Quote:
Originally Posted by mapuc
It is funny I should read this today-yesterday I saw Independence Day
It also makes me wonder if Hawkings have seen to much of "Hollywoods version of how Aliens are"
Markus
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What's funny is that some cable channels here play
Independence Day, all day on the 4th of July. We've probably raised a generation who thinks the USA won it's independence from genocidal aliens, not King George III.
Hawking is either being paranoid, or hunting for a little more publicity. Let's look at the Fermi paradox and the Drake equation for an example. Any species capable of interstellar technology would have had the ability to annihilate itself many times over before ever achieving the technology necessary to travel interstellar distance through space.
The Fermi Paradox offers us a way of looking at a vast universe that is not exactly teeming with obvious signs of intelligent life. Because intelligent, curious, inquisitive species probably end up accidentally killing themselves in the effort to understand the make up of reality, or accidentally or deliberately kill themselves off out of hostile and aggressive tendencies.
Therefore, within reason, it is more probable that the only species capable of such advanced technology would be the few left who were able to overcome the aggressive and hostile tendencies Hawking fears. The problem is this makes for boring science fiction and we are bombarded with scenarios in pop culture where creatures come to earth to take our resources when in reality their tech is so advanced they would be able to program matter itself and create their own resources.
Of course, this does not rule out ancient trans-dimensional million tentacled cephalopods who want to shatter the sphere of our reality and devour our sanity like cold mint jelly. That's just instinctual behavior for animals vastly more complex than we are.
"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn"