Not CT: How should we respond to alien contact? Scientists ask the public

[RKP5637]

Not CT, but questions being pondered by scientists. Eventually, some day, it will likely happen. What to say?

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/jul/01/do-you-think-that-there-is-alien-life-beyond-earth-first-contact?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0xhYk5vdGVzLTE5MDcwNQ%3D%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=LabNotes&CMP=labnotes_email

Scientists wrestling with the delicate issue of how to respond should humanity ever be contacted by an alien civilization have hit on a radical idea: a survey that asks what the public would do.

Members of the UK Seti Research Network (UKSRN) are to launch what they believe will be the largest ever survey of public attitudes towards alien contact on Monday at the Royal Society’s summer science exhibition.

The views they gather will help them shape plans for an international protocol that sets the ground rules on how organizations should share news of any signals that are detected; what sense can be made of them; and how, if at all, humans might reply.

“There is absolutely no procedure enshrined in international law on how to respond to a signal from an alien civilisation,” said Martin Dominik, an astronomer at the University of St Andrews. “We want to hear people’s views. The consequences affect more people than just scientists.”

[Brainstormy]

1. anybody who's ever watched any sci fi

knows what we'd do. We'd shoot 'em.

[RKP5637]

7. Yep, most likely! ... or maybe "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" Twilight Zone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=jlHSD6uo7Mk

[anarch]

100. there are numerous accounts of exactly that response

to just weird things in the sky (some of which turned out to be the planet Venus, the star Sirius, birds, etc.)

[zackymilly]

2. I'd like to ask aliens if they were flying the planes during the Revolutionary War. n/t

[RKP5637]

4. LOL, Yep!!!

[Mc Mike]

3. Greetings. CO2 bad. Help a brother out.

[RKP5637]

17. ... but, but one republican (maybe more) have told us great quantities of CO2 are good for us!

[Mc Mike]

24. God's gift, I'm told. Also those poor molecules are like Jews in the Holocaust.

[MineralMan]

5. Yes, because the public always comes up with the best ideas...

Oh, wait...

[RKP5637]

9. ............... Yep! Hey, maybe a vote too! That always brings out the best!

[Sneederbunk]

6. Unfortunately we will respond with fear and violence.

[RKP5637]

12. Sadly, I think that will be the response in the big picture ... and countries warring to say we are

the leaders of earth.

[Blue_true]

70. Or rightwing evangelicals stabbing everyone else in the back so that they can get raptured first. nt

[RKP5637]

72. It seems I read someplace some time ago that they said they would have to covert them to

being evangelicals. It gets more crazy all the time, doesn't it ...

[jberryhill]

91. There is no point in non-human species becoming Christians

If the aliens want redemption from sin, they'll need a Jesus for their own species.

[RKP5637]

92. I'll vote for that!!! n/t

[NewJeffCT]

8. This is the same public that gave us Boaty McBoatface

and Brexit?

[RKP5637]

13. Yeah, and that worked well! I'm scared ...

[Disaffected]

80. I thought Boaty McBoatface was actually rather clever.

The public response to what we should do upon alien contact would likely be quite another matter.

[Iggo]

87. Hey!

https://www.npr.org/2019/06/18/733759839/boaty-mcboatface-internet-adored-sub-makes-deep-sea-discovery-on-climate-change

[Firestorm49]

10. Very funny. What if they have no sense of humor? What if they are light forms?

What if they’re mechanical? What if they don’t give a crap about communicating? What, just what if they are just like snuggly Aunt Martha? (I wouldn’t trust them)

Basically, my protocol will be to tuck my head between my legs and kiss my ass goodbye.

But, at least it would take our minds off of Trump for a few minutes.

We’d like to think we’re ready to handle it, but we’re not.

[MineralMan]

11. The Space Aliens are Republicans? How Disappointing...

[RKP5637]

19. Great news!!! Then we can give them tRump as a token of peace!

[MineralMan]

20. A Capital Idea!

Maybe they can probe him to find out what is wrong with that man.

