The real danger with first contact

OK... go easy on me... i don’t often post on the Aliens and UFO area... but i come in peace


I've been thinking about this recently, the whole issue of first contact, what is the real danger??...

We often hear about aliens with ray guns, or evil little microbes that will infect our brains and take over... but is that the real danger with first contact?

I would like to think that a race of creatures that have the ability to traverse the vast distances of space and time would have evolved their ethics along with their spaceships

Well at least that’s my optimistic view point...

My biggest fear would be OUR reaction!! How would the Human race respond??

A race that cannot even get along with its own kind!! If we can attack people for having different colour skin, different belief systems, and/or different cultures, how will we react to tentacles?!?! (joke about the tentacles but you get my point)

I believe that the biggest danger we might face would be our own reaction... Panic, fear, anger, aggression etc...

Maybe that is the reason why they haven’t announced themselves... maybe they are on some kind of alien safari... watching with interest the primitive human creatures as they destroy themselves!

Just my thoughts anyway... sorry if you have already discussed this a million times... but like i said, i don’t often visit here





[edit on 14-2-2010 by Muckster]

reply to post by Muckster


My biggest fear with first contact is that I would find it difficult to have a deep conversation with an extraterrestrial while my neighbour is trying to behead it/him/her with a shovel because he is of the religious persuasion and has therefore decided it is a demon that needs a serious dose of righteous slaughtering.

I am not worried or concerned that I might run screaming into the night because I think I am quite calm and collected under stress but that said, an extraterrestrial sliding rubber gloves onto spade sized hands while looking at me with intent could have me running for the tree line while curing me of any constipation I might have had prior.

Just joking, I know the dangers with first contact is varied but one I have thought about often because I hike in the Scottish highlands with only a dog for company - is that perhaps we are kept in the dark because the truth of the visitations are dangerous to us. A real and present danger could explain why in the age of supercomputers, complex databases and highly accurate GPS, that there are no consistent and in-depth missing person’s databases outside the United States that I am aware of (mmmm).

Perhaps the danger is real and perhaps every time we go off into the night alone and unprepared for such a danger we are noticed high above by unseen forces. Having no idea of such a threat if we are really unlucky we may risk ending up a human mutilation statistic?

That said if I see a landed space ship or a furtive ET in a hedgerow I will still bite the bullet and ask him if he would like a cup of tea or put his feet up for a bit in front of the fire. I live with the hope that though unfortunately we all live in and play a role within a predatory society that just maybe an outer society if it exists is much more enlightened and compassionate due to many more years of evolution and growth.





[edit on 14-2-2010 by SmokeJaguar67]

I know what you mean.The age of innocence would be gone forever.Im sure some crack pots would worship them like god.

MY short answer:

When looking at history. how has it turned out when a more advanced civilisation meets a less advanced one?

reply to post by K-Raz


Yes very true indeed...but that is using humans as the ethical and moral foundation for that statement...

My hope is that not all creatures would follow the same destructive and greedy patterns as us...

I do realise I’m probably being a little naive

I think the real problem is that people tend to "humanise" aliens. In other words we imagine that aliens would have the same traits as us. Sure they'll look different and probably be vastly more intelligent. But will they feel the things we do? Will they be capable of feeling love? Fear? Sadness? Joy? Guilt? There feelings and thought processes may be vastly different to our own. When it comes to the otherworldly there is really no way to know for certain, short of sitting down and asking an ET when the day of First Contact finally comes. Looks just hope they're interested in talking...

[edit on 14-2-2010 by Random_Hero10]

Good questions. I wonder how the media would spin it. Would the aliens be in cahoots with the gov. who in return would be in cahoots with the big corporations who in turn would want it all played down to keep their shareholders happy and keep the stock markets making money.

Or would the media be all paranoid and keep the fear mongering going. I don't know, could play out both ways but I think the powers will have their hands in the cookie jar with "them".

