I'm Futurist Dr. Stan Schatt --Ask Me Anything!

a reply to: Ophiuchus 13
I think Governments love to cloak whatever they do in secret in part because it preserves their power. I wouldn't be surprised if there is an active campaign of disinformation going on. It certainly would be much easier for a government to work with aliens if the public is unaware. Finally, if only one government has such an alliance, it would want above all cost to keep that secret. Also, I believe it possible that one hand of government doesn't know what the deep dark other hand is doing. I honestly believe the SETI folks have not been included when it comes to any secret contact.

a reply to: JadeStar
I think that's a great approach to the problem.

a reply to: IsntLifeFunny
Well, that's a lot to chew on. I guess I've always adopted the second of your options and tried to look at both sides and assume there's probably a little truth on both ends. I tend to avoid grant conspiracy theories because that assumes it's possible to pull off something that grand and that people are smart enough to plan and execute it and, even harder, keep it secret. I wrote a book once that pointed to a person's belief in epistemological pluralism -the idea that there are several different ways of knowing and that you need to rely on this approach to learn what is real. I say gather all the data you can, evaluate the reliability of the people proving you with information, and then try to figure out what is the most logical and what makes the most sense. You won't necessarily be correct, but at least you have a method to try to get to the truth.

a reply to: TinfoilTP

hmmm --I never considered that possibility. I would imagine if I were part of a secret government agency, I would want to benefit from the technology and keep it for my government. I would think with the mass media so hungry for news, it would be difficult to discount an open alien visitation as a hoax. Sure, some people would accept that argument, but there would be all kinds of requests for interviews, assuming the alien could communicate with us of course.

I couldn't read trough the whole thread so I apologize if this topic came up earlier.
Simple question, what is your take on CERN? Do you know their real motives behind it? Is there a reason to be concerned?

Great thread and Thank you.

a reply to: KAOStheory
It's hard to argue against the idea that everything vibrates at different frequencies. Maybe the people who claim to see auras are simply able to see into the spectrum that reveals how we are transmitting. There have been arguments for years about the viability of living under power lines because of the idea that the lines would be disruptive to our bodies. So, while I think almost everyone would agree we live in a world filled with vibrations and things broadcasting at various frequencies, the real question is what does that all mean.

a reply to: For Truth
Now we really are into the realm of speculation. So be it. Drones clearly would be the way to go, although I think we'll see more and more restrictions on them domestically.

I'm not sure why a Star Gate would want to destroy the original copy. Don't you need one at both ends to make it work? It's interesting that most SF writers describe people discovering old and abandoned star gates because that's much easier than trying to explain how they would work because the technology would be so far advanced from our own. Remember Carl Sagan in Contact? He has a group of beings explain that they found the transport system long abandoned.

Seed ships could take a number of different forms. We could have frozen colonists, of course, but maybe someday we could simply send mechanical beings with the ability to create the singularity on another planet.

The contacts idea is probably wishful thinking, although someday what we now see as magic could be done via hard science that we now don't understand. Already we can "think" and have various mechanical parts of our bodies respond.

a reply to: Eagleyedobserver

Well, I knew the parents of someone who worked there briefly. People have speculated about the possibility that the scientists could somehow create a very small blackhole. I'm guessing that won't happen. Who knows? They might find additional building blocks that will help us understand more about the universe.

a reply to: Tardacus

Well, if I knew for sure, I'd probably be unable to be on this forum. I would suspect more military air ships that are invisible to radar as a start. I would also suspect robotic type soldiers (how's that for an all volunteer army?). Even more sophisticated drone technology is a natural.

originally posted by: StanSchatt
a reply to: ThunderWords
I'm very optimistic that something will happen relatively soon. There is far more of a "buzz" about the subject. It's interesting that you should mention "sleeper" agents. I wrote a book called Alien Love that will be published this summer by Booktrope in which I liken Earth to Casablanca just before WW2 with alien agents playing the role played by Nazis in the movie. Once again, no tangible proof but a feeling that things are going to break soon.

Good to hear, because I have a hunch that I am a "sleeper" agent. Because I have a strong feeling that I am here on earth to be a link between ET's and humans. Help humans into the galactic fold. Not that I know much about it now, feels like I will know when I need to know. Until then I only get hints and affirmation that they are watching over me.

a reply to: Xtrozero
It's interesting that David Brin, a scientist and a science fiction writer, has a group of what he calls Renunciaters in Existence--- they want us to go slow on technology. Peter Hamilton describes a planet where colonists insist that everything go back to 19th century technology as a better way of living.

