I agree foremost with the Douglas Adams and other references, however, here's reality as *I* see it. Any alien race that has the technology to arrive here in Earth orbit must also have the technology to destroy us. Therefore, I draw two reassuring conclusions: 1) they do not have the technology to reach us, and so are no danger; 2) they do have the technology to reach us, but have declined to destroy us. I am not worried, especially in light of the latter. While we may be savage and deadly to each other, except for indiscretions we have not maliciously destroyed another species on our planet (I'm excepting extinctions due to poor planning and management). In fact, we don't do so because our technological advantage is too "unfair" and we "pity" the so-called lower species. Ergo, I believe, is how any aliens who *could* reach us will look at the situation, and us.
Slashdot Mirror
I agree foremost with the Douglas Adams and other references, however, here's reality as *I* see it. Any alien race that has the technology to arrive here in Earth orbit must also have the technology to destroy us. Therefore, I draw two reassuring conclusions: 1) they do not have the technology to reach us, and so are no danger; 2) they do have the technology to reach us, but have declined to destroy us. I am not worried, especially in light of the latter. While we may be savage and deadly to each other, except for indiscretions we have not maliciously destroyed another species on our planet (I'm excepting extinctions due to poor planning and management). In fact, we don't do so because our technological advantage is too "unfair" and we "pity" the so-called lower species. Ergo, I believe, is how any aliens who *could* reach us will look at the situation, and us.