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Hawking says contact with aliens could be risky

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Hawking says contact with aliens could be risky


Science | 207223 hits | Apr 25 4:57 pm | Posted by: Hyack
43 Comment

LONDON � British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking says aliens are out there, but it could be too dangerous for humans to interact with extraterestial life.

Comments

  1. by avatar GreenTiger
    Mon Apr 26, 2010 1:51 pm
    Sometimes its too dangerous to interact with life on this planet.

  2. by avatar commanderkai
    Mon Apr 26, 2010 4:58 pm
    I disagree with Hawkings, because if aliens have the technology to move between stars, most likely they'll have mining and refining technologies that will exceed ours by a long shot. Why invade a planet of sentient species when you can mine Pluto, or hell, any asteroid, or non-inhabited planet dry?

    So, unless something on Earth is somehow extremely rare in the galaxy...like, let's say, uranium, why would they bother?

    NOW, he's not fully wrong either. I think alien contact would have a massive impact on humans culturally and technologically. The impact upon religions/morality issues, media, music, art, politics, etc etc, will all need to adapt and change to fit this new reality. This, on top of the technological changes that would occur, would be great. However, this assumes a Star Trek: First Contact type scenario. If first contact is controlled by us, a la Stargate SG:1, the ripples would be much less severe, and probably more subtle as new technologies are gradually introduced to the population.

  3. by avatar bootlegga
    Mon Apr 26, 2010 5:31 pm
    Who says they need to invade? Even if they are well-intentioned, a simple visit could easily introduce some microbe into our atmosphere that does to us what smallpox did to the natives in North and South America (kill off between 70% - 90%).

    But the Earth does have one thing in abundance that many other planets do not (at least as far as we can tell now), and that is water. Even if they don't need oxygen to breath, water can be broken down into fuel.

  4. by avatar commanderkai
    Mon Apr 26, 2010 5:48 pm
    "bootlegga" said
    Who says they need to invade? Even if they are well-intentioned, a simple visit could easily introduce some microbe into our atmosphere that does to us what smallpox did to the natives in North and South America (kill off between 70% - 90%).

    But the Earth does have one thing in abundance that many other planets do not (at least as far as we can tell now), and that is water. Even if they don't need oxygen to breath, water can be broken down into fuel.


    True, but isn't the reverse true? Why not a "War of the Worlds" type situation where one of our diseases totally screws them over? That's if we are even remotely genetically similar or compatible, meaning who knows what they breathe, or how their immune systems/diseases/sicknesses even function.

    Just slightly off topic, have you read Harry Turtledove's Worldwar/Tosev timeline? As much as we humans were impacted by first contact, so were they, like through ginger. Haha.

    Well, water is in massive abundance on Earth, but why not extract water from any of Jupiter/Saturn's moons, or Mars, for that matter?

    Don't get me wrong, I'm not totally disagreeing with you, I'm just thinking hypotheticals.

  5. by avatar bootlegga
    Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:09 pm
    Yes, theoretically, the opposite is true (the War of the Worlds ending has always irked - why didn't humans catch anything from the aliens too).

    And other planets in the system do have water, but so far as we can tell, nothing like the quantity here on earth. While other planets offer a zero-G (or near zero-G) environment for extracting resources, the sheer quantity of water on our planet would probably make it worthwhile to drain our seas and lakes before going after much smaller deposits on moons and other planets in the system.

    I think of it kind of like the same way an oil company develops a massive oil field before it goes after a small one. Quantities of scale for something like planetary mining probably makes a huge difference. Of course, who knows, maybe it would make sense to mine moons around our gas giants first...

    I own the entire Worldwar series (including Colonization and Homeward Bound). It's a great alternate history and is one of my favourites in the genre. The Race's reaction to finding fighter planes and tanks when they were expecting knights and crusaders was quite funny, and their social structure was really interesting. Turtledove is a master in alt/history, even if he occasionally gets a fact or two wrong.

  6. by avatar sandorski
    Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:40 pm
    Hawking is correct, it is dangerous to attract attention from Unknown Species. They may or may not be more Advanced than we are. They may or may not be Aggressive, although Chances are that some will be. They may or may not be capable of reaching us. Thing is, we just don't Know.

