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Dont talk to aliens, warns Stephen Hawking
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Wintermute
Posted 2010-04-24 10:31 PM (#1915)
Subject: Dont talk to aliens, warns Stephen Hawking



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Not quite science-fiction but sort of maybe kind of... The Discovery Channel is putting on a series by Hawking on his latest thoughts and theories of the universe. The article can be read in full here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/space/article7107207....

"THE aliens are out there and Earth had better watch out, at least according to Stephen Hawking. He has suggested that extraterrestrials are almost certain to exist — but that instead of seeking them out, humanity should be doing all it that can to avoid any contact."  He concludes that trying to make contact with alien races is “a little too risky”. He said: “If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn’t turn out very well for the Native Americans.”

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Pierre
Posted 2010-04-25 3:56 PM (#1916 - in reply to #1915)
Subject: RE: Dont talk to aliens, warns Stephen Hawking



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It should be an interesting series. I am a bit puzzled though that such a statement would come from a world renowned physicist. I have no doubt that life and sentient life exists elsewhere, as he says himself the numbers are there, but why would ET's be ever interested in little old Earth, other than plain curiosity? We certainly would not bring forth first contact, so I find his statement peculiar.

Edited by Pierre 2010-04-25 4:02 PM
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htaccess
Posted 2010-04-25 6:58 PM (#1917 - in reply to #1916)
Subject: Re: Dont talk to aliens, warns Stephen Hawking



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The new series where he makes these comments looks very interesting indeed: "Stephen Hawking's Universe begins on the Discovery Channel on Sunday May 9 at 9pm"

Pierre, as he suggests Aliens may have exhausted their own resources and be looking to find more. Imagine for a moment a Native American in 1500 saying: "but why would Europeans's be ever interested in little old America, other than plain curiosity?". Theres plenty of other scenarios too, some of which are explored in the many first contact books out there
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Administrator
Posted 2010-04-25 7:12 PM (#1918 - in reply to #1915)
Subject: Re: Dont talk to aliens, warns Stephen Hawking



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Location: Dallas, Texas		Humans always seem to be good food. I'm going to record that show for sure.
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Pierre
Posted 2010-04-25 7:36 PM (#1919 - in reply to #1918)
Subject: Re: Dont talk to aliens, warns Stephen Hawking



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HT, SF aside, if ET's come for our resources, I wonder which one. Assuming they would have come from pretty far, there are billions other planets in this universe with plenty more resources, easier for the taking. As Dave said, to continue on the assumption of course, maybe WE are the resources which may not be as plentiful elsewhere, as some "ufo researchers" or conspiracy theorists argue. The point being though, I still find this a peculiar affirmation from Hawking' status.

Edited by Pierre 2010-04-25 7:39 PM
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hihik
Posted 2010-04-25 8:30 PM (#1920 - in reply to #1919)
Subject: Re: Dont talk to aliens, warns Stephen Hawking



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Location: Boston, MA		don't forget that they are ALIENS (pardon for caps) and it is not necessary that they operate under the same premises or needs as humans do. remember the buggers from Ender's Game? that notion about clipping off finger nails hit me hard ...
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Pierre
Posted 2010-04-25 9:43 PM (#1921 - in reply to #1920)
Subject: Re: Dont talk to aliens, warns Stephen Hawking



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Thanks Hihik. This is the third time this week Ender's Game is mentioned. As I have a preference for First Contact SF books, I finally added it to my reading list. 112 reads on it... Wow! Is this the highest number in WWE Dave? I hope the aliens are nasty. In the Boat of a Million Years I just finished today, I don't think they could get friendlier.
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hihik
Posted 2010-04-25 10:18 PM (#1922 - in reply to #1921)
Subject: Re: Dont talk to aliens, warns Stephen Hawking



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Location: Boston, MA		Pierre, i don't want to spoil the fun, read it, it's a good story and very relevant to the topic although the idea is not quite as one'd expect

Edited by hihik 2010-04-25 10:21 PM
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Wintermute
Posted 2010-04-26 6:45 AM (#1926 - in reply to #1915)
Subject: Re: Dont talk to aliens, warns Stephen Hawking



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Pierre, don't read Ender's Game if you're looking for a first contact novel because that is not the emphasis of the story. You should absolutely read it because it is quite good and it'll provide you context for the even better sequel - Speaker of the Dead - which you should absolutely read too (that one is more first contact than Ender's Game). Ender's Game does have first contact but it is tangential to the story, which is about the maturation of a child genius. It's "The Portrait of a Galactic Space Commander as a Young Man" (if I could paraphrase a James Joyce title) more than Starship Troopers. But you should definitely read it and I promise you'll enjoy it and then really enjoy the much heavier first contact treatment of Speaker of the Dead.

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Pierre
Posted 2010-04-26 8:09 AM (#1927 - in reply to #1926)
Subject: Re: Dont talk to aliens, warns Stephen Hawking



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Thanks Wintermute. I just looked it over at my suburbia's library, and I am in luck for Ender's Game (EG). Though I have lots of reads sheduled, lots of them are not available, while some others need several tries to go through. EG will go through my same process: if the author does not "catch me" within the first 100 pages, I do not continue. For example, over the years, I started Heretics of Dune 3 times. I want to continue the story but Heretics is just about politics, at least in the first 100 pages and it is sooo boring. I bring Dune up because the child prodigy in EG sounds like a copycat of Paul.
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Administrator
Posted 2010-04-26 8:21 AM (#1928 - in reply to #1927)
Subject: Re: Dont talk to aliens, warns Stephen Hawking



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Location: Dallas, Texas		Pierre, check out the excerpt for Ender's Game.  If that doesn't grab you I'll eat my hat.  My delicious bacon sombrero. 
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Pierre
Posted 2010-04-26 8:38 AM (#1929 - in reply to #1928)
Subject: Re: Dont talk to aliens, warns Stephen Hawking



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Start thinking of a recipe, Dave. Herbert, Anderson, Bear or Bova it is not. Card must have been young then because the style seems to lack maturity. I'll give a try anyway.
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Pierre
Posted 2010-04-26 11:11 AM (#1930 - in reply to #1929)
Subject: Re: Dont talk to aliens, warns Stephen Hawking



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It seems the series debut was last night. Here is the link to the short videos of the series. Looks pretty good. I'll wait for the dvd.

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/stephen-hawkings-universe-fear-the-...
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