Aliens may exist but mankind should avoid contact with them as the consequences could be devastating, British scientist Stephen Hawking warned Sunday.Oh, hells yes. ET may be calling us but we shouldn't answer the phone!
His comments were made on "Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking" on the Discovery Channel. That alone suggests to me it's worth watching.
10 comments:
This is a prime example of an "expert" speculating in an area about which neither he, nor anyone else, knows anything at all. What foolishness! Do not mistake Hawking for a wise man; this is evidence that he is not.
His speculative specifics, sure, crazy stuff, just like all Science fiction. But "don't answer the phone?" I'm down with that. Contact with a more-advanced civilization has generally not worked out so well for the less-advanced; Japan may be one of the few exceptions and theirs was not a happy adjustment.
For the individual who could bail out and fit in with the new guys -- like my Cherokee ancestor -- it could be a step up. Can't see how that'd work with sho-nuff aliens.
OTOH, if they are out there and they do decide to drop in, who's gonna stop 'em?
I think it is a little presumptuous to think that any alien race smart enough to get here would have any interest in communicating with a bunch of apes who still think digital wristwatches are neat.
Jim
The first imperative is still survival. The probability that aliens exist is enormous, the probability they do not is absurdly small.
Guessing what a totally unknown race will consider desirable for their survival is in itself a mistake. After all, lion cubs look much like pussy cats - and more than one city person has discovered bear cubs are not playthings.
Nor should we assume an alien race's imperatives would involve communication. It is at least equally possible those imperatives would require destruction. Or something even more repellent to the poor specimen/slave/lunch/whatever.
The real problem with aliens is our total lack of knowledge. A lack that seems, one way or another, to be enforced.
Stranger
Communication. contact -- even just having them flit about (officially!) would probably be pretty bad.
"Contact with a more-advanced civilization has generally not worked out so well for the less-advanced..."
On this planet.
Within this species.
To stretch that analogy beyond those boundaries may be prudent, but it's pure metaphysics and hasn't a thing to do with science.
Disagree: it's not about them, it's about us.
"...it's not about them, it's about us."
So, to extend the analogy, if those Aztecs and Cherokee hadn't been wearing those short skirts, they wouldn't have had it coming like they did? ;)
Miss the point much?
Anyone read The Killing Star, he asked with practiced diffidence?
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