BunnyGirl, on 08 June 2011 - 07:06 PM, said:
Hi all~
This article came through my Google Alerts recently, even though his statement regarding potential malevolent ET life was made about a year or so ago in his short series Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking. At that time, many people (just as is happening again with this article) have taken what he said out of the overall context of that episode.
Also, as has been touched on in this thread previously, the piece is kind of a botch job. The title itself is completely misleading and probably done so purposely. Hawking never said that "UFO sightings warn of an alien invasion," as the title of the article implies (and states).
Now, despite what many may think, the possibility of an advanced malevolent civilization existing, is just that: a possibility -- regardless of how unlikely. We simply have no idea of knowing that all advanced civilizations in the universe reach a level of 'enlightenment' or whatever, thereby becoming peaceful, life-respecting beings.
While it's probable that any visiting ETs would be highly advanced in comparison to our own levels of technology, it isn't impossible that a civilization only slightly more advanced could reach us. Many people assume that if we were contacted, that the visitors would be thousands, if not millions of years ahead of our measly nuclear age. The main argument being that a space-faring peoples would need to find a way around the limitations of the light-speed barrier, and therefore have attained a level of science and technology that far exceeds are own. But what if a civiliation that was a mere few hundred or even a thousand years our senior paid a visit? Would they have reached 'enlightenment' as a whole at their respective stage and come as beneloent visitors? Maybe. Maybe not. Will we cast away our waring and primitive ways in a few hundred years? Can we safely say that by 3011 that there will be no more war, hate, ruthlesness, and so on? As usual, it's not a simple argument of what we view as right and wrong. Our anthropomorphic tendencies often rule our opinions, often disregarding the possibilities that how we think we should aspire to be as a more mature civilization is not how all extraterrestrial civilizations aspire to be.
But let's assume for the sake of discussion that all mature civilizations do reach a point in which all life is preserved and respected, even to the detriment of their own survival (whatever that might mean to them). How far along the evolutionary and technological scale would you say they'd have to be? 10,000 Earth-years our senior? 500,000? 1,000,000? Is it possible, as I've suggested above, that beings from another world only a few hundred or a thousand years ahead of humanity would still think in terms of militaristic colonization and survival? Yes, of course it's possible. "But how would they get to us if they haven't matured enough to achieve a more efficient form of interstellar travel?" Hell, I don't know. Maybe they detected Earth as a suitable planet for insert_reason_here and left their world thousands of years ago, remaining in a state of hibernation for most of the journey. *shrugs* Who can say for certain?
The point is that though it may seem unlikely, it isn't impossible -- and I think that's kind of where Hawking was coming from when he made his statement. We really don't know squat about potential alien civilizations, their makeup, or their motives -- so maybe we should think about that.
Personally, I don't necessarily believe we should keep 'radio' silence, as some people feel, but I do believe that considering the potential outcomes of broadcasting our existence is a pretty good idea. No one likes to get caught with their pants around their ankles.
FOLKS We have a WINNER!!!
Well Said. Never met, but I like you.

A hearty welcome to UM Bunny Girl.
Edited by psyche101, 10 June 2011 - 04:31 AM.