Alien conquistadores?

[jedidia]

But why? What do we, or an alien society less advanced than ourselves, have to offer? This isn't the Wild West, it's space.

The only viable way to make it happen would probably be a mcguffin (like Avatar's unobtainium). And even in fiction, it doesn't make sense.

As far as humans are concerned, the sole prospect of something to be gained is enough. That something doesn't even have to be found on their world itself. It might be a welcome distraction for domestic problems. If there is population pressure, there WILL be war, no matter how far advanced a society (at least where humans are concerned, where the rule that the IQ of a mass is that of its dumbest member divided by two applies without mercy). If kicking some aliens but is the only way of a gouvernement to satisfy a raging mob at home that isn't really interested in any plausible facts, they'll do it.

It might happen the other way around, also.

Now, I don't want to be overly pessimistic here. Unless there pops up a reason for one of the two to step into closer relations than just stretching of their fingers in a fancy way, things would probably go smoothely. As soon as there is envy, greed or fear involved, things go to hell. At least as far as humans are concerned. And they get afraid awfully fast. Or can be made afraid awfully fast, should anyone have an interest in it.

I guess my point is, if their psychology works anything like ours, we're screwed...

 

[T.Neo]

As far as humans are concerned, the sole prospect of something to be gained is enough. That something doesn't even have to be found on their world itself. It might be a welcome distraction for domestic problems.

Sooo... sending a manned mission to Pluto would be a "welcome distraction from domestic problems". I wonder why we aren't doing it.

If there is population pressure, there WILL be war, no matter how far advanced a society (at least where humans are concerned, where the rule that the IQ of a mass is that of its dumbest member divided by two applies without mercy).

Why? Sending large amounts of people to another star system is probably not desirable nor easy. Unless we should just "start a war because we want to", which doesn't check out in reality.

If kicking some aliens but is the only way of a gouvernement to satisfy a raging mob at home that isn't really interested in any plausible facts, they'll do it.

And who's to say the raging mob will be after aliens?

They're usually raging after more mundane, nearby things.

There isn't large support for space colonisation, for example, which would be a good idea (as opposed to just going to war with someone, a bad idea). Fair enough in that it's not as exciting as an alien species, but still.

And they get afraid awfully fast.

Oh sure, and there's bound to be a large amount of fear in such a scenario.

But people (or at least humans) still act rationally in times of fear. Nuclear threats in the cold war are an example.

I guess my point is, if their psychology works anything like ours, we're screwed...

If that is indeed the case, we really are screwed...

 

[Enjo]

AFAIK German rocket scientists were given an offer they couldn't refuse by the US to work for them after the US took over. Wernher von Braun was even happy that he could continue working on his rockets, so modern rocketry partly uses the same German ideas as those from WWII.

Sorry for offtopic and bumping in the same post, but just for historical correctness - my father and grandfather told me that the Soviets also borrowed some brainpower back then.

 

[Andy44]

Sorry for offtopic and bumping in the same thread, but just for historical correctness - my father and grandfather told me that the Soviets also borrowed some brainpower back then.

Yes, there was a humorous line in the movie The Right Stuff in which Vice President Lyndon Johnson complains about the early Soviet lead in the space race, saying, "I thought you told me our German rocket scientists are better than their's?":lol:

 

[Unstung]

Hawking and Alien Contact

MOD NOTE: THIS POST MERGED FROM ANOTHER THREAD.

I'm surprised this hasn't been posted on this forum (unless I missed it):
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100425/sc_afp/scienceastronomyextraterrestrialhawking
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/space/article7107207.ece
For the new Discovery show.

But why would such advanced civilizations want to have any involvement with such a primitive one?
Such advanced civilizations would need to go to this occupied planet for resources?


EDIT: I'm blind, how'd I miss this thread?