    Sure, if they truly are far more Advanced, they probably don't need our Resources, but they could see us as a potential Threat. If they do, they could decide to simply eliminate us while it is a simple task. We might also be very Tasty and ripe for Harvest(not joking).

  7. by Thanos
    Mon Apr 26, 2010 8:28 pm
    Given human nature, and our long history of treating each other worse than we treat animals, I'd worry more about what happens to the aliens when we meet them. If they're weaker and more primitive than us what we'd end up doing to them, most likely for the sake of rich peoples' greed (as usual), would make what happened to the locals during the conquest of the Americas look like a hippy love-in by comparison. If they're more powerful and advanced than we are, for their own safety and the sake of others they probably won't allow us to expand beyond our own solar system until we actually become civilized, and quit acting like greedy murderous douches all the time. Either that or they'll start aiming asteroids and comets at us with mass drivers until one finally hits us and solves the human pestilence problem permanently.

  8. by avatar Bacardi4206
    Mon Apr 26, 2010 8:37 pm
    "commanderkai" said
    I disagree with Hawkings, because if aliens have the technology to move between stars, most likely they'll have mining and refining technologies that will exceed ours by a long shot. Why invade a planet of sentient species when you can mine Pluto, or hell, any asteroid, or non-inhabited planet dry?

    So, unless something on Earth is somehow extremely rare in the galaxy...like, let's say, uranium, why would they bother?

    NOW, he's not fully wrong either. I think alien contact would have a massive impact on humans culturally and technologically. The impact upon religions/morality issues, media, music, art, politics, etc etc, will all need to adapt and change to fit this new reality. This, on top of the technological changes that would occur, would be great. However, this assumes a Star Trek: First Contact type scenario. If first contact is controlled by us, a la Stargate SG:1, the ripples would be much less severe, and probably more subtle as new technologies are gradually introduced to the population.


    I don't believe that (in regards to the impact). Just because theres aliens out there doesn't mean people will just out of blue stop believing in god. Would it be too hard to believe that if god existed and has this huge ass universe infront of him. He would just bother making species for one planet? Atleast that would be the arguement and intelligence of religious believers if aliens became fact and was shoved in there faces. Culurally I don't see how we would change unless infact they started to live with us? Morality would be the same, we would still be the fucked up race that contradicts our own morality on a daily basis. You know, crying over animal abuse and hating that it happens but abusing animals or not doing jack shit to stop it. Etc, Everything would be the exact same except we can add more friends to our facebook page.

  9. by avatar Bodah
    Mon Apr 26, 2010 9:41 pm
    "sandorski" said
    Hawking is correct, it is dangerous to attract attention from Unknown Species. They may or may not be more Advanced than we are. They may or may not be Aggressive, although Chances are that some will be. They may or may not be capable of reaching us. Thing is, we just don't Know.

    Sure, if they truly are far more Advanced, they probably don't need our Resources, but they could see us as a potential Threat. If they do, they could decide to simply eliminate us while it is a simple task. We might also be very Tasty and ripe for Harvest(not joking).


    Agreed, I think some people make they assumption if they can reach our planet means they are intelligent enough to have the technology to do so they wouldn't be harmful towards us.

    The problem with that thinking is maybe they view the universer differently than we do, maybe we wouldn't be the first alien life form they've encountered, maybe they might view us and all natural resources on our planet the same way our farmers view their crops and animals at harvest time.

    Their is of course the possibility of friendly aliens, but if there is the possibility of one there has to be a possibility of the other.

    But then there might be the friendly aliens that have studied us seen how we treat each other and probably decided it was too dangerous for them to say hello,and they're probably right.

  10. by avatar commanderkai
    Mon Apr 26, 2010 10:28 pm
    "Bacardi4206" said
    I don't believe that (in regards to the impact). Just because theres aliens out there doesn't mean people will just out of blue stop believing in god. Would it be too hard to believe that if god existed and has this huge ass universe infront of him. He would just bother making species for one planet? Atleast that would be the arguement and intelligence of religious believers if aliens became fact and was shoved in there faces.


    I totally agree with you, Bacardi, actually. I don't believe God created the universe for just humanity, however, I do see some humans worshiping said aliens as their gods, or taking alien religions. Or, more interestingly, maybe the aliens will become good Christians or Jews (or Hindus or Buddhists or Scientologists)! Haha. I don't see religion being destroyed, but I do see religion adapting to accommodate the new arrivals, and quite possibly Scientology being destroyed as people laugh at their alien stories.

