The search for a habitable planet

[pmrid (Peter)]

I was reading a news item about australian astronomers advocating the highest priority be given to the search for the nearest planet with a habitable atmosphere.
The thought occurred to me that the existence of a habitable climate probably raises a afirly good chance that it is, in fact, inhabited. This led me to speculating on what we would probably do if we found such a place and had the means, within a workable tme frame, to go there.
Would we rediscover the doctrine of Terra Nullius (a la Eddie Mabo) and plant a flag, identify and subdue the inhabitants, introduce Coke and hamburgers to them and claim the place as the 51st State of the Union (as Newt ingrich was reported to have proposed for the moon recently)?
I wonder.
Peter

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Peter, we would go there, and pollute the crap out of the place, feed the locals all sorts of junk food, teach them to smoke and drink, quarrel amongst ourselves about many different aspects until someone spits the dummy and declares war on the opposing group, introduce a tax system on the locals so they learn how to pay for repairs and upkeep (to keep fixing all the damage we do), establish Law and Order that they can't live without, a fair work system with public holidays (New World Landing Day, etc), make sure the locals have access to Counsellors for Gambling Addiction, and establish the fact that we are actually in charge because we went there to help them.

Then they will pick up their peanuts, scratch their bum, make a few grunting sounds and return to the safety of their jungle areas in complete confusion while this mighty new saviour race conquers . . oops, sorry . . . establishes its sovereignty. Just so we can feed our ego by domination and ruin another planet

[Lee]

If such planet was habitable, and inhabited, why assume the inhabitants are less technologically advanced than we are??
We could get vaporized on approach to their planet by their 'star wars' program satellites....

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Originally Posted by Lee

If such planet was habitable, and inhabited, why assume the inhabitants are less technologically advanced than we are??
We could get vaporized on approach to their planet by their 'star wars' program satellites....

So True

[joe_smith]

Maybe we don't have to worry going by this report

Two Princeton Scientists who say Earth may be a 'one-off fluke' and the Milky Way's billions of other planets may all be lifeless and Analysis suggests idea of extraterrestrial life is 'wishful thinking'. The Princeton scientists used what's known as 'Bayesian analysis' - a technique that 'boils down' ideas to the actual data, as opposed to scientists' own ideas about what 'should' be true.

[Ric]

Essentially, we would turn up, stuff it up and move onto the next planet.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Originally Posted by Ric

Essentially, we would turn up, stuff it up and move onto the next planet.

Totally agree.