sci.physics

On Feb 17, 2:02=A0pm, Benj wrote:
to stop by and admire us! =A0Take a GOOD
> look at "us"! =A0We can't get along even with each other. We have
> organized killing sprees that destroy the lives of millions and
> millions of our fellow humans. We have been destroying the planet even
> when it's not wartime. =A0We are demonstrated to be ready at a moment's
> notice to take a gun an kill anyone we perceive as a bit different,
> let alone "alien". Oh sure, the aliens are just going to land in our
> front yards and walk right up saying "peace" as we blast them with our
> shotguns! =A0Face it. If the aliens were smart enough to build the ships
> to get here, they are smart enough to know what hideous and dangerous
> creatures humans are! =A0SETI is the ULTIMATE physical arrogance! It
> ranks right up there with cosmology (Study of far universe lacking

Benj, if you could calm down Emotionally, some of your ideas would be
far more effective. Scientists and mathematicians simply don't
usually imitate apes in their overt Emotional behavior, though they do
often have many covert jealousies and power-obsessions.

I think that alien Civilizations, if they could somehow either
transcend the speed of light or have the patience to study us from not
too far away stellar systems, could have several reasons for not
communicating with us:

1. As you indicate partly, humanity as a whole is probably in the pre-
Scientific era even if Scientists are in the Scientific era. If the
aliens are in the Scientific era, then they'd be wise to keep away.

2. Humanity really may be a Violence-Oriented and/or Emotion-driven
rather than Self-Defense and/or Knowledge-driven species. If the
aliens are better, then they'd be wise to keep away.

3. Most aliens might be "telepathic" or "clairvoyant", communicating
by thoughts or pictures in their brains usually and without much
difficulty, and they'd arguably almost immediately recognize what
phonies most human beings are.

4. Most aliens might have harnessed gravitational forces or strong or
even weak forces but not electromagnetic forces for communications (or
even some fifth force) and so just don't tune in to radio or TV. From
what I've seen on TV, especially Oprah and pornographic advertisements
and political debates based on "beauty contest" appearances, they're
probably WAY ahead of us in that case.

5. Maybe most aliens live longer than us. We might be one month or
one year into their life cycles for a whole generation of us. Give
them time, and they might get around to us if they prefer short cycles
to long ones.

Osher Doctorow