Which will aliens communicate with first? Humans, or ?

Originally posted by SeekerofTruth101
Would 'aliens' capable of mathematics, science and space travel communicate with fishes, even if they look like fishes? I doubt so.

Aliens that are capable of comming to Earth are not moss or algae, but sentient beings, fabricators of such crafts and engineers of such travel systems.

I would have to argue about the possibilities of evolution of certain species capable of communication with each other. That might be a can of worms I don't want to open.

Who's to say what animal-like aliens are and are not capable of. All sorts of creatures on our planet are capable of constructing amazing things! Here's an example: The bug from 'Men in Black', it was a giant insect from another planet, exoskeleton and all! But it could communicate and befriend a cockroach here on earth.

Before you argue that my example is simply science fiction, remember that sci-fi stories have led to amazing scienctific discoveries in the 20th century.

It's an interesting idea. Just because we cant' communicate with whales and similar (presumably) highly-intelligent sea-creatures might not mean that some other extraterrestrial race couldn't.

However, I think they will talk to us first. We're the most "obvious" species on the planet. Obvious, in the sense that our presence is easily noted 1) from deep space (radio signals), 2) from low orbit (lighted cities at night, and larger structures/cities during the day), and 3) those few dozen or so atomic blasts over the last half-century or so would probably have gotten somebody's attention.

Doyle has a very good point.

We can't even communicate properly with species on our own planet. How are we to assume that sending radio signals is a sufficient form of communication?

This reinforces the idea that we are still very primitive.

Think about this. We are obviously much more technologically advanced than bacteria, however, some forms of disease is incurable even with today's medical advances.

We are helpless to cancer, HIV, etc. They actually rule our planet, not us. They decide who dies and who doesn't. We should start worshiping bacteria.

Originally posted by EnhancedInterrogator
It's an interesting idea. Just because we cant' communicate with whales and similar (presumably) highly-intelligent sea-creatures might not mean that some other extraterrestrial race couldn't.

However, I think they will talk to us first. We're the most "obvious" species on the planet. Obvious, in the sense that our presence is easily noted 1) from deep space (radio signals), 2) from low orbit (lighted cities at night, and larger structures/cities during the day), and 3) those few dozen or so atomic blasts over the last half-century or so would probably have gotten somebody's attention.

Now that you mention the atomic blasts, what if they are a peace loving race, and don't like nuclear bombs? Then that might give them a reason to contact the whales instead, since the whales DIDN"T detonate any atomic bombs.

The show Seaquest DSV was really imaginative in showing a 16 year old whiz kid figure out a way to translate what the dolphin was saying. Hopefully someday we can talk to other species on our own planet like that, but until we can, it DOES raise questions about whether we'll be able to communicate with ET or not, since we can't even communicate with whales and dolphins.

Not sure if anyones mentioned this as yet, but maybe they DONT want to talk to us at all!

Look at us, primitive, destructive race full of jealousy, greed and hatred!

I've no doubt that at somepoint in history we have been visited, and possibly even now, but what if they are here to observe and keep us out of the way if needed, in our own little corner.

Maybe the local universe is doing just fine as it is, and any being/s inhabiting it dont want us riff-raff messing things up.

In the mean time

Alien Adama - "Just send a ship down now and then to see how far off extinction them pesky bipeds down there are so we can get back home to the local Grey Inn for a pint! Oh and confuse them a bit too, flash a few lights and things seeing as we have nothing better to do!"

reply to post by fuserleer


Good point.

If they want to communicate with a peaceful species, as far as we know the humpback whales haven't set off any nukes yet.

It's hard to know what the aliens might be thinking.

I still think humans are probably the first choice for the aliens to communicate with but I'm thinking of alternatives now that I'd never considered before.

Well when the dolphins start singing so long and thanks for all the fish ill be sure to stop one of them and ask who will be talked to first us or the whales.

Wouldnt aliens contact the dominating specie of a planet instead of the most "cummunicate"-able"?

If they are intelligent enough to come to us then sure they must be intelligent enough to know whales cant stop wars? or stop polluting the Earth? Or stop making and using weapons?

language and talking is not a prerequisite for communication. There are numerous other ways to do it. And we dont know what technology's ET has in the field of language, and we dont know how long they have studied us and our language's..

Dont worry, if they want to communicate, they will do it with humans

Originally posted by Arbitrageur
Now that you mention the atomic blasts, what if they are a peace loving race, and don't like nuclear bombs? Then that might give them a reason to contact the whales instead, since the whales DIDN"T detonate any atomic bombs.

And that is exactly the reason they will talk to us, like i said before?

If they are peace loving and want us to stop detonating bombs, then why talk to a specie that have never done that, dont have the intelligence and capability's to do it?

We detonate those bombs, and only we can stop ourselfs from doing that, so for ET there is no reason to tell a sea-creature that humans must stop doing it.

By the way, have you ever seen a whale talking with a human? What can a whale do with the info he gets from et? translate it for us? No way! Can a whale stop us from using bombs, again the answer is no.

If i want my neighbour to stop playing very loud music i am not going to tell his dog...

Aliens communicating with whales is an interesting idea. Maybe this is why there have been reports of UFO's spotted hovering above oceans. People have said that the UFO could be taking on board water, but what if the intention is to communicate with something in the ocean.

reply to post by sightings
There have also been reports of UFOs entering the water like this one in Shag Harbor www.ufoevidence.org...

They call those USOs or unidentified submersible objects. I think UFO Hunters did a show about those.

And that is exactly the reason they will talk to us, like i said before?

If they are peace loving and want us to stop detonating bombs, then why talk to a specie that have never done that, dont have the intelligence and capability's to do it?

Yeah, if nothing else, an atomic blast is an "attention getter". They might not like what we are using nuclear power for, but the fact that we have it makes us somebody they will have to interact with on this planet at some point - even if they think we are unworthy in our current state.

[edit on 2009-12-30 by EnhancedInterrogator]

reply to post by EnhancedInterrogator


It may be an attention getter, but why exactly would they have to interact with the atomic bomb makers? If they have the ability for FTL travel and other advancements we can only dream about, they may not be vulnerable to the bombs. Maybe they have a non interference prime directive like in Star Trek and wouldn't meddle in our atomic affairs anyway.

As I said before it's likely they would contact humans first, but by no means does it seem to be a requirement, especially if they prefer to avoid violent species (maybe like the Nox on Stargate SG-1).

Or is there some reason they'd have to contact the bomb makers I'm not aware of?