Would Contact with Extraterrestrials Benefit or Harm Humanity?

[wwkirk]

Here is a serious discussion of this question.

http://api.ning.com/files/he7C0OVhm...WtS3djvTgA8DhmtDNX387fSLaQ9OPZR/1104.4462.pdf

 

[Ezechiel]

Regardless of benefit or harm, it's ultimately a loss of control for humanity either way.

The intellectual effort for any gained benefit would belong to someone else. In the long term, a deadening effect on the human psyche. Work, development of science... Why bother when we have the solutions coming from a civilization thousands of years ahead ?

 

[wwkirk]

So then you never want us to meet any other species, or only less advanced ones?
Its always possible that some advanced aliens (probably not all) follow some version of the prime Directive.

 

[Ezechiel]

So then you never want us to meet any other species, or only less advanced ones?
Its always possible that some advanced aliens (probably not all) follow some version of the prime Directive.

Meeting a less advanced one would allow us to maintain our 'we are the best of the best of the best' arrogance and protect current supremacist religious attitudes. The jesuits of this world would have a field day.

If we met a more advanced civilization... you'd have an alien Jesuit knocking at your door ROFL, and start shaving with a special laser blade made with a technology 20 generations ahead of what humans had achieved .... providing that they hadn't roasted you for supper lol.

On a more serious note, the meeting of 2 advanced self-aware species is going to be toxic to one of them. The technology of the most advanced renders the others tech obsolete. Meeting another civilization of relatively equal strength... well that eventually leads to war anyways...

I'd rather we don't officially meet these guys until we reach Michio Kaku's type 1 status. At least we'll be able to build an ark and escape these bugs

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Consider, though, about impact to organized religion, the military-industrial complex, and the oil industry. There would be huge ramifications that need to be understood.

 

[Snidely Whiplash]

Like Gene said it would be a paradigm shift for the religious strongholds that plague or planet. That alone would be a wonderous and beautiful thing. Ave E.T.

 

[Ezechiel]

Consider, though, about impact to organized religion, the military-industrial complex, and the oil industry. There would be huge ramifications that need to be understood.

Fatal, game over comes to mind. Can't be done. I'd call it sentient shock especially at this stage of our evolution.

However, under a prime directive...

Should a highly evolved empathic specie contact us, someone came up with the idea of creating an offshoot/split of the human race. One segment would operate under the current evolution line while the other would operate in a covert controlled alien contact environment. Eventually the 2 human groups would meet further down the line so that the alien presence would be introduced in a civilized manner once the communication subtleties and protocols had been decoded.

Are most of these ufo's an offshoot race of humans driving ET ships?

I can't imagine for a moment an alien race directly addressing the human race... Some kind of preparation, interfacing effort would be needed.

 

[mike]

And this question is built on the assumption that ET like us, is just another varient of biological creature, its only natural we should see it via this filter, but for me there are lots of clues that they have transcended the natural biological model we see here

Our own scientists are trying to do just this very thing

According to Ian Pearson, a British futurist, death will be a thing of the past by 2050.

Pearson is one of many futurists, cybernetic experts and artificial intelligence researchers whose thoughts are converging on the same basic idea: Why not upload everything that's in the brain—everything that makes a person who they are—into a computer and then download it again into a new body? Doing such a thing would make the individual theoretically immortal.

http://www.helium.com/items/2029699-mind-uploading-immortality

If They have done this very same thing, their prime directive may involve waiting until we too reach this stage in our evolution.

"I think it very likely -in fact inevitable-that biological intelligence is only a transitory phenomenon, a fleeting phase in the evolution of intelligence in the universe."
Paul Davies -acclaimed physicist, cosmologist, and astrobiologist at Arizona State University."

 

[mike]

Consider, though, about impact to organized religion, the military-industrial complex, and the oil industry. There would be huge ramifications that need to be understood.

Huge is too short a word, i once did a break down of the effects on society of the invention of a Star Trek style transporter. The ripples in the pond are far reaching.

