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.
  • Otter@lemmy.caOPEnglish
    2·
    1 年前

    Good point

    The meddling usually doesn’t happen from an entity the smaller group doesn’t know about. The meddling might be done secretly, but the incentive to meddle was something everyone knew about

    I guess I can wash this shower thought down now

    • Pons_Aelius@kbin.social
      7·
      1 年前

      Yep. Basically every alien invasion story is a retelling of human colonialism but replacing the less advanced people with Earth and the more advanced with Aliens.

      There is nothing on earth, resource wise, that cannot be found in every star with a planetary system in the galaxy.

      • Spacehooks@reddthat.comEnglish
        23·
        1 年前

        People always talk abour raw resouces but forget the other things. Like maybe they do it to watch the Drama.

        Also story of babel tells us we can make space elevators if we can work together. Can’t have that.

        Could also be this is imperial “feral” world and need the conflict on going for recruits.

        Another alternative was just free range biomass like in Jupiter ascending.

        • Pons_Aelius@kbin.social
          51·
          1 年前

          Also story of babel tells us we can make space elevators

          Relying on the bible for science info…

          Do you think the world flooded as well?

          With everything we currently know about material science, space elevators are impossible on earth.

          The moon with 1/6th G Sure.

          Mars with 1/3 G possible.

          Earth at 1G sorry but no.

          All the rest is thinking aliens are like humans or that SF has anything to do with actual science.

          • Spacehooks@reddthat.comEnglish
            15·
            1 年前

            Babel is fugitive. We can reach the heavens if we work together.

            More importantly is thinking aliens are like humans really an issue?

            • Pons_Aelius@kbin.social
              2·
              1 年前

              Babel is fugitive. We can reach the heavens if we work together.

              Are you talking about the christian heaven or actual space?

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

              More importantly is thinking aliens are like humans really an issue?

              Of you are talking about fiction? No.

              If you are talking about reality? Yes.

              Humans are a fluke of random evolution on one planet, that is all.

              • Spacehooks@reddthat.comEnglish
                15·
                1 年前

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

                So humans are fluke and aliens not fluke? If the great filter happened for us then maybe it filters out beings that are not like us. I mean unless you know an alien Any argument anyone can make is just limited by imagination.

                • Pons_Aelius@kbin.social
                  2·
                  1 年前

                  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.

                  • Spacehooks@reddthat.comEnglish
                    12·
                    1 年前

                    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.