Discovering Inferior Life Forms

[theSOURCE]

It never ceases to amuse me how so many people instantly assume that an alien species visiting us must have a mentality similar to our own. It's like asking a person to speculate what an alien might be like, and the first thing they do is hold up a mirror and look at their own reflection.

It goes without saying that they would recognize us as a species which has made technological advances. But what most people don't stop to consider is that our notions of morality, social structure, philosophy, and just our general outlook on life may be totally -- if you'll pardon the expression -- alien to them.

Until they do finally show up, we'll just go on imagining them as characters in Star Trek or Star Wars or some other "human" interpretation of an alien species.

[No Censorship]

It never ceases to amuse me how so many people instantly assume that an alien species visiting us must have a mentality similar to our own. It's like asking a person to speculate what an alien might be like, and the first thing they do is hold up a mirror and look at their own reflection.

It goes without saying that they would recognize us as a species which has made technological advances. But what most people don't stop to consider is that our notions of morality, social structure, philosophy, and just our general outlook on life may be totally -- if you'll pardon the expression -- alien to them.

Until they do finally show up, we'll just go on imagining them as characters in Star Trek or Star Wars or some other "human" interpretation of an alien species.

It's a safe bet. It's fun to speculate, though. It's easier to speculate when the aliens, in our fantasies, resemble us in some way, be it physical or spiritual. This portrayal of them satisfies us more than an actual alien probably would (picturing an amorphous blob with some kind of sentience as dull as dirt).

[psyche101]

It never ceases to amuse me how so many people instantly assume that an alien species visiting us must have a mentality similar to our own. It's like asking a person to speculate what an alien might be like, and the first thing they do is hold up a mirror and look at their own reflection.

It goes without saying that they would recognize us as a species which has made technological advances. But what most people don't stop to consider is that our notions of morality, social structure, philosophy, and just our general outlook on life may be totally -- if you'll pardon the expression -- alien to them.

Until they do finally show up, we'll just go on imagining them as characters in Star Trek or Star Wars or some other "human" interpretation of an alien species.

Damn straight, just look at the trouble we have communicating across seas! Has anyone here done the old translate to Chinese and back to english with Google?

Eg.

I want steak for tea.

我想牛排茶。

I want steaks tea.

And then we have culture, the US soldiers simply did not believe that a Pilot would so so crazy as to deliberately crash his plan into a target and give his life for the victory of his Emperor. But I hope they are good looking. Some T Pol's would not be turned back at the door.

[psyche101]

this may be going way off the topic of Extraterrestrial Life, but basically it's "music these days, call that music, wasn't like that in my day"? What do you say to the observations i made above, that it was the older generation that was responsible for bringing dictators to power and for carrying out the most atrocious crimes against humanity, however moral their music may have been? In what ways do you see the Youth of Today as being morally bankrupt, and in what ways do you see the Older Generation as being morally superior?

You could leave milk money on your doorstep, and in the morning there would be fresh milk. Try doing that today.

[psyche101]

We always see superior extraterrestrials in pop culture. They're years ahead of us in science and technology, and we look like Dark Age or Stone Age people in comparison. What if we went to a planet in the future, and its population was comprised of humans who were like people from our distant past (any time from prehistory to 1950)? What would the interaction between us be like?

We had the ability to travel to the strs back in the late 50's/early 60's. It is recognised that the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty ended the Orion Project - LINK - as it used nuclear propulsion, and there were fears of fallout heading back to earth. Had it gone ahead, we might possibly be approaching Alpha Centauri soon. Who knows, the motto was "Saturn by 1970". I often wonder if other species went down this path and decided to try it. And indeed, why do we never, ever see or hear of Aliens at this level of development? Why are saucers only stealthy little sports models with cloaking devices? Why no loud ugly clunky polluting spaceships?

It might be nice to have some retro aliens for a change, but then again, aliens with lesser technology are going to be a whole deal harder to explain. So much easier when one can simply ascribe the unknown to a higher power.

[Space Commander Travis]

It never ceases to amuse me how so many people instantly assume that an alien species visiting us must have a mentality similar to our own. It's like asking a person to speculate what an alien might be like, and the first thing they do is hold up a mirror and look at their own reflection.

It goes without saying that they would recognize us as a species which has made technological advances. But what most people don't stop to consider is that our notions of morality, social structure, philosophy, and just our general outlook on life may be totally -- if you'll pardon the expression -- alien to them.

Until they do finally show up, we'll just go on imagining them as characters in Star Trek or Star Wars or some other "human" interpretation of an alien species.

I very much agree. People often (for instance) argue that they (the ETs) would consider it "rude" to be "spied upon" by probes, and that there's some Universal Right to Privacy (presumably decided by the United Federation of Planets). Well, if that isn't anthropromorphism, I don't know what is.

Edited April 5, 2013 by Colonel Rhuairidh

[No Censorship]

Damn straight, just look at the trouble we have communicating across seas! Has anyone here done the old translate to Chinese and back to english with Google?

Eg.

I want steak for tea.

我想牛排茶。

I want steak tea

Sadly, many American high school students speak/write the same kind of gobbledygook. Evidently, some schools no longer teach English.

