Mark, you should read the words that you quote. A race that is enjoying a EUTOPIAN existance may at some point in their history have been as self-destructive as us. Maybe the lesson learned from all of these generations of fighting each other will guide us to coexist in a eutopian manner. However, no race in a Eutopian environment would want to interact with a species that has a large sum of its technological advancements come from thinking of ways to kill more. If we can't learn to coexist with ourselves here on earth, then we should not expect any other species to want to join the party. As far as observing wild animals goes, they can do that from a safe distance. If we landed a probe on europa and found out that there was some sort of strange intelligent species living under the ocean, but all that we got to observe was a portion of a war, then our approach at observing that species would change drastically. As for a superior species out there, I think maybe we should put some focus on our species right here first. The Nasa budget that was just released is but a small fraction of what we have already spent in Iraq. Don't you think that it is fairly odd that our leaders put more resources into killing than healing, or educating, or searching the infinite space, or any of hundreds of better projects than population control? Their budget seems to have possibly killed JIMO, or at least critically wounded it by the way. I for one still have hope in this planet of self-destructive apes. Hell, I love monkeys, and they have proven the capability to learn.
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Mark Schnitzius Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2005 6:09 AM To: europa@klx.com Subject: RE: Active SETI Is Not Scientific Research --- "Joseph Z." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Why would a species out there that was enjoying a > eutopian existance even > want to communicate with a planet of > self-destructive apes? The worst cliche in science fiction, I think, is the tired story of an alien race that discovers humans, decides they're useless and worthy of destruction, and then, through a single person's act of altruism (or something like that), decides that maybe we're worth redemption after all. See The Abyss, The Fifth Element, or about every other Star Trek episode for examples. However, the converse is just as bad. I'm equally put off by the defeatist, humans-are-worthless-apes sort of attitude. I doubt we're any worse or any better at this stage than any other alien race that crawled up out of the muck. Why would we be so surprising? Why does sf never portray us as "typical"? And while we're at it, if we WERE considered more self-destructive or merciless or murderous than other races, isn't it conceivable that we'd be considered interesting BECAUSE of that? Don't we ourselves study great white sharks, army ants, hyenas, and other alpha predators? I dare say that aliens living a Utopian existence would have a CONSIDERABLE interest in us if we were as destructive as you've implied and we were just starting our venture into space. But, as I said, I don't subscribe to the thesis that we're all that different or bad. --Mark __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Easier than ever with enhanced search. Learn more. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 == You are subscribed to the Europa Icepick mailing list: europa@klx.com Project information and list (un)subscribe info: http://klx.com/europa/ == You are subscribed to the Europa Icepick mailing list: europa@klx.com Project information and list (un)subscribe info: http://klx.com/europa/
