what do we do if one day in the near future....

we have the means to travel where ever we want, and we happen to find a planet that looks just like earth but millions of years younger, and is just starting the caveman age, or even a time where man is a bit more evolved but just starting out basically; for example: Like the first stages of man, or even a time as late as there version of early 1900's to even a time where its there 1947. My questions are:

• Can we and should we involve ourselves, like help them out or show them things that
would take hundreds of years to even be able to comprehend for them.

• Do we just observe and take notes at a safe distance

• And would that make us their version of a alien since they wont know what
we look like and just see the ship floating there like we do now.

sometimes i just wonder who is really watching who in the grand scheme of things. i think this universe is just one big loop that is so long that we never get to live long enough to really see repeat.

Originally posted by whos_out_there...
• Can we and should we involve ourselves, like help them out or show them things that
would take hundreds of years to even be able to comprehend for them.

• Do we just observe and take notes at a safe distance...

Hi w_o_t!

Based on the evidence from Earth's own history, my guess is that if we did find a planet similar to Earth, and the indigenous "people" on it were technologically inferior to us, we would go in hard and take whatever resources were there, never minding about any damage we caused to "them" or, indeed, to the planet itself. That's been the way throughout time, hasn't it??

As they say, "Peace be with you, or we'll wipe you out!!"

AEN

What we would do would depend if their planet had oil.

Kidding aside, I would hope that we would not interfere with their development. But if human history is used to predict the outcome:

We would probably rape their planet

Kill half of them

Set up an election

And tell everybody back on Earth that we are helping them

Originally posted by NoPhobos
.... And tell everybody back on Earth that we are helping them

Some how that rings so true NP!! What's more, we would take photgraphs (or whatever technology we had by then) to "prove" that we were indeed helping those unfortunates - it'd make for rivetting viewing back on good old planet Earth (Mk1)

And, don't even think of the fate of those - on either planet - who objected to our "care"....

AEN

too funny, but you know what?? your right. lolol, if we have the same administration as we do now then forget it, there planet would be doomed big time. god help us.

you guys def went off track but made a good point about our society, someone please stop this cycle.
i gues like u said its kill or be killed which is unfortunate.

[edit on 17-3-2005 by whos_out_there]

kill all of them and claim the planet as our own we are an evil race.

Originally posted by ulshadow
kill all of them and claim the planet as our own

we are an evil race.

You know, you're probably right. The reason we think aliens are bad is because we are reflecting on our own methods.

I would have to agree with all those who say we would destroy the inhabitants and take their resources. After all this is what it happening in our past and present.
Our solar system is quite young compared to the rest of the Universe. Some systems are billions of years older than ours Hopefully by the time we decide to take over other planets a bigger dog will come in and stop us.

I would hope by the time we were able to travel to new worlds we wouldnt require such crude resources as oil or that we would kill them. i understand everyone thinks look at the americas what we did to them. you also have to realize how primitive we really were. it would be naive to think that other races in early stages of development didnt have wars etc.
I f you can harvest energy to travel to another star system it would be unlikely that we would need to take over anything. If we really needed something like nuclear fuels of some kind, i hope we would just make contact and negotiate for them. Explain why we need them an offer assistance for help. If they say no we should just leave.

Originally posted by intrepid

Originally posted by ulshadow
kill all of them and claim the planet as our own

we are an evil race.

You know, you're probably right. The reason we think aliens are bad is because we are reflecting on our own methods.

You're absolutely right. We are projecting. To use an old proessor's favorite term.

We would tell them that inorder to safe them we made have to kill them, like Operation Iraqi Liberation (O.I.L) J/K

The most likely scenerio is that we would sit back and watch, until it's time for us to make secret treaties with their most powerful nation, give them advance technology and weaponry and abduct some them to collect their sperm and/or eggs.





But what I really hope is that we sit back and watch.


[edit on 19-3-2005 by Luz]

We wouldn't need to take anyone over because soon we'll have solar, wind, hyrdo-electric, tidal, and other clean energy sources as are main energy sources. We won't need to fight over resources like oil. And Alfred E Neuman is spelled with a u.

Man, these are some funny, as well as thought provoking ideas. I would agree that if we base our future on our past, violence is most likely inevitable.

But if we were to base it on the ridiculous nature of us humans now, we would probably put some satellites in their orbit. This is, of course so we can have an all new reality show on FOX Sunday nights at 8! Everybody tune in and watch the must-see new show!.

All kidding aside, this is just something that only time can tell. Maybe, hopefully, by then we would have gone through our 'teenage rebellion stage', so to speak. You have to think that if we are to travel vast distances and visit other planets, we have to first get over our differences as humans; my opinion of course.

Mayhaps' shut our eyes and then hope for the better..

Their already here.

Dallas

If this celestial discovery happened today, I believe exploitation would be the theme du jour. So much money would pour in from Corporate behemoths looking for a piece of the action that governments would have to bow down-the elite rich know if you throw enough money at a wall sooner or later it'll crumble. Me? I'd say leave em alone, steer them away from fossil fuels, controlling religions, nuclear tech., and most of all JUNK MAIL!

These are all good replys, but can you imagine how difficult it would be to try to go there and get any resources then bring it back to Earth? Think of the equipment that would be needed that you would have to bring along. Then load it up and ship it back to Earth. It would not be cost effective. But sure we would go there, probably abduct a couple "specimens" and bring them back. We would probably only go for scientific research, unless Dubya wants to spread a little more freedom.