The aliens we DON'T want to meet

When it comes to the issue of first contact, many people are willing to believe in diplomacy-where exchanges of knowledge between us and an alien race will lead to the enrichment and advancement of humanity. However this is only an assumption, and it could be a dangerous one because we also assume that aliens are either benevolent or malevolent before we've actually met them.

So what about the aliens themselves? for all the peace loving races we want to contact, there could be just as many that we may not want to contact for own safety. These types of civilizations are listed below, and I will add examples from works of fiction that resemble the races I’m discussing.

The idealist extremists

We are all aware of the violence and disharmony that has been caused by clashing beliefs. Skin color, sexual preference, religious beliefs, and even economic factors have been a trigger for violence. And if we are capable of such acts, we shouldn't assume that our galactic neighbors are not as well.

Our population is dominated by two religions: Islamism and Catholicism. The two have been at loggerheads for centuries, and the conflict between the two has cost thousands of lives. Now imagine a monotheistic race, all devoted to a single god who we'll call Bob for now. Now what happens when the the devoted Bob botherers learn of a false idols known as god, Mohammed and Buddha? It could trigger a violent crusade against us infidels. Now I know what you're thinking 'aliens capable of interstellar travel are intelligent enough to put aside their differences and prejudices'-another assumption. When Neil Armstrong made one small step for man, many more men were making small steps in the jungles of Vietnam.

And religion is not the only facet of human society that aliens could frown upon; aliens could hate our hierarchical system, and could punish us for our belief in democracy. The same could be said for any one of our human facets; self replicating asexual aliens might take offense to the endless pornography we are broadcasting and decide to put an end to our species for our carnal crimes.

Example:The Yuuzhan Vong

The handsome chap above is a member of the Yuuzhan Vong, a species found in the Star Wars universe.
He hates technology and those who wield it, to his people technology is unnatural and a blight on the living experience. So naturally his people want to cleanse the galaxy of these abominations, which ended in the deaths of hundreds of trillions of individuals.

The artificial antagonists

Many scientists have proposed that first contact won't be between man and alien, but between man and machine, or possibly between machine and machine. Ideas such as the Von Neumann probe envision swarms of self replicating robots that spread and reproduce when the need arises.

But what would happen if these robots had sentience? Even the simplest life forms on earth are aware that life is a game of survival of the fittest, if they didn't then they would be extinct. A machine could eventually evolve the same sense of self preservation that we have, which could prove deadly for us.

Now let's bring Bob back into the equation, only this time he's an intelligent probe. Now Bob was not too bright at the start, he only knew a few things- where to go, how to get there in one piece, and how to make more Bobs (He calls this the backpacker strategy.) Over time he learns more of his surroundings, growing smarter and reproducing. But eventually he runs into organic predators, intent on capturing and possibly devouring him and his replicas. So what does he do? He survives and evolves.

Over time he encounters more and more of these organic lifeforms, each one a possible roadblock impeding his mission. And because Bobs logic can't comprehend tolerance or interpret the other party's intentions, his artificial instinct kicks in, which is survival. So to provide security, Bob creates doomsday dreadnaughts to destroy every possible threat to his mission and his continued existence.

Now Bobs story might seem like a bit of a stretch, but the same thing is happening inside your body right now. Every moment of everyday your white blood cells are keeping you healthy by reproducing and eliminating any foreign bodies that may compromise your immune system. And at the same time these foreign bodies are mutating into stronger forms so they can combat the strength of your white blood cells. They don't know why they do it, they just do it, and if something as simple as a virus can have survival instincts, then there's no doubt that A.I could as well.

Example:The reapers


This interesting character is known as Sovereign, Bobs bigger, smarter, and stronger brother from the Mass Effect Universe. His 'race' knows the threat the meatbags pose to his kind's existence, so every fifty thousand years the reapers emerge from dark space to purge the galaxy of all sentient life, making sure every species goes down the same technological pathway to their doom.

The omnipotent opressors

Looking back at our own history, there is evidence that the more cultured societies have tried to mold the more primitive people into their own image. Tribes in Africa for example have had Christianity and technology forced upon them, when they require neither- a bible or a television does not enrich their lives, and some could argue that in some instances the advancements in western society has made the situation worse, even if the intentions are noble.

So what if there is a race out there that has the power and the purpose to alter all our lives? Our society could have the rug pulled from under our feet by a species who thinks it knows what's best for us. This is where Bob makes another appearance.

Bob is no longer a probe anymore-he's now an ancient alien, who's race has ascended to a level of evolution that borders on godhood. He's the all seeing, all powerful custodian of the universe, capable of feats that would seem like magic to us. But being the caretaker of the galaxy is a burden, especially when you have young upstarts like Homo Sapiens willing to destroy themselves or others.

So in Bob's infinite wisdom, he decides to pacify humanity by stripping them of their weapons. But he can't stop there. He sees the fallacies of spiritualism and mysticism, so he eradicates those as well, and slowly but surely humanity is molded into what Bob believes is a utopia, when in actuality mankind has been stripped of it's chance to forge it's own destiny and enlightenment. (continued in the next post)

reply to post by Thecakeisalie


(Continued from previous post)

Example:The forerunners

The fellow above the one of the forerunners, an ancient race that appears in the Halo universe. They believed in the 'mantle'-their right and responsibility to protect and guide all life in the galaxy, mankind being one of those life forms. But mankind was quickly becoming a threat to the mantle, so roughly a hundred thousands years ago the forerunners defeated the humans, destroyed their technology, and reduced Homo Sapiens to a primitive state.

So there you have it. We may be more than eager for our first encounter with another intelligent species, but we need to take heed of our own past and be careful about who we meet in the cosmos. There is a good chance that other civilizations are peaceful and benevolent, but the milky way is a very big place and the possibilities are endless.

reply to post by Thecakeisalie


There has already been contact between aliens and humans. we got nothing that we can deal with them except human slaves.

reply to post by Thecakeisalie


There has already been contact between aliens and humans. we got nothing that we can deal with them except human slaves.

I'm sure many people are aware of a malevolent threat, that's why contact is being withheld, if indeed contact has been made.

Just a couple of things, Catholicism is part of the Christianity faith, along with Protestants and the orthodox churches of Greece and Russia and Baptists, Methodists and the like. So Catholicism isn't the biggest religion, it's a part of the biggest religion called Christianity.

Also Mohammed isn't a God, he is a prophet. Just thought I'd clarify that.

Everything you've said is true...from a Human perspective only.

You are assuming ET(s) think the same as we do and have the same priorities, which we cannot assume, since we simply don't know what, if anything, would necessarily motivate them.

We know what motivates us, our history as you have shown is filled with periods of strife and conflict among ourselves, but usually, ultimately, the strife if resource based, and who can grab the most for themselves and their own countrymen.

ET, especially those that are regular spacefarers and could come here to cause problems, probably don't have countrymen or a shortage of resources (since they are spacefaring and could simply get whatever they needed anywhere else)

The only threat from them, would be their interpretation of the threat that we, ourselves would pose to them.

reply to post by Cobaltic1978


Along with Hindus, Seikhs, buddhists...etc.

reply to post by MysterX


The O.P quite rightly pointed out that humans have fought each other for centuries over religion and the 2 biggest religions on earth are Christianity and The Muslim faith. Not Catholicism as this is part of the Christian faith.

Both of those faiths have been thrust on people by violent means throughout history, I am not sure about the other faiths?

The only explanation anyone would come to Earth particularly is because they have a specific reason. Our people, animals, the real estate Earth, Food, Slaves, DNA, liquid water, contact, travel liesure, zoo experience, military reconasance, educational scientific study, to seed the planet with their own, etc... Who ever they are would be a top predator in behavior. We should be extremely careful.

reply to post by Cobaltic1978


Yeah, pretty much all different religions either fight or have fought each other since they were invented.

But for me, it's another form of resource based warfare, since i believe religion is a massive money making scam, the land, the property, the wealth...all resources.

I s'pose it could be argued that people are resources too, in a religious context, but i doubt our 'hypothetical' ET's, able to travel the Galaxy at will would have a religion and wouldn't fight Humans because of ours (Vs theirs)...unlike Humans against Humans.

Perhaps given our current technological state we have already met some...

