Professor Cox. The Aliens killed themselves

[jarjarbinks]

My question is : why and how did we get intelligent ? We can communicate, we can build things with our hands. There's no other species that can do that (ok maybe communicate, but a dog could never start building things, etc. because of the way he's shaped).

Maybe those aliens are like monkeys, they exist but they dont had that "spark" or whatever make us like we are now.

[seeder]

22 minutes ago, jarjarbinks said:

we can build things with our hands. There's no other species that can do that

 

ever seen a beehive? Or a termite mound?

[paperdyer]

14 hours ago, Hammerclaw said:

The only Aliens we're likely to detect across interstellar distances will be so ancient and their technological achievements and architecture so vast our mind will cringe and flee from the very thought that they could possibly be artificial.

More than likely.  Unless they are like Star Trek's Vulcans, they can scan the Earth, have a laugh and go one their merry way.

[Kurzweil]

So science fiction until proven science fact. I wish I could make money saying the crazy and one day it might be true. That or at least have followers that believe in my blue comb solution that cures stepped on Lego toy injuries.

[Duke Wellington]

Maybe the aliens just respect the rights of individual civilizations to pursue, well, individualism.

Wouldn't it be a boring galaxy if we all thought, developed and ended up the same. Maybe letting each civilization find its own way leads to radically different philosophy, science and technology. Then when they can no longer be ignored (as they start spreading from system to system) the Galactic Council makes contact to bring them into the fold.

Edited October 10, 2016 by RabidMongoose

[+OverSword]

17 hours ago, seaturtlehorsesnake said:

i still wonder about the time and distance scales involved. our civilization has been capable of communicating outside of our world for what... 100 years or so? at most? is it possible that civilizations arise at such different times and at such huge distances from each other that even in the long term communication may simply never line up as possible.

does that make sense? it's been a long day

Exactly what I've thought.  People ignore that not only are we separated from potential ET civilizations by distance but also by vast gulfs of time.

[Thorvir]

3 hours ago, paperdyer said:

More than likely.  Unless they are like Star Trek's Vulcans, they can scan the Earth, have a laugh and go one their merry way.

Vulcans do not laugh.

[XenoFish]

Let's say that yes there are alien civilizations that have been around when the earth was just starting to forming. A species so advanced that they have basically mastered every aspect of physics, would they even care about us? 

[Golden Duck]

9 hours ago, Black Monk said:

How does Professor Brian Cox know aliens haven't made contact? He doesn't work for the British Government.

So only the British Government knows aliens haven't made contact?

[Thorvir]

46 minutes ago, XenoFish said:

Let's say that yes there are alien civilizations that have been around when the earth was just starting to forming. A species so advanced that they have basically mastered every aspect of physics, would they even care about us? 

Maybe.  It will depend upon the aliens themselves.

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

Aliens killed themselves rather than make contact with humans?

[seeder]

6 hours ago, jarjarbinks said:

 we can build things with our hands. There's no other species that can do that (ok maybe communicate, but a dog could never start building things, etc. because of the way he's shaped).

Even creatures without hands.... manage to create fantastic and beautiful structures...or homes....figure than one out!

[paperdyer]

2 hours ago, Thorvir Hrothgaard said:

Vulcans do not laugh.

They might as they now smile in the "updated" version.  And I meant as advanced technologically as the Vulcans, not demeanor-wise.

[lost_shaman]

30 minutes ago, seeder said:

Even crisatures without hands.... manage to create fantastic and beautiful structures...or homes....figure than one out!

Do you really think growing a shell IS IN anyway comparable to human technology?

[XenoFish]

14 minutes ago, lost_shaman said:

Do you really think growing a shell IS IN anyway comparable to human technology?

Who's to say that advanced alien technology beyond our understand couldn't grow their space craft. 

Edited October 10, 2016 by XenoFish

[Ashyne]

^{I think it is far more likely that most intelligent civilizations do not have the materials and resources or technology needed to leave their planet or get past their atmosphere due to the natural conditions or limitations of the planet's resources.}

Edited October 10, 2016 by Ashyne

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

To quote that philosopher, David "Cloister the Stupid" Lister upon the matter of aliens "they probably avoid the Earth like it's got a disease. "Eww, it has humans, lets go the other way"". 

[Kurzweil]

Universal warming.

[seeder]

39 minutes ago, Ashyne said:

^{I think it is far more likely that most intelligent civilizations do not have the materials and resources or technology needed to leave their planet or get past their atmosphere due to the natural conditions or limitations of the planet's resources.}

 

why would you say that? WE have left earth's atmosphere,,,,, we landed on the Moon! Elon Musk is putting together a very real plan to have humans on Mars

[Thorvir]

3 hours ago, paperdyer said:

They might as they now smile in the "updated" version. 

Faux Spock smiles when he's in shock I guess.  He also cries and gets angry.  All because Abrams doesn't know a thing about Star Trek (but that's all for another thread).

Real Vulcans do not smile.

3 hours ago, paperdyer said:

And I meant as advanced technologically as the Vulcans, not demeanor-wise.

 I got that.  But the little ST nerd in me couldn't pass up that chance.

[lost_shaman]

3 hours ago, XenoFish said:

Who's to say that advanced alien technology beyond our understand couldn't grow their space craft. 

Do you really think advanced Alien Technology would be comparable to a Crustation growing a shell?

[Thorvir]

Just now, lost_shaman said:

Do you really think advanced Alien Technology would be comparable to a Crustation growing a shell?

The Mon Calamari designed and built very large starships used as liners, which in turn were pressed into service as warships and performed fairly well.

Seriously, though, what makes you think that "advanced alien technology" has no chance to be similar to a crustacean growing a shell?

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

Well, Technically, Spock being half-human lacks a degree of the Vulcan sang foid. A lot of their stoicism is trained, but there's also a genetic element (Romulans are equally dispassionate). Humans, even those who live and train on Vulcan are incapable of the same rigorous stoicism that native Vulcans are capable (take, for example, Amanda and Perrin Sarek's human wives or Captain Picard who Spock calls thr most Vulcan human he's met). 

[XenoFish]

7 minutes ago, lost_shaman said:

Do you really think advanced Alien Technology would be comparable to a Crustation growing a shell?

I find your lack of imagination amusing. The thing is we just don't know. 

[lost_shaman]

5 minutes ago, Thorvir Hrothgaard said:

 Jusifferenton Calaitari designed and built very large starships used as liners, which in turn were pressed into service as warships and performed fairly well.

Seriously, though, what makes you think that "advanced alien technology" has no chance to be similar to a crustacean growing a shell?

The original point was that humans are different than other specices becuase of our ability to "create" technology and use IT via our body plan.

Comparing that to a crustation growing a shell "home" Is just silly.

Do you disagree?