[No Censorship]

We had the ability to travel to the strs back in the late 50's/early 60's. It is recognised that the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty ended the Orion Project - LINK- as it used nuclear propulsion, and there were fears of fallout heading back to earth. Had it gone ahead, we might possibly be approaching Alpha Centauri soon. Who knows, the motto was "Saturn by 1970". I often wonder if other species went down this path and decided to try it. And indeed, why do we never, ever see or hear of Aliens at this level of development? Why are saucers only stealthy little sports models with cloaking devices? Why no loud ugly clunky polluting spaceships?

It might be nice to have some retro aliens for a change, but then again, aliens with lesser technology are going to be a whole deal harder to explain. So much easier when one can simply ascribe the unknown to a higher power.

You could start a whole new thread just about secret space programs! Orion would be a good start. From what I read, there are varied beings and craft that visit our planet. Of course, many of these claims are complete nonsense. Let's pretend that all of them are true. It stands to reason that there would be a few ET versions of rednecks in pickups, rubbernecking at the messes on our planet. Other groups might be ET versions of the Peace Corps or Red Cross. That would account for the wide variety of claimed events (in our pretend scenario).

[psyche101]

I very much agree. People often (for instance) argue that they (the ETs) would consider it "rude" to be "spied upon" by probes, and that there's some Universal Right to Privacy (presumably decided by the United Federation of Planets). Well, if that isn't anthropromorphism, I don't know what is.

Then you do not know what anthropomorphism is. Privacy is a territorial trait that assists one in attaining the position of top predator. A Lion is not anthropomorphic, but it will tear you to pieces if you wander into it's territory. Nobody likes to be spied upon.

[psyche101]

You could start a whole new thread just about secret space programs! Orion would be a good start. From what I read, there are varied beings and craft that visit our planet. Of course, many of these claims are complete nonsense. Let's pretend that all of them are true. It stands to reason that there would be a few ET versions of rednecks in pickups, rubbernecking at the messes on our planet. Other groups might be ET versions of the Peace Corps or Red Cross. That would account for the wide variety of claimed events (in our pretend scenario).

Orion was never secret though, just the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty halted it's progress. If there were so many species, it is hard to see them all adhering to one Star Trek style non contact law. I see no reason to think Aliens would not be as individual as we are.

[Space Commander Travis]

Then you do not know what anthropomorphism is. Privacy is a territorial trait that assists one in attaining the position of top predator. A Lion is not anthropomorphic, but it will tear you to pieces if you wander into it's territory. Nobody likes to be spied upon.

I do find it interesting that someone who's so firmly against Sci Fi Speculation and Fantasy seems so worried that "spying" on the Aliens will provoke them to send an Interstellar Battlefleet to wipe us out of existence for having the teemrity to spy on them. But yet that is not anthropomorphism.

[psyche101]

I do find it interesting that someone who's so firmly against Sci Fi Speculation and Fantasy seems so worried that "spying" on the Aliens will provoke them to send an Interstellar Battlefleet to wipe us out of existence for having the teemrity to spy on them. But yet that is not anthropomorphism.

No it is not. If you land on a planet of Lions, they will eat you. Lions are not anthropomorphic.

What it has great potential for is to begin a situation without trust. That is also not an anthropomorphic trait, trust is developed across the entire animal kingdom.

[Frank Merton]

Are lions felinomorphic?

[psyche101]

Are lions felinomorphic?

Ya know, I'm gonna just say yes.

[DONTEATUS]

Wow that pretty much puts the nail in my Tin foil hat and birthday suit in the heap !

Good one psyche101 ! And p.s. Im never going back to that C.T thread On Sandy Hook ! Its just sick !

[No Censorship]

Orion was never secret though, just the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty halted it's progress. If there were so many species, it is hard to see them all adhering to one Star Trek style non contact law. I see no reason to think Aliens would not be as individual as we are.

It makes one wonder about the secret projects. It brings to mind the huge mystery satellite of the past. Both Americans and Russians claimed that it wasn't one of their craft, which was strange because there was a heated competition between the two sides when it came to outer space. The mysterious object circled the planet before Sputnik was launched.

I agree with your take on extraterrestrials. They probably would exhibit individual attitudes and personalities. That likely would be true for ETs of the same species. Some of them would be rogues, giving a bad reputation to all of them.

[DBunker]

It makes one wonder about the secret projects. It brings to mind the huge mystery satellite of the past. Both Americans and Russians claimed that it wasn't one of their craft, which was strange because there was a heated competition between the two sides when it came to outer space. The mysterious object circled the planet before Sputnik was launched.

Here is a thread about it.... http://www.alienscientist.com/forum/showthread.php?2424-The-Black-Knight-Satellite-What-is-it-Where-did-it-come-from

[No Censorship]

Here is a thread about it.... http://www.alienscie...id-it-come-from

Thank you very much! I could *not* remember that it was called the Black Knight satellite. My guess is that it was a black project from the Americans or the Russians. Still, it's one of the best accounts that gets lost in the shadow of never-ending stories, like Roswell.

[DBunker]

Thank you very much! I could *not* remember that it was called the Black Knight satellite. My guess is that it was a black project from the Americans or the Russians. Still, it's one of the best accounts that gets lost in the shadow of never-ending stories, like Roswell.

I believe we did a number on it in one of the Best Evidence threads? Cant really remember what came out of it?

[badeskov]

I believe we did a number on it in one of the Best Evidence threads? Cant really remember what came out of it?

We did indeed, but as far as memory serves nothing really came out of it.

Cheers,

Badeskov