SquiddyCracker
Banned
Hands up if you think there are space-faring alien species or alien species with space-faring capabilities out there.
Then I'd like you to ponder the following passage from The Killing Star by Charles Pellegrino and George Zebrowski:
What is our planet doing?
We're sending out probes explaining who we are and probably giving away our location in the process, if that hasn't already been done by all the broadcasts that is emitted from our planet all the time.
It might pay off to send out a friendly message as we're simply incapable of containing all the stuff that might be picked up by aliens, so we might as well gamble on them being friendly.
On the other hand, they might not be friendly - and all we've been doing is making it easier for hostile species to find us.
Maybe there aren't any aliens out there.
Or maybe, they are out there and might come to destroy our planet, or just slingshot a planet destroying asteroid our way.
The scary thing is that it could happen tomorrow.
Then I'd like you to ponder the following passage from The Killing Star by Charles Pellegrino and George Zebrowski:
We ask that you try just one more thought experiment. Imagine yourself taking a stroll through Manhattan, somewhere north of 68th street, deep inside Central Park, late at night. It would be nice to meet someone friendly, but you know that the park is dangerous at night. That's when the monsters come out. There's always a strong undercurrent of drug dealings, muggings, and occasional homicides.
It is not easy to distinguish the good guys from the bad guys. They dress alike, and the weapons are concealed. The only difference is intent, and you can't read minds.
Stay in the dark long enough and you may hear an occasional distance shriek or blunder across a body.
How do you survive the night? The last thing you want to do is shout, "I'm here!" The next to last thing you want to do is reply to someone who shouts, "I'm a friend!"
What you would like to do is find a policeman, or get out of the park. But you don't want to make noise or move towards a light where you might be spotted, and it is difficult to find either a policeman or your way out without making yourself known. Your safest option is to hunker down and wait for daylight, then safely walk out.
There are, of course, a few obvious differences between Central Park and the universe.
There is no policeman.
There is no way out.
And the night never ends.
What is our planet doing?
We're sending out probes explaining who we are and probably giving away our location in the process, if that hasn't already been done by all the broadcasts that is emitted from our planet all the time.
It might pay off to send out a friendly message as we're simply incapable of containing all the stuff that might be picked up by aliens, so we might as well gamble on them being friendly.
On the other hand, they might not be friendly - and all we've been doing is making it easier for hostile species to find us.
Maybe there aren't any aliens out there.
Or maybe, they are out there and might come to destroy our planet, or just slingshot a planet destroying asteroid our way.
The scary thing is that it could happen tomorrow.