Aliens Among Us

But Suppose That They Do Come Here

Gordon Moore (of "Moore's Law" regarding integrated circuits) stated in an interview:

"My view is statistically it's likely that there is intelligent life someplace else in the universe….You could argue that anybody out there that we happen to find has probably been around at the level that they could communicate much longer than we have. So they're probably significantly more advanced. Presumably, that intelligence could be transmitted from whomever we find to Earth. We might be able to make huge leaps in a shorter period of time." (Technology Review. May 2001. P.65).
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In the Star Trek episode "Return To Tomorrow", the starship Enterprise is investigating a planet that appears to be lifeless. However, far beneath the surface are the minds (that are pure energy) of three survivors from a culture that has been extinct for half a million years. The leader of this trio asks Kirk for the temporary loan of three bodies so that the minds can create robots to travel the universe and dispense their advanced knowledge.

The physical transfer is known to be extremely hazardous, but Captain Kirk, Dr. Spock, and Dr. Mullhall are willing to chance it for the possibility of moving their planet's civilization ahead technologically by 10,000 years. Scotty is entranced at the prospect of developing Starfleet engines that are no bigger than a walnut.

Would we, should we have that attitude? Suppose that we were visited by representatives of a friendly, cooperative civilization that is far more advanced technologically than ours. Assume that the visitors would offer to show us how to cure and prevent all of our major illnesses, substantially prolong our life spans, introduce remarkable industrial processes, products, and wonderfully improved methods of communications, and provide prescriptions for harmonious modes of behavior and utopia in governance.

If we accepted their offer, it would create very serious problems for us.

To be continued in the next issue of this newsletter.

Designed by KEG