The poor aliens trying to figure out why we do the stupid things we do, say one thing and do another, shoot somebody then call and ambulance, lie, cheat, steal, let people die, smoke drink ourselves to death, greed, money, the list goes on.

Seriously, I think they would see us as a big class of grade 3'ers on the play ground at recess, bullying each other, spitting on each other, spreading gossip and you know acting like spoiled brats.

[edit on 14-2-2010 by sparrowstail]

reply to post by Muckster


I suppose if we, modern humans, had the opportunity ` to visit` early man , we would probably give them a wide berth too .... and observe .


Another point ...

Our presumption that a technologically `advanced` race , capable of traversing great distances- earning some semblance of group cohesion in the process, may prove faulty .

For all our advancements, albeit over a relatively short span,we are still more than capable of the ugliest of barbarism.


For technological advancement we need only stand on the shoulders of relatively few giants ....
For social/ethical/moral advancement ..... we need a substantial sustained contribution from everybody.

Just some really random thoughts here Muckster !

Forgot where I heard this, but " The greatest evidence that intelligent life exists in the universe, is the fact that they havent made contact."

why would we be able to make contact to an ET ...

maybe its not possible, just because we are humanoid that doesnt mean aliens are humanoids too, maybe they are so small our eyes cant see

u get the point .... I really think its very low the probability for us to find an alien race to communicate to properly ... they would be a lot of different

this is not mass effect game, this is life ... I doubt everyone is at our size, with our characteristics

the only way for it to be possible would be if we were made by them, to look like them ... so ...

Originally posted by Faiol
why would we be able to make contact to an ET ...

maybe its not possible, just because we are humanoid that doesnt mean aliens are humanoids too, maybe they are so small our eyes cant see

u get the point .... I really think its very low the probability for us to find an alien race to communicate to properly ... they would be a lot of different

this is not mass effect game, this is life ... I doubt everyone is at our size, with our characteristics

the only way for it to be possible would be if we were made by them, to look like them ... so ...

Of course .... you make a very good point .
There are so many variables which ultimately shaped our species , expecting anything akin to ourselves may be a long shot.

The only thing i could imagine is that possibly successful systems of organisation may /do repeat themselves through the universe .

Again , i am just getting into the spirit of mucksters OP ..... having a little fun speculating .

Originally posted by Muckster


My biggest fear would be OUR reaction!! How would the Human race respond??

A race that cannot even get along with its own kind!! If we can attack people for having different colour skin, different belief systems, and/or different cultures, how will we react to tentacles?!?! (joke about the tentacles but you get my point)

I believe that the biggest danger we might face would be our own reaction... Panic, fear, anger, aggression etc...

I think you pretty much summed it up here.... we cannot even treat other humans with respect if their skin/religion/gender/country/football team/whatever is different.

The tribal mentallity of humans is not something that is going to change overnight, so I wont be holding my breath in anticipation at seeing them any time soon.

[edit on 14-2-2010 by Shambles]

One danger would be of the biological nature. In War of the Worlds, the aliens were destroyed by an illness that humans carry. Well, the same could happen to us. They could be carrying some kind of sickness that we have no cure for or immunity to.

" We often hear about aliens with ray guns, or evil little microbes that will infect our brains and take over... but is that the real danger with first contact? "

I would personally fear either bacterial contamination from us to them, or vice versa. But ignoring that I would worry that the first travelers might be militant in their reason for being here [religious or just wanting to control us]. But an even more likely event is that some humans would see them as devils or demons, and fear them, and in an attempt to stop the demons they would attack the aliens. Leading to... sad thought.

If they came here in Generational Ships - where they lived their lives on the way here, I'd trust them more than if it was a Group that had been frozen. Why - because a group that had been frozen has less investment in getting here. And thus might be more likely to be some kind of extremists group. Where as those living in a ship, might prefer living in space and have less of a desire to colonize Earth.

