Tuesday, April 27, 2010

When Aliens Attack!


Professor Stephen Hawking is bang-on-the-money when he warns us to avoid seeking-out contact with other intelligent life-forms – foreboding mankind that there’s a good chance these technologically superior extraterrestrials may well harbour the same nihilistic traits we humans exhibit – thus bringing ‘the enemy to our door’ and ultimately our decimation and/or enslavement.

His analogy is a fitting-one “If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn’t turn out well for the native Americans.”

Hawking correctly suggests we are best to shut-up and stay contented on our non-descript planet in our corner of the vast universe, rather than tempt fate and attract unwanted attention.

Actively searching the skies for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) with “come around for a cup of coffee” invitation is just the sort of thing Hawking believes we should avoid.

Understating the peril to avoid scaring the children, Hawking describes attempts to actively see-out alien life-forms as “a little too risky”.

Let’s take his well-founded warnings seriously.

No comments: