Beware alien invaders, says Stephen Hawking

[American Patriot]

Beware alien invaders, says Stephen Hawking

Emma Woollacott | Mon 26th Apr 2010, 03:05 am


They say strangers are just friends you haven't met yet - but it's not a view Stephen Hawking shares. In a new documentary series for the Discovery channel, he suggests that we should be avoiding making contact with aliens at all costs.
Life, he suggests, is likely to be widespread in the universe, though the odds are that most of it will take the form of microbes or simple animals. But if there is more developed life, we should be careful.


"One piece of advice that Professor Hawking doesn't mind sharing is the less-popular notion that it might be better if we kept our location a secret rather than being so anxious to make contact," says Discovery.


"Reaching out to the stars with our messages of curiosity and peace may only make it easier for an advanced alien mining operation to stake a claim on Earth. First contact would be a much better proposition if we can wait until we are on more equal terms."


Hawking compares making contact with alien species with Native Americans' first contact with Christopher Columbus - which didn't turn out brilliantly for the Native Americans.


"I imagine they might exist in massive ships... having used up all the resources from the planet below," Professor Hawking says.


"Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads looking to conquer and colonise whatever planets they could reach. If so, it makes sense for them to exploit each new planet for materials to build more spaceships so they could move on."


Professor Hawking suggests that one massive source of energy available to advanced alien civilizations would be the ability to tap and concentrate the radiant energy of stars with an array of planet-size collectors.


You can see a clip of some of the alien conceptions from Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking, here.

[American Patriot]

"Reaching out to the stars with our messages of curiosity and peace may only make it easier for an advanced alien mining operation to stake a claim on Earth. First contact would be a much better proposition if we can wait until we are on more equal terms."

Yeah, me and Hawking have the same theory on that. Exactly. Guess he's been reading my shit again.

[Luke]

The Hawking/Donaldson brain trust, now that my friends is frightening!

[Segestan]

Well I would like to add to this topic. Professor Hawking might , that is a big may be correct that some species exist on such a technological plain or stage of advancement, but this would be a tiny minority at best considering the supposed vast reaches of space. However in my view he is wrong. I would expect that such an advanced race of creatures that could traverse large distances in space would do so by having advanced nano-technologies. They would build on the atomic level , no need to mine or be in want of anything. They would simply create what they need out of the atomic universe, a god like ability. This race would , in my view, see the human condition as we would a fish in a bowl... weak and struggling , only for observation. now I'm not suggesting the universe is full of intelligent space travelers , only that those that reach the distant space most likely would not do so as creatures in need.
I know it's off the deep end here but what the heck... there is a secret of the earth and universe that is not revealed. Earth is a spiritual place .. literally. To come to earth means to enter a spiritual realm. It's not as simple as traveling from one planet to the next.
just saying my opinion.

Thanks.

[Malsua]

I read a series of science fiction books a while ago and one of the key issues of the books was that only creatures during a certain period of development will randomly radiate EM into space. Truly advanced civilizations will shield these emissions specifically for the reasons listed in this thread. One other interesting component was that warlike advanced beings will set up a honey pot on a tar baby. Basically they lure you into their EM and trap you there so they can pick over your corpse while simultaneously hiding their true civilization.

[American Patriot]

The Hawking/Donaldson brain trust, now that my friends is frightening!

hahaha

Actually, Carl Sagan was a Liberal Friend of mine.

Well, I'd say friend is a bit strong, we were in a love-hate relationship.

I loved his science, most of the time, but hated when he got it wrong and told him so. He literally refused to sign a book once ("Contact") after a speech he gave in DC that I went to because I'd made a "rude" comment (I disagreed with something he'd said)...

We wrote letters back and forth for a few years after that until he finally relented and said "Ok, you win, you're right...."

[American Patriot]

I tend to agree with Mal and Segestan on this.

There's a lot of possibilities though - and Hawking's idea of a nomadic race of creatures sucking up resources is probably the BEST idea though... it was actually used in the "Independence Day" movie and is highly plausible.

Why? Because once you leave your home world en-mass you aren't going back any time soon. You become space-creatures.

Unless travel is "Star-trek-like" you're not going to have an intrepid band of people wandering the galaxy checking everyone out.

Then nanotechnology is likely the best option of all.

[zenbudda]

hahaha

Actually, Carl Sagan was a Liberal Friend of mine.

Well, I'd say friend is a bit strong, we were in a love-hate relationship.

I loved his science, most of the time, but hated when he got it wrong and told him so. He literally refused to sign a book once ("Contact") after a speech he gave in DC that I went to because I'd made a "rude" comment (I disagreed with something he'd said)...

We wrote letters back and forth for a few years after that until he finally relented and said "Ok, you win, you're right...."

Are you serious? You communicated with Carl Sagan?

[zenbudda]

I tend to agree with Mal and Segestan on this.

There's a lot of possibilities though - and Hawking's idea of a nomadic race of creatures sucking up resources is probably the BEST idea though... it was actually used in the "Independence Day" movie and is highly plausible.

Why? Because once you leave your home world en-mass you aren't going back any time soon. You become space-creatures.

Unless travel is "Star-trek-like" you're not going to have an intrepid band of people wandering the galaxy checking everyone out.

Then nanotechnology is likely the best option of all.

You know what would be interesting? A combination of nano-technology and Honey I Shrunk the Kids. Running out of resources? Shrink people/animals.

[American Patriot]

Are you serious? You communicated with Carl Sagan?

Yep. I communicated with he and Asimov on a regular basis. Sagan was a kind of friendly enemy of mine I disagreed with his politics and he mine. We discussed things often in letters. He was out spoken about some environmental things - and tended to think that humans were screwing things up.

On the other hand he was a strong believer in people studying science and space (among other things). He'd be livid about the Obama administration basically closing down Space to America.

Asimov was actually a long time and regular visitor to my original BBS. So was Sagan. (AppleVenture ][ was the BBS. Dial up).

[Segestan]

In regards to Alien life and nano-tech , it is very possible that a race that has developed nano-tech is not sending real living creatures into the vastness of space(time) therefore they could travel endless distances as these space astronauts would themselves be created nano devices, self replicating machines.

[zenbudda]

Yep. I communicated with he and Asimov on a regular basis. Sagan was a kind of friendly enemy of mine I disagreed with his politics and he mine. We discussed things often in letters. He was out spoken about some environmental things - and tended to think that humans were screwing things up.

On the other hand he was a strong believer in people studying science and space (among other things). He'd be livid about the Obama administration basically closing down Space to America.

Asimov was actually a long time and regular visitor to my original BBS. So was Sagan. (AppleVenture ][ was the BBS. Dial up).

i'm stunned! what a family treasure chest you must have. letters from asimov and sagan showing their thoughts on life!? amazing.

[American Patriot]

Ummm actually... back in those days, I didn't keep much. LOL!

I don't think I have any letters from him left, and Asimov I mostly chatting with via text chat on the BBS.

Over the years we've had a flood and some stuff was destroyed by CATS.... that liked to pee on things. So, who knows? I might still have something left, but I'm doubtful of that.

[zenbudda]

sounds like you lead a rich life.