Job losses would start with people manning the drilling rigs, service station operators, tyre manufacturers and sellers. Vehicle manufacturers and sellers. Road builders and maintence workers. Transport workers.
If it worked like in the TV show, ie it can take any reaction mass and convert it into food of any description, then we have farmers and food sellers as well both the supermarket and resturants.
Picards earl grey tea (hot) will put out of work thousand of tea leaf pickers alone.
And thats a single new technology.
Just as in ST, our economy would have to change so radically as to be unrecognisable in comparrison to todays model

 

[bobheck]

Consider, though, about impact to organized religion, the military-industrial complex, and the oil industry. There would be huge ramifications that need to be understood.

Very appropriate response, Gene. Pesky religion and established power in industry and energy would certainly by involved.

 

[ALPHA ROMEO UNIFORM]

Always good and bad in all aspects of life. Humanity is just another animal among many on this planet and "it or they" decide to make themselves know might rather see humanity as a pest rather than friendly from the results so far on the World history and environmental actions

 

[Ezechiel]

Here's what Michio Kaku would say on contact :

A type 0 civilization would be culturally destroyed and swallowed by a type 1+ ET civilization. A type 0 civilization (us) would be of interest to a type 1 only if the type 0 was physically close and on the verge of becoming a type 1 and start competing for the same resources.

Contact would be more likely to occur between 2 civilizations attempting to exploit the same region of a galaxy. Two type 2 civilizations (solar) could easily end up in conflictual situations.

.... My best guess lol

 

[Goggs Mackay]

My personal thoughts are that society would not break down if it were to become known that indeed, UFO's are extraterrestrial, inter-dimensional or whatever.
The old thing about religion breaking down etc is just not true. The reason I think this is that despite science explaining quite a lot of what used to be put down to 'the gods', people still believe just as fervently as they ever did. In fact, when people tend to believe in religion, or a cult (the same thing if you ask me, and I do not care who gets offended by that - yes, christianity, judaism, islam, hinduism etc are all cults of some form, invented by man for the comfort and control of his fellow man) virtually no evidence to the contrary is accepted. So, even if aliens were to reveal themselves to us tomorrow, people would still go to church (maybe even more so?) and suchlike. It may even paradoxically cause MORE people to turn to religion.
If people wanna believe in religion, then that is fine, and it is of course up to them. But if strongly believe that should never be used as a reason to keep the truth whether ET's exist or not a secret.
Either people have a strong unshakeable faith and no new info will change that, or it will, in such case, then they probably did not have as strong a faith as they first thought.
To me its akin to the arguement over when certain types of film or TV programme can be watched. For me, at the tender age of about 12, I was really into gory horror films and certainly society said that I was too young to be exposed to such things. I have never wantonly hurt another person, I do not daydream about killing people etc. To me it was harmless escapism and I always felt unfairly 'held back' by adult society's idea of what I should be able to view in the privacy of my own home (or parents then). I was always wondering who the kids were that the age-certification system was there to protect? I always thought that it was really hard to accidentally watch a whole horror movie and be forever affected in some sinister way. There is always an 'off' switch if it ain't your bag.
I feel the same way about 'disclosure'. If, indeed there is anything to 'disclose' then I just hate the fact that to protect some idiots' religious beliefs or whatever, those of us who are open to having our worldview changed must sit idly by because everyone else 'can't handle the truth'.
If anyone really has a faith in God, then I would have thought it would be the most natural thing to accept alien life as just another wonder that God has created in the universe.
Now we have a better idea as to the size of the known universe, you have to wonder, why would God create so many galaxies, stars, planets etc if no-one is ever even going to see them, let alone enjoy the wonder of their creation. If a God created all this, and I am certainly not going to rule that idea out, then surely there would be a reason as to why he created SO MUCH of 'it'? I would have thought the reality of alien life just gives even more glory to the power of said almighty, not in anyway challenges it?
Am I looking at this wrong? None of us can claim to really understand creation and I am open to new ideas, the question is, are the established religions and their followers as open to expanding the breadth of God's creation as I am, a steadfast agnostic? Seems weird that I am the one open to believing a God can do more than just us in this corner of this galaxy?

