yeah I can fully agree we are quarantined. Someone should do an anime about this concept.

Like Aliens intentionally killing any scientist who comes up with warp drive and disinformation campaigns to say it is not possible.

[Shadowferal]

I think that the fact that we haven't been wiped out yet signals that they're giving us a chance to un-fuck ourselves out of our self-destructive behavior.
Of course there's the possibility that no one knows we exist yet but in my opinion that possibility is overall quite small.

Yeah, if they're giving us a chance, then that would be proof-positive they're far more intelligent than us.

[Kuntantee]

It would have to be a benevolent overseer type race that has some sort of prime directive to fit inside his idea.

Putting trash Hollywood movies aside, "benevolent overseer" type of situations in history are often slavery and workforce exploitation. There is a motivation behind that kind of "overseeing"; you want a group to work for you when they do not.

Here, however, we have a civilization w/o energy problem messing with humans. If it's not rivalry, which would probably make this advanced civilization basically wipe us, it has to be some sort of experimentation/observation.

[Sunseeker]

Well then realistically we either kill ourselves off or figure out how to overcome our oppressors with our limited resources.

[breadisfunny]

I think that the fact that we haven't been wiped out yet signals that they're giving us a chance to un-fuck ourselves out of our self-destructive behavior.

Of course there's the possibility that no one knows we exist yet but in my opinion that possibility is overall quite small.

or maybe they don't think we're worth bothering with.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

Any advanced species would be able to see that the damage done to our planet was done mostly by our own actions. Why should they let us leave just so we can do it again somewhere else?

[Celista]

or maybe they don't think we're worth bothering with.

Probably the more likely reason...