Date: 17/02/2018 22:40:59
From: Tau.Neutrino
ID: 1189595
Subject: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

Discovering alien life probably won’t freak us out, studies say

Much of sci-fi tells us that when humanity is faced with incontrovertible proof of the existence of life beyond Earth, we’re going to freak out and burn everything down like we just won the Super Bowl.

But now there’s some scientific evidence that when that big news breaks, humans might actually remain pretty chill.

more…

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Date: 17/02/2018 22:42:33
From: Tau.Neutrino
ID: 1189596
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

Link to slashdot comments

https://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/18/02/16/2244239/would-you-fear-alien-life-or-welcome-it

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Date: 17/02/2018 22:45:00
From: Tau.Neutrino
ID: 1189597
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

Two related articles

Stephen Hawking is terrified of aliens

Stephen Hawking Has Flawed Ideas About Alien Life, According to Former SETI Scientist

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Date: 17/02/2018 22:45:22
From: mollwollfumble
ID: 1189598
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

Tau.Neutrino said:


Discovering alien life probably won’t freak us out, studies say

Much of sci-fi tells us that when humanity is faced with incontrovertible proof of the existence of life beyond Earth, we’re going to freak out and burn everything down like we just won the Super Bowl.

But now there’s some scientific evidence that when that big news breaks, humans might actually remain pretty chill.

more…

Good.

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Date: 17/02/2018 22:48:23
From: Tau.Neutrino
ID: 1189599
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

Frontiers in Psychology Article – Link from slashdot

How Will We React to the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life?

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Date: 17/02/2018 23:03:14
From: mollwollfumble
ID: 1189602
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

More than anything, public reaction would depend on how it was found. Consider some alternatives:

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Date: 17/02/2018 23:08:07
From: party_pants
ID: 1189604
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

I would love a spaceship, and just be able to go exploring the depths of space.

I would be prepared to betray and double-cross and of you to get my hands on one.

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Date: 18/02/2018 00:14:14
From: Tau.Neutrino
ID: 1189609
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

Aliens could be hostile, friendly or both. Consider humanity, both hostile and friendly to itself, which raises questions like would aliens visit a hostile, friendly humanity?

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Date: 18/02/2018 00:20:44
From: Tau.Neutrino
ID: 1189610
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

Tau.Neutrino said:


Aliens could be hostile, friendly or both. Consider humanity, both hostile and friendly to itself, which raises questions like would aliens visit a hostile, friendly humanity?

Also raises science questions like what percentage of humanity is hostile to itself? Overall.

This figure would rise and fall and rise and fall etc, would aliens civilizations be free of hostility? Would every alien civilization be hostile to some degree?

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Date: 18/02/2018 00:27:51
From: Tau.Neutrino
ID: 1189611
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

Tau.Neutrino said:


Tau.Neutrino said:

Aliens could be hostile, friendly or both. Consider humanity, both hostile and friendly to itself, which raises questions like would aliens visit a hostile, friendly humanity?

Also raises science questions like what percentage of humanity is hostile to itself? Overall.

This figure would rise and fall and rise and fall etc, would aliens civilizations be free of hostility? Would every alien civilization be hostile to some degree?

How could an alien civilization be categorized within a friendly hostile chart ?

To be friendly.

Hostile, friendly.

Or hostile.

Would our radio transmissions indicate and hostile friendly civilization to aliens?

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Date: 18/02/2018 02:34:53
From: PermeateFree
ID: 1189615
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

Tau.Neutrino said:


Tau.Neutrino said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

Aliens could be hostile, friendly or both. Consider humanity, both hostile and friendly to itself, which raises questions like would aliens visit a hostile, friendly humanity?

Also raises science questions like what percentage of humanity is hostile to itself? Overall.

This figure would rise and fall and rise and fall etc, would aliens civilizations be free of hostility? Would every alien civilization be hostile to some degree?

How could an alien civilization be categorized within a friendly hostile chart ?

To be friendly.

Hostile, friendly.

Or hostile.

Would our radio transmissions indicate and hostile friendly civilization to aliens?

Depends on what they usually watch on tv.

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Date: 18/02/2018 05:51:53
From: mollwollfumble
ID: 1189617
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

Tau.Neutrino said:


Tau.Neutrino said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

Aliens could be hostile, friendly or both. Consider humanity, both hostile and friendly to itself, which raises questions like would aliens visit a hostile, friendly humanity?

Also raises science questions like what percentage of humanity is hostile to itself? Overall.

This figure would rise and fall and rise and fall etc, would aliens civilizations be free of hostility? Would every alien civilization be hostile to some degree?

How could an alien civilization be categorized within a friendly hostile chart ?

To be friendly.

Hostile, friendly.

Or hostile.

Would our radio transmissions indicate and hostile friendly civilization to aliens?

Our TV transmissions would indicate a shockingly high murder rate.

There’s a massive difference between “alien life” and “intelligence”.

> How could an alien civilization be categorized within a friendly hostile chart ?

Start by categorising species on Earth. How would you rate a bee colony on a friendly-hostile chart?

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Date: 18/02/2018 08:27:59
From: The Rev Dodgson
ID: 1189621
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

Haven’t read the links but:

If we are talking about aliens who are capable of travelling from their planet to this one, it is likely that they evolved under similar competitive conditions to those that we evolved under, so it is likely that they will see other intelligent entities as a threat, as we do. So I’d say we’d be right to be wary of them, to say the least.

Fortunately such aliens are probably very rare, there may well be exactly zero of them.

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Date: 18/02/2018 08:36:32
From: AwesomeO
ID: 1189622
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

I for one welcome our new alien overlords.

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Date: 18/02/2018 08:44:00
From: AwesomeO
ID: 1189623
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

The Rev Dodgson said:


Haven’t read the links but:

If we are talking about aliens who are capable of travelling from their planet to this one, it is likely that they evolved under similar competitive conditions to those that we evolved under, so it is likely that they will see other intelligent entities as a threat, as we do. So I’d say we’d be right to be wary of them, to say the least.

Fortunately such aliens are probably very rare, there may well be exactly zero of them.

I agree. And further, as Cook (or not so much Cook as others) found that even a deliberate attempt at a benign and peaceful presence alters the existing social and political structures and for the worse especially if you add trade as we scramble for alien artifacts and technology

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Date: 18/02/2018 08:58:07
From: The Rev Dodgson
ID: 1189624
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

I read the first link.

So if we detect life of some unknown form at a distant star it will be rated QI, perhaps even VI, but if we detect aliens in a space ship headed our way “we’re likely to express a few more negative emotions”.

Well duh.

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Date: 18/02/2018 09:07:19
From: mollwollfumble
ID: 1189626
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

The Rev Dodgson said:


I read the first link.

So if we detect life of some unknown form at a distant star it will be rated QI, perhaps even VI, but if we detect aliens in a space ship headed our way “we’re likely to express a few more negative emotions”.

Well duh.

But on the other hand, we’re also “likely to express a few more” positive emotions.

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Date: 18/02/2018 09:09:00
From: The Rev Dodgson
ID: 1189627
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

I thought the Hawking link and the response were just plain weird. They both seem to be assuming that if there is life out there, it’s probably going to have a technology capable of travelling inter-stellar distances.

Also unfortunate that the Hawking article chose to mix up his ideas on the threat of alien invasions (which there is no point worrying about) with his ideas on potential devastating effects of climate change (which it is very much worth worrying about).

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Date: 18/02/2018 09:15:26
From: mollwollfumble
ID: 1189628
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

The Rev Dodgson said:


I read the first link.

So if we detect life of some unknown form at a distant star it will be rated QI, perhaps even VI, but if we detect aliens in a space ship headed our way “we’re likely to express a few more negative emotions”.

Well duh.

But on the other hand, we’re also “likely to express a few more” positive emotions.

The major problem is going to be Metathesiophobia. The fear of change or changing things is called Metathesiophobia. Or as Douglas Adams put it – um, how did Douglas Adams put it? Ah yes:

“The problem is, or rather one of the problems, for there are many, a sizeable proportion of which are continually clogging up the civil, commercial, and criminal courts in all areas of the Galaxy, and especially, where possible, the more corrupt ones, this.
The previous sentence makes sense. That is not the problem.
This is:
Change.
Read it through again and you’ll get it.”

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Date: 18/02/2018 17:44:54
From: Spiny Norman
ID: 1189829
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

I’ve said to Spocky many times that if a UFO lands in our back yard, I’m grabbing her and the dog and getting the hell off this planet. Morons running most countries and anti-intellectualism on the rise.

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Date: 19/02/2018 11:19:38
From: Cymek
ID: 1190052
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

Our governments being who they are, would (if they could) try to hide the existence of intelligent aliens and scramble to acquire exclusive rights to their knowledge and technology not to be used to aid humankind but enslave it.

As others have mention perhaps apex predators are the ones that come to dominate their planet and develop technology and that instinct of aggression and hostility never goes away its just redirected in this case against other intelligent life forms. Military and government on Earth usually have the most resources so they may also dominate alien culture

Truly intelligent and friendly aliens would realise their presence would upset our way of life and not land on the White House lawn and deal with no one but the USA. They might even need to benignly force/bribe us into changing our self destructive ways, give us clean energy production and the means to clean up the planet for example.

I personally wouldn’t scared and would make overtures to get to know them not for any other reason than curiosity and interest. I wouldn’t complain though if they gave me a spaceship to fly around in.