Gordon Mackay

 

[trainedobserver]

I think we all know the truth is that life as we know it would end abruptly with news of actual contact with an alien civilization. The collapse of the world economic system would clearly be a danger as millions stay home and pray, watch the news, or run around like chickens with their heads cut off depending on how the news is broken to them, their inner most fears bubbling to the surface. Without a doubt every system and institution would be stressed further than anyone has experienced beforehand. It would only take a few days of this to collapse things down into an unmanageable state. If trucks don't roll, people don't eat. It is just that simple.​

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Even if the initial shock wasn't that great, as time progresses and the alien culture is shared with us in some manner, their philosophies and more importantly their religions would become the Earthlings' new obsession. If not a physical then a philosophical war might arise as humanity struggles to assimilate a wholly new and wholly alien culture complete with gods, goddesses, or whatever concepts apply to their species. Old religions will die or change. New religions will spring up and worship of the aliens themselves will most likely occur at various levels.​

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The greatest danger humanity could possibly face is being discovered by something else with religious zeal and a need to proselytize or carryout cleansing for their deities. Certainly the major religions of love, peace, and light here on this planet have shown us the incredible dangers of having their emissaries show up on your shores.​

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[Ezechiel]

The greatest danger humanity could possibly face is being discovered by something else with religious zeal and a need to proselytize or carryout cleansingfor their deities. Certainly the major religions of love, peace, and light here on this planet have shown us the incredible dangers of having their emissaries show up on your shores.

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LOL, I would pay to witness this.

The ultimate role reversal which raises the following question: 'what core values would enable a civilization to evolve beyond the limitations of its home planet'

From a human perspective, the first values that you hope external visitors would understand are tolerance and empathy.

But then again, how would an out of control Hitlerian civilization that had acquired interstellar travel capabilities behave ? ... and how did we treat North American natives ?

Yin and Yang... or what goes around comes around ? Do we deserve to be well treated ? How would an alien civilization define good treatment ?

Is waterboarding really a torture ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterboarding

 

[Artyom]

I think I would agree that ET presence won't stop people from going to church, more so they will stick closer to their dogma because this is not like they are seeking answers and religion is a kind of temporary answer on their questions. No - they've already found answers and some of them will see ET as a proof that God exists, others will damn it as Satan tricks. It's a human sociology.

I think if it will happen even 10 years in future the majority of people will perceive it as the latest Spielberg / Cameron / Ridley Scott (btw - check out Prometheus trailer http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/fox/prometheus/ ) movie, as I suppose in those days to retain people's attention movies will have to as close to documentary as possible.

Jokes aside the only optimistic thought I can think of so that our encounter with a superior civilization won't result in the collapse of our civilization is that they are fully aware of what may happen with more primitive civilization and they do care.

 

[Voyager]

Whatever is traversing the sky is already having a synergistic effect on people. I'm not referring to abductions, just people who interact with it visually.

 

[trainedobserver]

Can anyone cite an instance where a lesser advanced human society who encounters a more advanced human society (usually by being discovered by their more advanced cousins) were wholly benefited by the contact without being harmed in some way? Usually with a corruption of their culture and way of life? Would alien societies bring their own strange pleasures, drugs, and entertainments as yet imaginable to us to Earth with them, corrupting our youth (ah-hem) and enslaving an addiction prone mankind with their alien hedonistic practices? Or would they be cosmic boy-scouts and choir boys spreading good deeds and clean living throughout the known universe?

 

[Voyager]

When the Spaniards and Europeans invaded they implemented a policy of genocide. Would alien invaders be as ruthless as humans?

 

[wwkirk]

If there really have been alien visitations for millenniums, then they must have a hands-off policy for the most part. Perhaps they (and there might be multiple groups) don't want to present themselves openly until we are ready. Whenever that would be.

If we use the Star Trek standard, we'll be ready when we (1) have a unified world government, and (2) have the capability of interstellar travel.