Aliens: What should we do?

[Novia Soviet Socialist Republic]

The subject of what we should do with other sapient races when colonizing other planets in the Ethics of colonizing other planets thread a few pages back came up. This brings up the subject of what should we do when dealing with other races?

What should we do in a first contact situation on Earth?

What if we find a sapient race on a planet we come across?

What should we do if another race we have met tries to communicate with us?

Should we go around terrorizing and committing genocide until we are the only sapient race left? Or should we keep our heads down and try to stay out of trouble?


I personally think its best to try and get along with other races. Try build alliances and what not. Nobody is going to try and start a fight with us if they know some others will help us blow them back to the stone age. If we do get up into space, its not going to be in our best interests to go around like we're the Imperium of Man or something because that will probably just end up with some massive ridiculously high tech space empire noticing us and then the shit will have hit the fan. Because bad things always happen when alien empires notice you.

What do you think NSG people?

[Big Jim P]

That depends on the tech level of the aliens. If they are superior to us, show some respect. If inferior, exploit the shit out of them.

[Rebellious Fishermen]

Nuke 'em!

[Quelsh]

Ally the aliens so we can scare off everyone else.

Then one by one, choose a random alien race to EXTERMINATE until only you and your final ally are left.

[Alistan]

Don't talk to them, as Stephen Hawking warns us.

[Empire of Narnia]

Drop da bomb on them.

[Shnercropolis]

That depends on the tech level of the aliens. If they are superior to us, show some respect. If inferior, exploit the shit out of them.

this.
I have confidence that if they (foolishly) gave us superior technology we'd waste no time in enslaving them.

[New haven america]

That depends on the tech level of the aliens. If they are superior to us, show some respect. If inferior, exploit the shit out of them.

I don't think aliens with inferior tech would be able to travel to Earth...

[Shnercropolis]

That depends on the tech level of the aliens. If they are superior to us, show some respect. If inferior, exploit the shit out of them.

I don't think aliens with inferior tech would be able to travel to Earth...

see: District 9.

[Saved Earth]

Finding a common language is the very first step before doing anything. Shooting first and asking questions later would most likely doom the human race and the Earth into becoming a floating space turd.

[Toronina]

Try to make friends

[JUICEVAllEY OF GAJ]

Take their tech then use a modified version of it in our miltary

[Setgavarius]

The subject of what we should do with other sapient races when colonizing other planets in the Ethics of colonizing other planets thread a few pages back came up. This brings up the subject of what should we do when dealing with other races?

What should we do in a first contact situation on Earth?

What if we find a sapient race on a planet we come across?

What should we do if another race we have met tries to communicate with us?

Should we go around terrorizing and committing genocide until we are the only sapient race left? Or should we keep our heads down and try to stay out of trouble?


I personally think its best to try and get along with other races. Try build alliances and what not. Nobody is going to try and start a fight with us if they know some others will help us blow them back to the stone age. If we do get up into space, its not going to be in our best interests to go around like we're the Imperium of Man or something because that will probably just end up with some massive ridiculously high tech space empire noticing us and then the shit will have hit the fan. Because bad things always happen when alien empires notice you.

What do you think NSG people?

I think we should try to stay away from alien affairs. Just colonize our own worlds and build our strength. Worst comes to worst, we ally with the toughest guys in the galaxy and hope we ride the shit out.

[Setgavarius]

Finding a common language is the very first step before doing anything. Shooting first and asking questions later would most likely doom the human race and the Earth into becoming a floating space turd.

don't forget about that, either.

[The Orson Empire]

If we ever make first contact with aliens, it probably wouldn't end well, especially if their technology is far more advanced than ours.

I see this scenario being similar to when the European powers colonized North and South America, and as we all know, it didn't end well for the Native Americans....

[Orvius]

I agree with the second poster. What has happened so far in human history?

If we meet another civilization, and the civilization happens to be less technologically advanced, we conquer/exploit them. That's how it's always worked out. So really, it's a matter of who gets the short end of the technological stick: us or them.

