I think Spore demonstrates my current opinion quite well. we are not alone, we are not the most advanced species, but not the most primitive either
Aliens: What if we're the advanced species?
- Thread starter iLazy
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Except that Avatar forgot to take into account things like nukes. The second the Na'vi attack began, they shold have instantly pulled the helicopter things out and fired a neutron bomb from orbit.x-machina said:
To be honest, I imagine we'd piss them off way before we learn of them being intelligent.
I can't imagine a human team of investigators being quite happy just surveying the aliens from afar, so the natural thing to do would be to catch them.
You you were looking at the squishy little monster before, all it seemed to be doing was jumping up and down randomly, and very little else. After a long examination, testing it with different stimuli, chemicals, and eventually chopping one up (because there's a lot in supply) we suddenly discover they were an intelligent life who was trying to tell his mates "Jesus- what the hell are those guys?" By then, we've already killed it. The aliens are hostile and mistrusting, so we decide to leave them alone unless there's something to be had in exhibiting them, or there's a natural resource on their planet. In that case, we'd probably wipe them out or enslave them.
Ideally, though, we'd not do any of this. Ideally, we'd make new space-friends and help each other out with problems, and a few dozen/hundred humans are sent to the planet to learn about their culture and teach them of English culture, like a space-TEFL course. Then I would apply the hell out of that job =D
I can't imagine a human team of investigators being quite happy just surveying the aliens from afar, so the natural thing to do would be to catch them.
You you were looking at the squishy little monster before, all it seemed to be doing was jumping up and down randomly, and very little else. After a long examination, testing it with different stimuli, chemicals, and eventually chopping one up (because there's a lot in supply) we suddenly discover they were an intelligent life who was trying to tell his mates "Jesus- what the hell are those guys?" By then, we've already killed it. The aliens are hostile and mistrusting, so we decide to leave them alone unless there's something to be had in exhibiting them, or there's a natural resource on their planet. In that case, we'd probably wipe them out or enslave them.
Ideally, though, we'd not do any of this. Ideally, we'd make new space-friends and help each other out with problems, and a few dozen/hundred humans are sent to the planet to learn about their culture and teach them of English culture, like a space-TEFL course. Then I would apply the hell out of that job =D
duuuuh.
we rely so much on Sci-Fi for this stuff, we'd have the Federation Directive that says you cant do shit to planets without interplanetary space travel.
y'know.
the first one.
pretty damn important.
we rely so much on Sci-Fi for this stuff, we'd have the Federation Directive that says you cant do shit to planets without interplanetary space travel.
y'know.
the first one.
pretty damn important.
Haha i was thinking this last night . Humans can barely get along with other humans , based on this fact , we would most likely invade them . What i would prefer in the approach they had in star ocean 4 ( the game ) . Basically after interfering with several aloen worlds , and even blowing up an parallele time line earth , they decided to leave them the fuck alone . We don't help the ones with less advanced technology and we don't take help from the ones with better technology .
This is best , but humans are greedy and selfish so we would probably invade the hell out of them , and drink beer out of their skulls .
This is best , but humans are greedy and selfish so we would probably invade the hell out of them , and drink beer out of their skulls .
I don't really think Avatar is a good example at all. I mean, if we can do interplanetary travel we can surely harvest raw materials from planets that wouldn't support life in the first place.
More likely, I believe it would be observation, and if they were deemed to be minimum risk and the planet to be habitable, colonization then perhaps education and integration. But they would have to be pretty rudimentary. If I was a highly advanced species I wouldn't be colonizing the earth anytime soon. I doubt even the best technology can really fully deflect a nuclear bombardment from a race of paranoid, bigoted and jingoistic creatures.
More likely, I believe it would be observation, and if they were deemed to be minimum risk and the planet to be habitable, colonization then perhaps education and integration. But they would have to be pretty rudimentary. If I was a highly advanced species I wouldn't be colonizing the earth anytime soon. I doubt even the best technology can really fully deflect a nuclear bombardment from a race of paranoid, bigoted and jingoistic creatures.
If we do meet aliens that are like that odds are we would want to be at peace, but odds also are we would have very different languages for one and very different cultures so if we wanted to say "we come in peace" we would pretty much be sol. Although computers should run the same so they could communicate possibly.
If we are the most advanced life form then I think George Carlin was right when he said ''the Universe aimed rather low and settled for very little''.
But if we were the most advanced life form, my first mission would be to find the females (or the equivalent of females) from the other species and proceed to have the wildest space orgy that would make Kirk blow a gasket in jealousy.
On a serious note, I'd vote for observation for a few decades. After we got a slight knowledge of their social structure, hierarchy whatever, we should try and make contact. Albeit, without some super-flashy space-craft. But packing guns would be a good idea, just in case.
But if we were the most advanced life form, my first mission would be to find the females (or the equivalent of females) from the other species and proceed to have the wildest space orgy that would make Kirk blow a gasket in jealousy.
On a serious note, I'd vote for observation for a few decades. After we got a slight knowledge of their social structure, hierarchy whatever, we should try and make contact. Albeit, without some super-flashy space-craft. But packing guns would be a good idea, just in case.
Well then, let's be optimistic about it.
First this little planet and it's winds and ways, and then all the laws of mind and matter that restrain him. Then the planets about him, and at last out across immensity to the stars.
And when he has conquered all the deeps of space and all the mysteries of time, still we would be beginning.
First this little planet and it's winds and ways, and then all the laws of mind and matter that restrain him. Then the planets about him, and at last out across immensity to the stars.
And when he has conquered all the deeps of space and all the mysteries of time, still we would be beginning.
How less advanced are we talking about? Like, are they set in the 1950's of Earth? The 1650's of Earth? The 1050's of Earth? The Earliest Beginnings of Humanity for Earth (I.E. Tribes)?
Regardless, the two groups would be so far apart that it'd basically be an Ugly Roadblock hitting another Ugly Roadblock. Sure, the first Humans to explore this planet would try to learn of their culture, teach a couple of the Aliens English, but in the end, it'll basically become Africa: Taken Over, colonized poorly with a few Independent lands, eventually freed, and in poor shape. Though, hopefully not as poor as Africa.
Regardless, the two groups would be so far apart that it'd basically be an Ugly Roadblock hitting another Ugly Roadblock. Sure, the first Humans to explore this planet would try to learn of their culture, teach a couple of the Aliens English, but in the end, it'll basically become Africa: Taken Over, colonized poorly with a few Independent lands, eventually freed, and in poor shape. Though, hopefully not as poor as Africa.
Ha ha. Because genocide of a semi-innocent intelligent race is perfectly fine when done for the sake of an action movie.Nouw said:
Personally, I would move to completely ignore them, but 'spy' on them. Learn about them. Do not make contact. Now, if there was some other equally advance race that was trying to wipe out all life for some reason, sure, uplift them and have them defend themselves. If they're on the cusp of wiping themselves out, don't uplift them but prevent that wipe out from happening. Be kind of like their guardian angels. Make sure they stay alive, but don't actually give them an advantage over what they have unless it is needed. Eventually they will reach the same state we were in. They will have done it by their own accord, it will be an achievement that gives their people strength. Us watching over them will give them goodwill towards us. Then, we start an interplanetary alliance.
In all likeliness though, the likes of Avatar would happen, where there is a rare resource we want, so we will take it - other species be damned. Its the human way, and sadly we are far from changing that.
In all likeliness though, the likes of Avatar would happen, where there is a rare resource we want, so we will take it - other species be damned. Its the human way, and sadly we are far from changing that.
Personally? Observation would be my first tactic. If they are warlike or tribal and could possibly be a threat, try to watch them for further threats. If they could contribute to human society, welcome them in and improve infrastructure.
If I had any saying in that, I would at first just observe them from a safe distance to prevent them from noticing us.
Depending of what I find, there would be 2 options. If they go with a relatively safe path of technology, I would leave them alone.
If they try to go with some technology that isn't safe for their technology level, I would try to show them why it's not a good idea to push in that direction. But I would still try to be a discrete as possible.
We had that problem with nuclear energy. On a much smaller level with solar energy.
We tried to use nuclear energy while still not really understanding it. Chernobyl, Hiroshima, Nagasaki... We weren't really ready for such insane energy output with such instability.
On the other hand, we just abandoned the solar energy because we tried to use it while it wasn't developed enough. Big costs, low output. If the scientists tried to development it a bit more before showing it to the masses, if it was a bit more profitable, solar energy would maybe be out main energy source. But we had petroleum which was much more affordable at that time...
I wouldn't interfere in any wars, internal conflicts or anything similar. They have to learn why wars are bad. They can't learn them just by use telling them. Look at us. After several thousand years of history, we still don't get it that was is fucking bad.
But that's only if the difference between us and them is like between us now and us in the middle age.
If the difference is much smaller (now and 100 years ago), I think it would be safe to have some contact with them. Still no sharing of technology that is to advanced for them.
tl.dr. As little as possible interfering. If we try to interfere, than it would be as discrete as possible. No sharing of technology unless it's the only way to save that race.
There is one thing that I learned from Mass Effect that is actually really smart.
By sharing our technology with them, we would "force" them to chose the same path as we did. That would close the doors to all other paths which could lead to the same goal, but with other technology. If they had some different technology from us, we (and them) could use both technologies for a faster advance.
Depending of what I find, there would be 2 options. If they go with a relatively safe path of technology, I would leave them alone.
If they try to go with some technology that isn't safe for their technology level, I would try to show them why it's not a good idea to push in that direction. But I would still try to be a discrete as possible.
We had that problem with nuclear energy. On a much smaller level with solar energy.
We tried to use nuclear energy while still not really understanding it. Chernobyl, Hiroshima, Nagasaki... We weren't really ready for such insane energy output with such instability.
On the other hand, we just abandoned the solar energy because we tried to use it while it wasn't developed enough. Big costs, low output. If the scientists tried to development it a bit more before showing it to the masses, if it was a bit more profitable, solar energy would maybe be out main energy source. But we had petroleum which was much more affordable at that time...
I wouldn't interfere in any wars, internal conflicts or anything similar. They have to learn why wars are bad. They can't learn them just by use telling them. Look at us. After several thousand years of history, we still don't get it that was is fucking bad.
But that's only if the difference between us and them is like between us now and us in the middle age.
If the difference is much smaller (now and 100 years ago), I think it would be safe to have some contact with them. Still no sharing of technology that is to advanced for them.
tl.dr. As little as possible interfering. If we try to interfere, than it would be as discrete as possible. No sharing of technology unless it's the only way to save that race.
There is one thing that I learned from Mass Effect that is actually really smart.
By sharing our technology with them, we would "force" them to chose the same path as we did. That would close the doors to all other paths which could lead to the same goal, but with other technology. If they had some different technology from us, we (and them) could use both technologies for a faster advance.