Do to the several threads about serial killers and lack of empathy, I started thinking about what we would do if we met a species that we had NO empathy for. If we were to run into an alien species, how would we react? What if there technology was similar or worse than ours? What if they had rich land? What if we had no empathy for them? And if you are going to post, could you at least read the last page? Threads like these seem to attract a lot of one hit wonders...
We both would have at least a fundamental understanding of mathematics and could communicate and build a dialog on that level.
Perhaps, but would we, or they, even want to? If a beetle knew trigonometry would that all of a sudden make you want to talk to it? And realistically speaking, we aren't all that smart. We have primate cousins who show intelligence on par with our young, how much smarter than them can we really be? I would say that it's not much.
The advances of a civilization which would allow them to come into contact with us would put them so far beyond us as to make us like beetles or worms to them. They would most likely look at people like Hawkings and Einstein and laugh at their ignorance. A race that would look at the best among us like pissants would most likely not deign to speak with us, let alone bother to come all the way out to our planet for any purpose other than resources necessary for their survival.
Perhaps, but would we, or they, even want to? If a beetle knew trigonometry would that all of a sudden make you want to talk to it?
I sure would, I'm sure there are plenty of scientists around who also would want to.
We have primate cousins who show intelligence on par with our young, how much smarter than them can we really be? I would say that it's not much.
True it's in the way we use our intellect that makes the big difference. So the biggest factor between us and an extraterrestrial intelligence would likely be more on the sum of our knowledge.
The advances of a civilization which would allow them to come into contact with us would put them so far beyond us as to make us like beetles or worms to them.
I'm not convinced of this. Maybe it might be more on par with the human chimp comparison. The comparison of us to worms or bugs would indicate that we would have no hope of understanding how such technology would work. I think we would have the capacity to eventually figure it out, even if just on a basic level.
A race that would look at the best among us like pissants would most likely not deign to speak with us, let alone bother to come all the way out to our planet for any purpose other than resources necessary for their survival.
I'm sure that would likely be a goal but I think a species that would go to the trouble of traveling such a distance would also likely be interested in exploration. Such a civilization could find discovering new forms of life just as fascinating as we do.
Such a civilization could find discovering new forms of life just as fascinating as we do.
Or perhaps they would be looking for a rich planet they could drain of resources, or colonize. It would be a lot like what happened with the Native Americans. The Europeans believed themselves better, more intelligent and proceeded to destroy the Native American population. Also don't forget the Europeans also brought with them, many fatal diseases that wreaked havoc among the Native Americans.
A race that would look at the best among us like pissants would most likely not deign to speak with us, let alone bother to come all the way out to our planet for any purpose other than resources necessary for their survival.
Any civilization intelligent enough to conduct interplanetary travel would also be intelligent enough to recognise the significance of what we have achieved. Our knowledge, no matter how small it may seem to an alien civilization still has culture and foundation which all of us could learn from. What has probably propeled us into this state of Technology is often said to be Leonardo Da Vinci, setting us roughly 200 years into the future (it's present day though). However, due to the setbacks of the Dark Age (hindered severely by Religion) we have also lost 800 years (600 if you include the huge benefit made by Da Vinci). A civilization seeking another race or more resources is probably not under the belief of a God like us, has a better Religion (less restrictive) or simply doesn't know / care. The setbacks made by Religion (causing Crusades, killing many, and the previously mentioned Dark Age) would not have done the same to this civilization.
We both would have at least a fundamental understanding of mathematics and could communicate and build a dialog on that level.
Yes. Hate to sound geeky or anything but this is kind of funny and also incredibly useful, on Stargate a universal language was dictated by height above the ground and its location on the pedastool (this was back in Season 1). Specific letters and words were created based on what every therefor was made, Electrons, and etc. I'm sketchy on the details but due to the most basic materials that makes everything in the universe, this would also be one of the most understandable, with practice.
Oh and here's some mathematical language for you: 1337.
Haha just kidding Jokes allowed in this thread?
Also defining Intelligence I would say on this level is through what we know scientifically or mathematically (etc), not with language or religion (those two are good for exchanging culture, however to deem yourself worthy I don't think 'Bible-Bashing' would do the job - agreed?)
If we were out exploring and we found a race that has a decent level of (ahem, take this lightly) intelligence, I reckon we would take notice pretty quick. I can see that a few of us are still being stuck in the horrible gloop that is - assumptions of alien races based on what we know.
That would still require the matter to be semi-intact for at least transport. Atomizing the earth would make this process difficult.
Not when they only need to scorch the surface. Theres a whole lot more world there to suck up. Maybe they only want the gooey stuff under the crunch.
The virus would require a good amount of human captives- from all over the world- to engineer.
Depends how advanced their science was. Maybe a quick scan from up on high would do the trick.
The war is still won for us the instant they spend more than they gain.
If a civilisation could transfer matter to energy and back, they wouldnt lose a thing.
Seriously dude. Any scenario you throw up I could also throw a what if back. Neither of us will know. If they are that advanced we really dont know all the possibilities.
I'm sure that would likely be a goal but I think a species that would go to the trouble of traveling such a distance would also likely be interested in exploration. Such a civilization could find discovering new forms of life just as fascinating as we do.
I tend to lean on the side of, if they are that advanced, they must be peaceful. If it ever comes to it. I hope Im right.
I tend to lean on the side of, if they are that advanced, they must be peaceful. If it ever comes to it. I hope Im right.
Sounds reasonable. If they had a "exploit an ecosystem and go to the next one when there's nothing left" sort of mentality like the aliens in Independence Day and other movies, they would probably already have gone extinct on their homeplanet due to lack of ressources, long before they develop any kind of technology. Maybe.
Or perhaps they would be looking for a rich planet they could drain of resources, or colonize. It would be a lot like what happened with the Native Americans.
I don't dis count that possibility for a second.
civilization seeking another race or more resources is probably not under the belief of a God like us, has a better Religion (less restrictive) or simply doesn't know / care.
I could see them still having a restrictive religion. Their traveling to the stars could even be influenced by such a belief. For example they could have a doctrine that tells them to travel to the stars and rule over them.
Oh and here's some mathematical language for you: 1337.
Here's an example of how we could communicate. Now first off the symbol I use could be anything. For this example I will use 1, the aliens could use &.
The first thing to do would be to demonstrate a basic under standing of mathematics. We could do this with prime numbers.
We could start the message like so. 11 111 11111 The aliens could reply with. &&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&&&& The we could reply back. 11111111111111111 ... and so on. This would demonstrate that we both have a basic understanding of mathematics. Prime numbers would also be preferable to use because they are not naturally occurring patterns.
The next step would be to establish ways of saying true and false, in other words yes and no. We could do this as such. 1 1 11 1 1 111 From here would could begin to build a more complex dialog.
Sounds reasonable. If they had a "exploit an ecosystem and go to the next one when there's nothing left" sort of mentality like the aliens in Independence Day and other movies, they would probably already have gone extinct on their homeplanet due to lack of ressources, long before they develop any kind of technology. Maybe.
It's possible they developed such a mentality after traveling into space. not unreasonable considering there would then be far more resources out there.