You're right about China. After visiting and talking with people, I'm not very optimistic about them--I also see a wild ride.

a reply to: ScientificRailgun
I believe that right around the time you're starting to feel old (around 60), you'll be in luck. The technology should be mature by that time. It's going to come too late for me. :-(

a reply to: UKWO1Phot
We keep changing our storage media as new technologies emerge. I think ultimately we will have an infinite amount of storage capacity available. As far as the written word, I think it will continue to exist. It still is more efficient than having material "read" to you. Now, 500 years from now, we probably will have changed and compacted the language so much that it would almost unreadable for those people living today. Try to read a teen's texting as an example.

I've speculated on all kinds of uses of infinite storage. As an example, what if we uploaded pictures of people we meet along with their "business card" info and a comment. When we see someone across the room and can't remember who he or she is, a service would use facial recognition and our personal database to send back the info.

a reply to: Cyruay
I'm enough of a realist to think that industry leaders for the most part do what is in their own self-interest. The great challenge for people who want to change the world is to figure out how to couch a problem so that the solution makes these industry leaders feel like it is in their own self-interest as well as in the world's self-interest.

a reply to: and14263
I believe i've read the forecasts by several people that AI should develop consciousness by that time. After that, I guess all bets are off. It's interesting that we might have to rely on the science fiction writers for advice on this topic since they've thought about it a lot more than our social scientists. Will we provide citizenship and full rights to AI at that point? How will the transition to a Singularity take place under such conditions? I haven't crossed paths with Hammond.

a reply to: Agnost
Very interesting points:

I found this report interesting but in contrast to other reports I read that described a strange writing. It's hard for me to reconcile the conflicting reports.

Ahh. I see. You're suggesting that Podesta might be referring to some homegrown UFO project. I guess I put more emphasis on his reference to the X-files which has to do, of course, with a government coverup of work with aliens.

I admit I haven't read the Vedas themselves, but I've seen quoted passages that I believe describe flying machines, weapons that are "brighter than the sun," etc. So, I guess I'll have to do some more homework to find these exact passages.

Yes, I know there are NASA spokespeople who say this. The problem is that if NASA did have photos to prove otherwise, would they necessarily tell the public? So, while I don't take every UFO or alien report seriously, I don't necessarily take every absolute denial from a government agency seriously. It's a shame that we can't just assume the government never lies.

a reply to: Reddaysun

I'm just saying that I'd be more comfortable if I personally saw the "smoking gun" rather than hearing about it second-hand. One problem with all the alien sightings is just how varied they are. Maybe there are a 100 alien races contacting us regularly. I honestly don't know and I'm not telling anyone else what to believe.

What would make me more comfortable would be a public news conference with tangible evidence. Let's say alien DNA that has been analyzed in a very reputable lab and the scientist is there to stake his reputation on the fact that this DNA doesn't match anything on Earth.

Alternatively, let's have a news conference that showcases an implant with a scientist there to explain who the technology works and how it is way beyond us.

I'll keep looking because as I've said, I want to find evidence to back up my personal belief in extraterrestrials.

a reply to: StanSchatt

Given the feasibility of dinosaur humanoid species on other star systems: Do you think that a humanoid species that has three fingered hands, could perform complex tasks like flying a starship?

Thanks

a reply to: charlyv
Okay, I'm fine with that. But, even if we find that UFOs are built by the military, that doesn't mean that there aren't extraterrestrials or even that they might be in our neighborhood.

a reply to: Leanansidhe

You would think that the further along you are on the evolutionary scale, the less emotion factors in. It's a bit sad to realize that as seen in the conflicts between our "old brain" and our "newer brain." I'm not sure what good it would do for aliens to alert the public to the imminent destruction of Earth because there wouldn't be time or technology to send enough colonists off to preserve humanity. If aliens alerted only the government, then I think you know who would be on that ship. It wouldn't necessarily be the best and brightest. Now, if the aliens could convince us that we had a couple of hundred years before an asteroid would land, then we could put together a program to send lots of people off world.

Many writers have speculated about how difficult it would be to colonize distant planets and moons. It would take a lot of time and effort to make such colonies self-sustaining.