[RKP5637]

30. They would have to go pretty deep!

[RKP5637]

15. Yeah, I think (expert here, lol) it will be some energy form and probably not perceptible to

mortal humans. Only the cats will know!

[Eyeball_Kid]

14. Speciocentric hogwash.

Based upon the available evidence, extraterrestrials should have no interest in engaging in our species, as it is collectively obsessed with violence and self-destruction. They appear to be technologically advanced by degrees of magnitude and have accessed areas of physical law that our species cannot access. Humans are NOT at the top of the food chain, and we don't deserve to be. Our species is NOT on equal footing with extraterrestrials. That they would seek contact implies that our species has something of value of which extraterrestrials must request. We are fools to think it.

The US government has admitted that craft are moving about in Earth's skies, and that those craft are not man-made. We needn't spend time speculating. That verifiable fact ought to be enough.

[RKP5637]

16. One little spinning ball of dirt, and humanity is obsessed with how to kill each other off.

I can't imagine any interest in earth other than mapping or whatever. Humanity has a large ego that is way over inflated.

[lagomorph777]

78. We'd probably be an interesting topic of study, at best.

The way we study ants or slime mold.

[Buns_of_Fire]

18. If they're here to share information to help our species survive,

welcome them with open arms.

If they're here just to perform anal probes and harvest a few warm bodies for dinner, send them to the White House.

We've translated the title, sir. It says "To Serve Trump".

[RKP5637]

21. Gets my vote!!! n/t

[hlthe2b]

23. That they made it here underscores how much more advanced they are than us...

I'd say we'd best tread lightly...

[Me.]

22. Start With Hello

Followed by Welcome

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

25. Avoid eye contact

if they have no eyes, avoid all contact.

Firesign Theater

[A HERETIC I AM]

102. LOL!

No shit!

Just say, with head down...."Please don't hurt us"

I apologize for not having the Firesign Theater followup, but my oldest brother is the one in my family that knows the albums by heart!

I think it was Stephen Hawking who said something to the effect that we bloody well should hope they don't find us, because if human history is any indication, when a more advanced civilization encounters a lesser advanced one, it doesn't go very well for the latter.

[Bayard]

26. What do you mean we're blocking an interstellar highway?

Why do we need towels?

[RKP5637]

38. Yep, I keep laughing every time I think of this!

[tblue37]

27. Trump's Space Force will begin building a wall. nt

[Baclava]

28. I, for one, welcome our alien overlords

Welcome back

[RKP5637]

33. +1, n/t

[Iggo]

88. Damn straight.

[MicaelS]

29. We should be VERY careful.

If we threaten to extend our violence into space, this Earth of ours could be reduced to a burnt out cinder.

[RKP5637]

32. Yep, I think that's a distinct possibility! n/t

[elevator48]

31. Gort, Klatu barada nicto.

So they know we speak alien.

[watoos]

34. Same thing I said when I was working in a foreign country

I didn't vote for Bush, I didn't vote for Trump. I'm not a Republican.

[RKP5637]

37. Ahhhhh, but republicans lie, so one can't be sure.

[Beringia]

35. Be attentive, receptive and calm

Do not run around like a chicken with its head cut off

[RKP5637]

36. Imagine the panic ... I think sadly many will panic. n/t

[Downtown Hound]

39. Whatever we do, don't take them to our leader

No matter how many times they might ask.

[RKP5637]

45. Hmmmm ... maybe they could take him away! n/t

[lagomorph777]

79. What if they ask by name for the "Orange Douchebag?"

I say let fly low and loud in their spaceship. Then it's off to Proxima Centauri.

[Disaffected]

84. I dunno, they might get along fine with Trudeau

Especially if they speak French.

[nuxvomica]

40. I'm not worried about alien contact

Any species that can cross great distances in space learned how to because they had no natural ability to fly yet yearned to do so. Such aspirations arise more from wonder and playfulness than greed or ambition. I don't think a species that makes great advances in technology can do so without a sense of innocent curiosity and an impulse for cooperation. Despite that, of course, bad actors can commandeer the discoveries of the good, corrupting the legacy of knowledge. We worry about that because we've seen it in our own species. Perhaps the best way to prepare for the possibility of malevolent aliens would be to figure out how to neutralize the malevolent among our own species. If we can figure that one out, we can be ready for anything.

[Stuart G]

41. I am not worried either. They have already visited and decided it was unsafe.

That is the beings on this planet (Earth) are likely to blow the place up in one way or another, so instead of getting to know us and help us advance, the aliens took off and decided not to come back. Also, they notified the interagency alien association (IAA) that all other intelligent beings should avoid Earth simply because the inhabitants are much too dangerous and self destructive....

[CTyankee]

42. OTOH, maybe they would regard humans as food.

Wasn't there a TV show called "To Serve Mankind" and it turned out to be a cookbook?

[RKP5637]

49. Yeah, I remember that one well!!! n/t

[RKP5637]

50. Well said!!! "... figure out how to neutralize the malevolent among our own species." n/t

[jberryhill]

94. What do you think about species which learned to cross great distances across oceans?

[nuxvomica]

98. It's not quite the same dynamic unless they can't swim

I think the appeal of flight is rather special, and indicative of a species incentivized as much by a sense of wonder as the need to travel.

[madinmaryland]

43. I think Lee Mercer is working on this...

Eye Spy, National and International (all three).

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

44. My guess is that aliens, if they actually are out there

and inclined to stop by, will have the equivalent of a non-interference rule, as in Star Trek. So nothing to worry about.

They will probably only get in touch if we show signs of being able to leave our solar system.

[RKP5637]

48. Yeah, as long as we are confined they will likely not drop in. n/t

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

51. Interstellar distances are vaster than people seem to understand.

I know it's common wisdom here that of course there are super advanced aliens out there who visit regularly. I'm not entirely convinced, myself.

For one thing, intelligent life may have evolved far more differently from us than people might think. Spend some time thinking about what sort of technological civilization octopuses might develop, for instance. Or a hive kind of species, like wasps. Would they even be interested in travelling to other stars? Would their visual range even allow them to see stars? What would a technological intelligent species be like if it evolved on a gas giant? Or on a Europa-like planet which is entirely covered with ice? Would they even suspect there is anything outside?

[not_the_one]

59. The universe is infinite

a concept very few can grasp.

Since it is infinite, the possibilities are infinite.

Given infinity, we sure as hell aren't alone...

[Blue_true]

74. Is the Unoverse infinite? Really? Before his death Stephen Hawkings presented a paper

that is in peer review that claimed that no only is our Universe not infinite, but it is just one of many universes. The problem is that we are arrogant enough to believe we know about stuff, a lot of which we have not even began to explain in a rational way that is free of hand waving.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

95. No, it is not.

It's about 13 plus billions of years old, and is currently encompasses about 93 billion light years. Which is quite large, but not infinite.

[Blue_true]

73. They could be species that have figured out things about the galaxy and Universe that our

scientist won't begin to scrape for another thousand years. So your or my concept of what is possible within the Univers(es) would be beyond meaningless in the scope of their existence. Also, markers that we think have physical limits won't to them, so even the vastness of space to them takes on a much different tact. We really understand almost nothing about why star systems operate as they do, or why a galaxy appears to operate as a scale up of a star system, or why the universe seems to be infinitely expanding. We have explained all of that in the context of our limited understanding and we are arrogant enough to believe that there is nothing out there more knowledgeable than we are.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

96. Maybe. Maybe not.

My Son the Astronomer recently told me that currently there's a belief that the Universe is young enough that we may well be the first advanced species, at least in our galaxy.

[Disaffected]

85. The main problem here

I know it's common wisdom here that of course there are super advanced aliens out there who visit regularly. I'm not entirely convinced, myself.

is that there is absolutely no convincing empirical evidence that "aliens" have ever visited or contacted earth. A mountain of baloney (UFO sightings, stories of alien abductions, other anecdotes etc.) is no better than a slice - it is still baloney.

[hunter]

46. Once they decide what sized rock and where to drop it humans are toast.

Look what happened when they got bored with the dinosaurs:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicxulub_crater

[RKP5637]

47. Yep, time for new scenery. The human species is obsolete and too destructive! n/t

[rampartc]

52. perhaps we should politely ask

if we might have some soap and toothpaste?

[RKP5637]

54. Yeah, and maybe a spot to lie down, not on concrete. n/t

[rampartc]

56. if they have a flying saucer they are more technologically advanced

the best we can hope for is if they have a book like "to serve man."

[RKP5637]

61. Yeah, desert is being served! n/t

[SWBTATTReg]

53. I would welcome them but unfortunately, I would be drowned out by all of the nuts and others...

who have their own ideas of what to ask the aliens, etc. 'They and only They' have something more important than the rest of us, so they'll push everybody else out of the way, and try to restrict access only for themselves and no one else.

I am also disappointed by to see that some feel that the human race is doomed, our species is not worth it, etc. How disappointing in that we don't have faith in ourselves. Sure we got problems, but in what period of time of history have we not? We've gone through many different ages (bronze age, industrial age, information age, etc.) and personally, I think the best is yet to come.

Personally, I think there's some sort of non-interference clause/edict standing (both human and alien), but I just making an intelligent guess.

We haven't had our 3rd World War yet even though this was heavily predicted. We haven't been raptured yet either, when the year 2000 rolled around. We're getting somewhat better at resource management (doing more w/ less) but there are serious problems still that need to be addressed.

The accumulation of wealth into the hands of a few is probably one of the most significant concerns to be addressed. And these people responsible for this accumulation of wealth are using it too, by trying to control the political process and attempt to drive it in the direction that they desire, and not in the direction most of us want.

Rump is accelerating this trend too and it's going to backfire big time on the republicans as they have just proved in big bold type whom they are really concerned about. After all, what do they really have to worry about? They'll resign from their government jobs w/ big fat pensions, go to work at one of the Koch Brothers' companies or be a well paid lobbyist, etc. (and the cycle continues).

[RKP5637]

55. Well said!!! n/t

[hunter]

99. There are plenty of good ideas about how we can make the world a better place...

... but few are listening.

I think we ought to be paying people to experiment with lifestyles having very small environmental footprints, judging the success of these experiments in terms of happiness.

Economic "productivity" as we now define it is a direct measure of the damage we are doing to whatever remains of the earth's natural environment and our own human spirit. We should stop that.

High energy industrial consumer economies, of the sort many affluent people now enjoy, powered by "renewable" wind and solar energy are simply not possible, but that does not preclude happiness.

Nuclear power is another option some societies might find acceptable.

But even a sustainable nuclear powered economy -- fission, fusion, or otherwise -- would not resemble the fossil fueled economy now destroying us and the natural environment we evolved in.

I suspect intelligent life permeates this universe. We're not there among the intelligent... yet. The aliens are here but we don't see them.

It's probably just a few graduate students studying beetles, of which there are 400,000 species, and that one weird guy who is here to study The Beatles because his grant application was accidentally forwarded to the earth entomology department.

Earth anthropology grants are not so easy to get.

[SWBTATTReg]

109. I think that a minimalist society is coming into existence more and more every day already...

far from being the old 'hippy communes' of yesteryear, these people are moving to a zero percent landfull capabilities in their manufacturing processes and/or zero percent relying on the electric grid and / or carbon
industrial complex for transportation.

The capabilities of the solar/alternate energy sources is leaping by significant percentages year by year and records are being broken. People are fleeing their McMansions and giant houses and the markets have collapsed in attempting to sell these homes (who in the world wants these huge homes to hang around their necks in their retirement days?).

Of course this is off tropic from the original poster's ? of meeting aliens, but what the hey? Take care.

[Takket]

57. Public opinion? 1/3 of people love drumpf

In this country at least. I wouldn’t want these people to plan a barbecue let alone alien landing.

[RKP5637]

62. It's a F'en frightening place! I would love to avoid them, but they seem to be all over the place.

As one of my old professors said recently, the US is full of crackpots ... and many in between.

