this post was submitted on 01 Dec 2023
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Showerthoughts

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Maybe aliens don't want peace and understanding on Earth (lemmy.ca)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by [email protected] to c/showerthoughts
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This is a thought experiment that came up just now

Historically, global powers have meddled with the internal affairs of smaller countries and regions, hurting their chances for peace and stability. Sometimes it was for profit, sometimes it was to maintain or shift the balance of power in their favour.

What if that applies even further out, and part of the reason why we can't work towards something collectively is because it threatens those same incentives above? Alternatively, if it hasn't happened yet, it could still be something to keep in mind as a future possibility.

Now before they realize we're onto them and decide to pay us a visit:

  1. If the reason for the meddling is that a united humanity could pose a threat, it doesn't have to. As smaller regions on earth achieved peace and understanding, they could then start working on that with larger regions. So progress doesn't have to end with a united humanity.
  2. Please don't.
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[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Why no for actual space? We actually are going, like right now.

The answer for both, via a space elevator, is no.

We have not left earth's orbit in 50 years.

Voyager, the probes that have been travelling for 50 years are still less than 0.001% (1/10,000th) the distance to the nearest star.

So humans are fluke and aliens not fluke?

Both are/will be but the chance of evolution taking the same path on two different biospheres is pretty much zero.

[โ€“] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago

Yeah but that's not because we can't. Maybe "it's aliens"

Well I can't say you are right or wrong. No one can. Anything I say is purely hypothetical but winning the lotto is pretty much zero and people win.