I agree with you, Pyrrho, though perhaps for not the same reasons.
I personally like the so-called Star Trek Explanation - or at least a variation of it.
Most people here will be aware of the Prime Directive, a moral idea of Star Trek that forbids interfering in the development of a lesser civilization. While it may be argued that it is impossible to predict alien ethics, it may be easier to predict their practical concerns. What does an alien civilization capable of interstellar travel have to gain with contact with our civilization? Certainly not resources. No intelligent lifeforms capable of interstellar travel needs planets to live on. If you have the practical means to bridge the enormous distances between stars, you also have the means to build artificial habitats from asteroids capable of supporting your needs exactly. You already have all the practical things you need. Even arguing against this, if you want Earth, you will take it. Science fiction aside, we would have zero capability of resisting an interstellar-capable civilization from taking this planet if they wanted it.
An alien civilization may have scientific curiosity about us - even after viewing videos of The Three Stooges. Hell, they might even develop a fan-like appreciation of us. But they will be smart enough to realize that they will fuck us up royally if they reveal themselves to us at this point in our development. It will ruin their observations. And if they don't want to be known. they will not be known. This is the part that stuns me about the UFO crowd. Do you really think an alien civilization capable of interstellar travel would have any trouble concealing themselves from us? And if they didn't want to conceal themselves, wouldn't their presence be as obvious as elephant shit in a rose garden?
I personally like the so-called Star Trek Explanation - or at least a variation of it.
Most people here will be aware of the Prime Directive, a moral idea of Star Trek that forbids interfering in the development of a lesser civilization. While it may be argued that it is impossible to predict alien ethics, it may be easier to predict their practical concerns. What does an alien civilization capable of interstellar travel have to gain with contact with our civilization? Certainly not resources. No intelligent lifeforms capable of interstellar travel needs planets to live on. If you have the practical means to bridge the enormous distances between stars, you also have the means to build artificial habitats from asteroids capable of supporting your needs exactly. You already have all the practical things you need. Even arguing against this, if you want Earth, you will take it. Science fiction aside, we would have zero capability of resisting an interstellar-capable civilization from taking this planet if they wanted it.
An alien civilization may have scientific curiosity about us - even after viewing videos of The Three Stooges. Hell, they might even develop a fan-like appreciation of us. But they will be smart enough to realize that they will fuck us up royally if they reveal themselves to us at this point in our development. It will ruin their observations. And if they don't want to be known. they will not be known. This is the part that stuns me about the UFO crowd. Do you really think an alien civilization capable of interstellar travel would have any trouble concealing themselves from us? And if they didn't want to conceal themselves, wouldn't their presence be as obvious as elephant shit in a rose garden?
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