[USALiberal]

58. The distance is the issue. No way to get here timely. nt

[RKP5637]

64. Yep, they all decided to live in a neighborhood far far far away from us! n/t

[USALiberal]

66. Even speed of light is a long time. nt

[RKP5637]

67. Yes it is, a very long time, light years and light years. There's always folded space and all, TBD.

[Blue_true]

81. Someone pointed out about a year ago.

That is a spacecraft simply and continuously accelerated at our planet's gravitational acceleration, the spacecraft woul reach the speed of light in about 11 months.

The issue is that our understanding can't conceive of how a soacecraft would find energy that allows it to accelerate continuously. But we also don't really understand shit about what scientists insist on calling dark mass or dark energy, and we really don't understand why planets star in revolution around stars, even though those planets have all suffered violent collisions that violate the friction-free model that astronomers use to claim that it is primordial inertia gained billions of years ago that keep planets moving around stars, yet gravity itself can be viewed an friction, that the gravity of the moon affects tides on earth, that the Sun periodically strikes our planet with mass, that one of Mars' moons is slowly moving toward colliding with that planet, and we know that no planet follows a circular orbit and that every know planet in our solar system undergoes a small change in it's distance from the Sun.

[USALiberal]

83. Interesting!! Thanks! nt

[Blue_true]

76. No way within our limited understanding of forces within our Universe.

Aliens would likely have a far more comprehensive understanding of forces and as a consequence be able to master distances quickly, in a way that we can't even imagine.

[USALiberal]

77. I hope it is possible. nt

[Blue_true]

82. Really? What if they are hostile.

Fortunately, if we have been visited by aliens, none have been hostile. I would guess that a being that is vastly intelligent enough to find us would have no interest in hurting us.

[lunatica]

60. We'll all squabble like we always do

Strictly along partisan lines. It will depend on which party has a President at the time.

Reagan was dreaming when he said it would unite us.

[RKP5637]

63. Yep, I remember when he said that ... but IMO humans would try to climb one over the other to

say they were king of Earth. Of course now we have tRump, so that one's settled.

[Oneironaut]

65. Any intelligent species would not come here.

[RKP5637]

69. ... can't imagine what they would find of interest here. n/t

[Blue_true]

68. An alien contact is either going to be neutral, benevolent or hostile.

If it is the first, we may have already been visited, same with the second. If it is the later, we are fucked, regardless of how we feel about it.

[RKP5637]

71. My gut feeling is we are basically totally clueless. They could well be here ... or have been. They

would be so advanced IMO that humans would likely not comprehend anything ...

[struggle4progress]

75. It seems unlikely we'll encounter anybody else. And if we do, all our plans will get tossed.

[Iggo]

86. If they're here: Surrender. Immediately.

If they can get here, they'll eat our fucking lunch.

[RKP5637]

93. tRump will feed them his KFC!!! n/t

[MicaelS]

89. One of the BEST First Contact stories I ever read was....

In a science fiction graphic novel.

The "Alien's" ships arrive in our skies.

The Official Greeter says "Welcome to Earth!"

The "Alien" responds "Oh, we've been here before."

The "Aliens" are Africans!!!!!

[RKP5637]

90. LOL! Yep!!! Sure makes sense!!!! n/t

[scarytomcat]

97. I would say "hey Mr. spaceman take me for a ride"

[RKP5637]

107. I wanna go too!!! n/t

[Kurt V.]

101. Its very probable there is very limited life in the billion x billion planets. not an issue at all.

[MarvinGardens]

103. Ignore and do not reply.

Maybe they will think no one is here.

[MFM008]

104. I just watched

The movie 'Cloverfield'.
Aliens may not want to talk...just chew....us...

[roamer65]

105. Best to keep me away from them if they come.

I will not give our race a good review.

I would probably recommend they leave and quarantine Earth. If we try to break quarantine, then eliminate us.

[RKP5637]

108. Given humanities track record on earth, ... not recommended to others. ... quarantine Earth. Yep! nt

[Generic Brad]

106. I'd volunteer to interact with them

It would be the biggest mistake or greatest opportunity for mankind. I want a front row seat to witness the great unknown.