Resistance is Futile

reply to post by Thecakeisalie


I've long said that the idiots who attached all the information about us (the golden record) onto the Voyager 1 should have be locked up. That had to be one of the stupidest things humans have ever done.

The argument that because an alien race is technologically advanced means that they would by definition be peaceful is ridiculous.

reply to post by abeverage


who knows, there may very well indeed be some kind of alien race just like the Borg, half this, and half that. It would NOT surprise me in the least. I believe there is life all over the universe, and in a wide variety of types. The most common type mentioned though as expected is the grays, then I have read about some tyoe pf insectoid/reptilian type as being described by some abductees. There is also a "nordic" type I have read about as being seen. The sky is the limit I think!

Some aliens might just be very curious explorers. Scientific minds, with zero empathy for what is alien to them.
Wanting to study us, the way people studied animals decades ago, with the weird belief that we don't feel pain, or that it doesn't matter if we do.

I have always thrown my hands up in horror at sending pictures of our bodies and planet into space because to my cynical mind we are giving away our weaknesses as well as who we are and a bit more information as well.

Slavery is something we humans know about and we already have the Sumerian tablets telling us the gold on this planet was mined by another race of beings who adapted us so that we could do it for them, although of course,we cannot be sure if our 'creators' evolved here or elsewhere. I also wonder about four beautiful earth having assets another race might love to take or mine etc and if we minded, simply get us out of the way. Lastly there's the idea of food, could we be seen purely as food - fast, slow roast or frozen for long haul rations.

I would have preferred it if we waited till we could at least carry out some sort of reccy on another race and see what they do before we invite or informed them of our presence.

Although most of us laugh at the idea, if one thinks about it it could be the biggest mistake of our lives and our planet's. I prefer caution on this kind of thing and feel that the sending of information about us into space should have been a democratic or considered gamble before it was done. It just seems that a few people thought it might be fun and got stuck in regardless of whether the aliens were friendly or not.

Personally I think the Aliens that are benevolent would leave us to our own designs. After all, Man has had the obsession of being the Gods themselves. Where they show up when the time is right. But then people wonder, why haven't those benevolent angels haven't come down for a talk. Maybe its their way of hinting, stay out trouble.

Using mans fears of the unknown, to get their understandings straightened and so they could cover the foundations of practices like something as dangerous as chemistry, or even splitting atoms.

Maybe the word Gods is just a unhealthy term for such a superstitious planet.

As for the malevolent one, they would call themselves Gods wouldn't they?

Bassago
reply to post by Thecakeisalie

 

I've long said that the idiots who attached all the information about us (the golden record) onto the Voyager 1 should have be locked up. That had to be one of the stupidest things humans have ever done.

The argument that because an alien race is technologically advanced means that they would by definition be peaceful is ridiculous.

Did you ever see Star Trek: The Motion Picture?
The whole premise was aliens tinkered with Voyager 1 and it became some weird sentient thing/energy being.
I hope our descendants invent Captain Kirk pants in the near future before this scenario occurs. They might want to study Kirk-Fu as well or all may be lost.

reply to post by the owlbear

Did you ever see Star Trek: The Motion Picture? The whole premise was aliens tinkered with Voyager 1 and it became some weird sentient thing/energy being.

Oh yeah, saw it in the theater when it first came out. Also read L Ron Hubbard's "Battlefield Earth" where the aliens found the gold record on Voyager 1 was made of gold so they came here and exterminated us for our resources.

alien races advanced enough to reach here would only do so
for one two or both reasons.

scientific curiosity or resource exploitation either way humans would be
either an irrelevance or an annoyance or worse (likely) a resource to exploit

we would be so far behind a race with the tech to come here in reasonable (relatively)
time frames that the effect on us from their arrival would be worse for us
than the effect that western(white) men (Europeans) have had on the native populations
all over the planet be it the Americas, asia or elsewhere.

to paraphrase Julius Caesar they came they saw they conquered be it by war or population displacement
or even decease like the conquistadores did (by accident) to the south Americans.

if they ARE here and some think they may well be be afraid be very very afraid:

reply to post by ShayneJUK


There was no accident where the conquistadors were concerned. Their name is a derivative of "one who conquers". They were out for resource exploitation from the time the first wind hit their sails on the sea.