[Confused People]

Nobody is going to try and start a fight with us if they know some others will help us blow them back to the stone age.

Most likely that the help will end up blowing us.

[Blazedtown]

Nobody is going to try and start a fight with us if they know some others will help us blow them back to the stone age.

Most likely that the help will end up blowing us.

Captain Kirk approves of alien blowjobs.

[Saved Earth]

Most likely that the help will end up blowing us.

Captain Kirk approves of alien blowjobs.

So does commander Shepard.

[Ordysius]

This sounds like a thread I've seen.

It may be a good resource to look at.

[Greater Beggnig]

Depends how we are contacted.

Situation 1:
Radio communications.

Attempt to determine how intelligent and advanced they are from the initial message, if that is not possible, respond with a meaningless message of "Oh, hi, etc." and stall for more information to determine their technological advancement.

If they are technologically advanced, cease communication immediately.
If they are at a similar level to us, there is no risk in continuing to communicate with them.
If they are at a lower level of technology as opposed to us, say, on par with our 1940's technology, transmit technological data to them to bring them up to scratch.

Situation 2:
Communication techniques we have yet to discover.

Extremely advanced, but we would never know, just as we may have been bombarded with radio signals in the Middle Ages. No action necessary.

Situation 3:
Big ships appear near the Earth.

If they aren't friendly, we're fucked. Kiss your ass goodbye.
Perhaps Sagan was right and any civilisation that manages not to kill itself in the nuclear age will be friendly since if it was aggressive it would have killed itself.

We must be wary of using our past to determine how we deal with aliens. Aliens are not humans, they are not Spanish conquistadors.

[Ordysius]

Depends how we are contacted.

Situation 1:
Radio communications.

Attempt to determine how intelligent and advanced they are from the initial message, if that is not possible, respond with a meaningless message of "Oh, hi, etc." and stall for more information to determine their technological advancement.

If they are technologically advanced, cease communication immediately.
If they are at a similar level to us, there is no risk in continuing to communicate with them.
If they are at a lower level of technology as opposed to us, say, on par with our 1940's technology, transmit technological data to them to bring them up to scratch.

Situation 2:
Communication techniques we have yet to discover.

Extremely advanced, but we would never know, just as we may have been bombarded with radio signals in the Middle Ages. No action necessary.

Situation 3:
Big ships appear near the Earth.

If they aren't friendly, we're fucked. Kiss your ass goodbye.
Perhaps Sagan was right and any civilisation that manages not to kill itself in the nuclear age will be friendly since if it was aggressive it would have killed itself.

We must be wary of using our past to determine how we deal with aliens. Aliens are not humans, they are not Spanish conquistadors.

Sounds pretty comprehensive!

Did you come up with those, or, if not, can you send me the resource, please?

[Nord Amour]

If we're smart, we'll avoid contact with other races.

But we're not smart...

[Setgavarius]

Depends how we are contacted.

Situation 1:
Radio communications.

Attempt to determine how intelligent and advanced they are from the initial message, if that is not possible, respond with a meaningless message of "Oh, hi, etc." and stall for more information to determine their technological advancement.

If they are technologically advanced, cease communication immediately.
If they are at a similar level to us, there is no risk in continuing to communicate with them.
If they are at a lower level of technology as opposed to us, say, on par with our 1940's technology, transmit technological data to them to bring them up to scratch.

Situation 2:
Communication techniques we have yet to discover.

Extremely advanced, but we would never know, just as we may have been bombarded with radio signals in the Middle Ages. No action necessary.

Situation 3:
Big ships appear near the Earth.

If they aren't friendly, we're fucked. Kiss your ass goodbye.
Perhaps Sagan was right and any civilisation that manages not to kill itself in the nuclear age will be friendly since if it was aggressive it would have killed itself.

We must be wary of using our past to determine how we deal with aliens. Aliens are not humans, they are not Spanish conquistadors.

Aliens: hey, a new planet to convert to resources!
"turns humanity into fertilizer, appliances and starships*

[Trollgaard]

We should arm ourselves, and be wary.