Is The Search For Aliens Such A Good Idea?

The number of sciene fiction accounts to the contrary, I believe that any civilization [and they would have to be, no one could travel in space by unitary effort] capable of interstellar flight would come willing to be communicative. Whether we could actually communicate, or that attempts would cause so much frustration as to cause violence, remains to be seen. I remain optimistic.

I think we’ve been in contact for quite awhile, and I don’t think they are very friendly.

I guess it all depends on what one subscribes to: the H.G. Wells or the Star Trek philosophy. Either way, whatever happens will most likely be far beyond our control. Hell, I’d much prefer a visit from aliens to another weekend visit from my mother-in-law any day!

Nice article, nice nostalgia for the movies listed an many many others. The first book I ever read “on my own” was Jules Verne, hooked ever since.

I am running seti@home on my computer right now. We must appreciate and preserve and defend how unique and ideal our own planet is but still …

Will they come “to serve man”?

Even people who have evolved on this planet have problems. Think peanut allergys and virus infections, not even to mentiion Prions, as very good examples. I would think that there would be no possible way that any protein based lifeform that hasn’t evolved on this planet could survive for any time at all, within the atmosphere. Communication and trade, yes, visiting across a conference table, in the same atmosphere, no.