    Culurally I don't see how we would change unless infact they started to live with us? Morality would be the same, we would still be the fucked up race that contradicts our own morality on a daily basis.


    Like I said, depends on how first contact is made. If they invade a dominate us, we stagnate culturally. If it's a first contact a la Star Trek, I see a blending of cultures, humans adapting and bringing some elements of the alien culture into our own. Mixing food dishes, art and architectural styles, etc etc. I'm not saying all the effects of alien contact would be bad, but they're still possible.

    You know, crying over animal abuse and hating that it happens but abusing animals or not doing jack shit to stop it. Etc, Everything would be the exact same except we can add more friends to our facebook page.


    Psh, Facebook would be bought off by the alien counterpart. :lol:

    Actually, that'll be interesting too. If the aliens are friendly, imagine the competition by corporations to produce virtual reality programs and hovercraft! I just see a huge impact, possibly good, possibly bad, with alien contact

  11. by avatar commanderkai
    Mon Apr 26, 2010 10:47 pm
    "bootlegga" said
    Yes, theoretically, the opposite is true (the War of the Worlds ending has always irked - why didn't humans catch anything from the aliens too).


    I'd assume that because they were using humans as fertilizer (I've only seen the recent movie), they had more intimate contact with humans, while a majority of the humans they met kinda died. Hah. Death does negate chances of catching diseases.

    Now, hypothetically, we might get something in return after the end of the plot, or maybe we have a stronger immune system, etc etc etc. In the end it's a book. I'm under the belief that human-alien genetics will be too different for our diseases to affect them and vice versa.

    And other planets in the system do have water, but so far as we can tell, nothing like the quantity here on earth. While other planets offer a zero-G (or near zero-G) environment for extracting resources, the sheer quantity of water on our planet would probably make it worthwhile to drain our seas and lakes before going after much smaller deposits on moons and other planets in the system.

    I think of it kind of like the same way an oil company develops a massive oil field before it goes after a small one. Quantities of scale for something like planetary mining probably makes a huge difference. Of course, who knows, maybe it would make sense to mine moons around our gas giants first...


    Arthur C. Clarke actually wrote a book discussing this, "Imperial Earth" (which I actually never finished, I really should, haha) which discusses what you're saying, basically. If I remember correctly, Titan is the major source of the solar system's hydrogen due to the low gravity environment, which makes hydrogen easier to transfer to space compared to Earth.

    You are right though, that an oil company would go after the larger deposit over the smaller one, assuming the difficulty of extraction is the same. But, for example, oil companies only started tapping into more difficult sources of oil, due to the higher cost of extraction. Sure, there is a massive reserve of oil in the Oil Sands, but it's cheaper getting access through conventional sources.

    ...That being said, this all assumes they can't just magically beam up water/oil/whatever from the ground and be on their merry way.

    I own the entire Worldwar series (including Colonization and Homeward Bound). It's a great alternate history and is one of my favourites in the genre. The Race's reaction to finding fighter planes and tanks when they were expecting knights and crusaders was quite funny, and their social structure was really interesting. Turtledove is a master in alt/history, even if he occasionally gets a fact or two wrong.


    Harry Turtledove is a great writer, one of my favorites, actually. I'm trying to find the complete Guns of the South or Darkness books to read. Commonly I've read one or two of his books in his series, but usually the libraries I've been to usually don't have them in order for my reading enjoyment. Too bad, too

  12. by avatar Elvis
    Mon Apr 26, 2010 10:59 pm
    Be afraid .. very afraid

    two word

    ANAL PROBE..

  13. by avatar PluggyRug
    Tue Apr 27, 2010 2:00 am
    If you believe the universe was created instantly (big bang theory) then wouldn't one assume that everything in the universe is the same age.

    Given that simplistic view then all alien races would be of a similar age and therefore at a similar level of technology. Other alien races might be saying the same thing about other alien races.

    That is unless you believe in the multi-verse theory where other universes may be overlapping our own. These theoretical universes could have been formed earlier than ours.

    Take me to your leader.

  14. by avatar Dragom
    Tue Apr 27, 2010 3:50 am
    The culture clash would be enough to destroy nations.

    Do you guys know why serious SF rarely has aliens in it? Because it's a complete question mark.



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