# Should we Phone ET?



## VanVinci (Dec 11, 2011)

*To Call or Not to Call*











I think we all recognize this iconic plaque placed on the side of the pioneer 10 spacecraft and launched in 1972. Currently Pioneer 10 is speeding out of our solar system at 12.2 km/s carrying our extraterrestrial message in a bottle into deep space.


April of last year, Sir Stephen Hawking made this widely publicized comment during a university seminar:

“If aliens visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn’t turn out well for the Native Americans.” ~ Stephen Hawking


Hollywood has certainly tapped into and projected the duality of human nature onto non-human forms.

>>A race warrior/hunters exploiting the Earth for recreational safaris.

>>A benevolent Federation of aliens adherent to a Prime Directive extending unconditional respect to newly discovered intelligent lifeforms.

Whereas, it's hard for me to imagine a method by which an intelligence could evolve from primitive pre-biotic chemicals without the vigorous competition of natural, and maybe also sexual, selection. Therefore, any intellectual enlightenment would be piled on top of primal drives and instincts as it is in the human brain. So I suppose how one would answer the basic question of should we be seeking contact with ET depends a lot on how you view human intellectual mastery over human nature.

*Should we call or not call?

And if we were to make contact with another intelligence, do you think just that knowledge would have a major impact on our global existential angst?*


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## Neon Knight (Aug 11, 2010)

As long as I don't have to pay the phone bill, why not?


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## JohnGalt (Nov 5, 2011)

We would only be able to even know whether or not we made contact if said intelligent life was relatively close to our solar system. Otherwise, since information (as far as we know) is limited by the speed of light, they may not even get a chance to reply within our lifetimes


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## ThisAnonymous (Feb 24, 2011)

Edited because I reread the OP and realized that it partially mentioned what I said.

I would recommend Carl Sagan's Contact. If you manage to read past the initial explanations of radio transmissions sent out to space towards the response of said transmissions, he goes on to illustrate the repercussions we have to consider - who would greet these beings, who would represent us, how would we describe ourselves, etc.

Anyway, the golden records sent out in space doesn't seem to have any responses so far. Considering the work that SETI might or might not be doing, it might be a bit late to decide whether or not we should call them but to prepare for who might, if at all, answer our call.


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## ThisAnonymous (Feb 24, 2011)

Tried to edit my post but I guess it doesn't work well in android. Corrections because I reread the OP and realized that it partially mentioned what I said.

I would recommend Carl Sagan's Contact. If you manage to read past the initial explanations of radio transmissions sent out to space towards the response of said transmissions, he goes on to illustrate the repercussions we have to consider - who would greet these beings, who would represent us, how would we describe ourselves, etc.

Anyway, the golden records sent out in space doesn't seem to have any responses so far. Considering the work that SETI might or might not be doing, it might be a bit late to decide whether or not we should call them but to prepare for who might, if at all, answer our call.


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## MachinegunDojo (Dec 27, 2009)

I really don't think EM communications are the thing to use for communications to other civilizations, plus even our strongest communications are drastically weakened by the extreme distances involved. Think of how far our own star might be seen 1000ly away and then think of how feeble of a signal we could possibly output in comparison. Is it even likely someone nearby could hear our transmissions if they knew where to look? Obviously a more advanced civilization could but could we pick out these signals if they ever replied?

Some people say that as a civilization grows it will out grow it's childish ways and be a more "civilized" people. I call BS on that by looking at ourselves. We will always be warlike until we change ourselves on the genetic level or further, and even that I doubt holds any guarantee other than maybe toward ourselves. 

I would like to meet a kind civilization that will help us grow and not become our overlords or kill us all, but I just don't see it happening. Take the Vulcans from Star Trek, that shit would piss me off, but then again at least they didn't decide it was more logical to wipe us out than to include another warlike species in the cosmos.


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## Angelic Gardevoir (Oct 7, 2010)

I think we would be making a big gamble. On the one hand, the aliens we may find might be peaceful and are as curious about us as we are about them. On the other hand, Stephen Hawking could be very much right.

Interesting that you put up the Pioneer plaque. I actually don't think that any aliens could decode the thing, though, since they wouldn't know what the symbols mean. Looking up the information put on this plaque, how would aliens be able to figure out that that's supposed to be a hydrogen atom? And what if they don't use a binary numerical system? A lot of thought was put into it, to be sure, but I think the only thing that any intelligent life could deduce is that the creatures on the plaque may have made this.


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## orphansparrow (Dec 10, 2011)

*Should we call or not call? *yes - definitely!
* 
And if we were to make contact with another intelligence, do you think just that knowledge would have a major impact on our global existential angst?

*Yes, I do think it would have a major impact. I think as a whole, we may be a bit humbled by the proven existence of alien life. I think it would make us feel more unsure than we already are - about life, our place in the universe, and what it means to be human. And I think a little more humility would be a good thing.
*
*


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## whisperycat (Aug 9, 2009)

*Inviting disaster*

Try to imagine the reaction of the unwashed public if ants suddenly started to communicate their demands for recognition as an intelligent species


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## Tristan427 (Dec 9, 2011)

Yes, but when? I think we should attempt contact once we are advanced enough to defend ourselves.

If the world doesn't end before then. XD


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## RobynC (Jun 10, 2011)

I don't see any good that can come out of it. I may not agree with Stephen Hawking on everything, but I think he could very well be right here.


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## Aether (Apr 27, 2010)

Considering first contact will be the best or worst thing that'd happen to our species and we have no way of determining which it'd be, your quesiton of course comes to: should we gamble our dominance of this planet for extreme advancements in all areas of human life? That's not a gamble worth making right now I don't think so no. If it were up to me I'd wait until we had the technology to send/recieve messages without giving our position away to be on the safe side. 

As others have mentioned, using radio waves like SETI are doing seems pretty pointless, SOL is just too slow...Even if there were any alien ships near enough to send a message back in less than 100's of years, what makes us think such an advanced species would use a form of communication we discovered in the 19th century and that's so obviously impractical in space? Then again I guess they wouldn't have funding if it was as pointless as I think it is.



RobynC said:


> *I don't see any good that can come out of it.* I may not agree with Stephen Hawking on everything, but I think he could very well be right here.


If they're intelligent enough to get here and they mean well the benefits would be enourmous. We could skip centuries to millenia of technological and cultural advancement. Of course that raises the question; why would they bother? Maybe they've reached the apex of their civilisation and have nothing better left to do but teach others what they've learnt? Optimistic yes, but possible.


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## GentleChaos (Jan 21, 2012)

I do not believe that any harm would come to us from making contact with ETs, in the earths history the more advanced as a race that we have become the less hostile toward one another we have become, remember when fighting to the death in a collusseum was entertainment...

Also in order for our race to make the advances it requires many minds working together, one mind diddnt put man on the moon, life teaches us in order to achieve great things you must work together to achieve a common goal, intergalactic travel would most certainly not be possible with a race that is hostile.


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## DeductiveReasoner (Feb 25, 2011)

I think we should call. Honestly, I don't think humans will ever be satisfied until we know what's really out there. Our race as a whole has that dying need to know, that insatiable curiosity that lingers at the back of our minds, pushing us forward into the unknown. This curiosity has taken us to new continents, new lands, the bottom of the ocean. Why should we limit ourselves to the skies? There were negative effects of Columbus's expeditions, but compared to what we have now, wouldn't you agree that the end result is for the best?

Denying our curiosity by not calling would be the most unhuman thing to do. And why should we deny ourselves the joy of discovery, dangerous as it may be?


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