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Date: 19/02/2018 11:29:59
From: AwesomeO
ID: 1190059
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

“Truly intelligent and friendly aliens would realise their presence would upset our way of life and not land on the White House lawn and deal with no one but the USA

Sounds a bit contradictory, not land on the White House lawn but deal with on one else but the USA?

I imagine any intelligent alien would probably have a hierarchy and it would be take me to your leader. If you want to make peace or treaties you need to go to the centres of power and despite what everyone says about the US, from a dispassionate assessment from space, looking at energy usage, communications and spectrum used, resources consumed and evidence of technology they would surely go to the US?

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Date: 19/02/2018 11:45:18
From: Bubblecar
ID: 1190073
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

I don’t think humans will ever encounter alien life, at least not of a kind we can communicate with.

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Date: 19/02/2018 11:51:36
From: Cymek
ID: 1190078
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

AwesomeO said:


“Truly intelligent and friendly aliens would realise their presence would upset our way of life and not land on the White House lawn and deal with no one but the USA

Sounds a bit contradictory, not land on the White House lawn but deal with on one else but the USA?

I imagine any intelligent alien would probably have a hierarchy and it would be take me to your leader. If you want to make peace or treaties you need to go to the centres of power and despite what everyone says about the US, from a dispassionate assessment from space, looking at energy usage, communications and spectrum used, resources consumed and evidence of technology they would surely go to the US?

No I meant that aliens always deal with the USA and the rest of the world is usually irrelevant

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Date: 19/02/2018 11:52:11
From: Cymek
ID: 1190079
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

Bubblecar said:


I don’t think humans will ever encounter alien life, at least not of a kind we can communicate with.

No probably not, too far removed in time and space

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Date: 19/02/2018 11:54:25
From: Cymek
ID: 1190080
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

AwesomeO said:


“Truly intelligent and friendly aliens would realise their presence would upset our way of life and not land on the White House lawn and deal with no one but the USA

Sounds a bit contradictory, not land on the White House lawn but deal with on one else but the USA?

I imagine any intelligent alien would probably have a hierarchy and it would be take me to your leader. If you want to make peace or treaties you need to go to the centres of power and despite what everyone says about the US, from a dispassionate assessment from space, looking at energy usage, communications and spectrum used, resources consumed and evidence of technology they would surely go to the US?

Can the centres of power be trusted though, not going by history or the present day.
Release technology and knowledge to everyone everywhere or else you will just make the situation on Earth worse.

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Date: 19/02/2018 16:50:25
From: PermeateFree
ID: 1190192
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

AwesomeO said:


“Truly intelligent and friendly aliens would realise their presence would upset our way of life and not land on the White House lawn and deal with no one but the USA

Sounds a bit contradictory, not land on the White House lawn but deal with on one else but the USA?

I imagine any intelligent alien would probably have a hierarchy and it would be take me to your leader. If you want to make peace or treaties you need to go to the centres of power and despite what everyone says about the US, from a dispassionate assessment from space, looking at energy usage, communications and spectrum used, resources consumed and evidence of technology they would surely go to the US?

Then to be polite they would ask the the leader’s name; greetings earthling Trump!

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Date: 19/02/2018 16:51:35
From: Cymek
ID: 1190194
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

PermeateFree said:


AwesomeO said:

“Truly intelligent and friendly aliens would realise their presence would upset our way of life and not land on the White House lawn and deal with no one but the USA

Sounds a bit contradictory, not land on the White House lawn but deal with on one else but the USA?

I imagine any intelligent alien would probably have a hierarchy and it would be take me to your leader. If you want to make peace or treaties you need to go to the centres of power and despite what everyone says about the US, from a dispassionate assessment from space, looking at energy usage, communications and spectrum used, resources consumed and evidence of technology they would surely go to the US?

Then to be polite they would ask the the leader’s name; greetings earthling Trump!

Take us to the Trump

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Date: 19/02/2018 17:41:46
From: mollwollfumble
ID: 1190215
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

PermeateFree said:


AwesomeO said:

“Truly intelligent and friendly aliens would realise their presence would upset our way of life and not land on the White House lawn and deal with no one but the USA

Sounds a bit contradictory, not land on the White House lawn but deal with on one else but the USA?

I imagine any intelligent alien would probably have a hierarchy and it would be take me to your leader. If you want to make peace or treaties you need to go to the centres of power and despite what everyone says about the US, from a dispassionate assessment from space, looking at energy usage, communications and spectrum used, resources consumed and evidence of technology they would surely go to the US?

Then to be polite they would ask the the leader’s name; greetings earthling Trump!

LOL. If Clinton was still president, they would have been redirected to Hillary.

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Date: 20/02/2018 10:13:26
From: transition
ID: 1190333
Subject: re: Would You Fear Alien Life or Welcome It?

what a funny thread title, a neat distraction.

the answer’s really (of thinking species) of what species elsewhere might think of our explorations(call it expansion) into their territory.

back home here there’s a plague. And it’s not rabbits.

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