But how would we feel if they wanted to colonize Mars or... or could they terraform Mars, and then share it with us. Thus reducing the risk of bacteria or viruses having their way with us and them.

We all have an offer I just discovered, please withhold judgement and take it seriously. I don't have anything more on the topic to report other than what I just read, so I may not be following up on this too much, but I do consider it serious enough to post here. I also recommend lengthy investigation of the base site.

educate-yourself.org...

Investigate Project Blue Beam and Sylphs while you are there. I'd follow up with investigations into how the secret societies divided and conquered scientific understanding to form present-day university level protocols, and how they effectively even control the psycology behind science (by the epistomological yardstick of our own perceptions, not the truth as it stands, discarding all considerations ). To view as a doubting Thomas, constantly seeking immediate proofs, is to approach matters in a demented state.

Try this one out ...

www.conspiracyarchive.com...

Originally posted by Muckster
OK... go easy on me... i don’t often post on the Aliens and UFO area... but i come in peace

I've been thinking about this recently, the whole issue of first contact, what is the real danger??...

We often hear about aliens with ray guns, or evil little microbes that will infect our brains and take over... but is that the real danger with first contact?

I would like to think that a race of creatures that have the ability to traverse the vast distances of space and time would have evolved their ethics along with their spaceships

Well at least that’s my optimistic view point...

My biggest fear would be OUR reaction!! How would the Human race respond??

A race that cannot even get along with its own kind!! If we can attack people for having different colour skin, different belief systems, and/or different cultures, how will we react to tentacles?!?! (joke about the tentacles but you get my point)

I believe that the biggest danger we might face would be our own reaction... Panic, fear, anger, aggression etc...

Maybe that is the reason why they haven’t announced themselves... maybe they are on some kind of alien safari... watching with interest the primitive human creatures as they destroy themselves!

Just my thoughts anyway... sorry if you have already discussed this a million times... but like i said, i don’t often visit here

[edit on 14-2-2010 by Muckster]

Our main problem would be the worlds reaction. We think of ourselves as top-dog for so long i wonder how we would react when we get knocked off our pedestal. I would presume mass fear, panic, and violence.

Anytime the aliens want to sit down and chat I'm glad to accommodate them. I would find it very interesting to meet them. They are welcome to say hello at any time so long as they do not have predatory interests in me. I certainly don't have any towards them. If they call ahead, I'll be glad to book em a room, order their favorite pizza, whatever.

It is, however, perfectly natural and integral with our survival instincts to be suspicious of strangers that may pose a risk. After all, you never know whether the alien you're talking to just got of shift doing some cattle mutilations or human abductions. Since those things are pretty much undeniable from my POV it makes sense to be cautions. The vibes of the person and intuition would play a large role. Hopefully, fear or phobia would not overrule. If the aliens where good, they would probably also understand an approach accordingly.

Originally posted by K-Raz
MY short answer:

When looking at history. how has it turned out when a more advanced civilisation meets a less advanced one?

Well, the Greeks got beat up by the Romans. But that's an exception.

Imagine the governments of the world coming out and saying "We are not alone, they have visited us". Then the first journalist asking "so the crackpots posting about abductions have been right and you have been lying". As much as I hate to say it, the problem is the world right now relies on their governments to protect them. How do you tell all the civilians of the world "You may be abducted tonight, I don't believe they will hurt you too bad, but we can't protect you."

Good inquiry though Muckster.

And since you are pretty good about replying to the posters. Who is that on your avatar. Looks like John Goodman to me but I ain't sure.

[edit on 26-3-2010 by ventian]

What is contact exactly? we keep imposing a human mindset on alien life..which is understandable because it's the only thing we know. While i can't say for certain i am sure an intelligent alien species does not think in any way like humans. We could have a 100,000 page thread on ATS giving opinions on how alien life thinks and we would all be wrong, simply because we are human. So i really don't buy into the whole egotistical contact hullabaloo.

[edit on 26-3-2010 by Solomons]