Do you agree with Stephen Hawking?

[dugnsuz (Doug)]

Originally Posted by gregbradley

Slavery was only recently historically stopped in bulk in our world and is still practised in some areas. The Romans used it as well. Who's to say someone advanced wouldn't think - cool , a new source of "primitive" slaves!

Greg.

That's the problem though Greg - all we have is our own experience to base any ideas of alien life/society on - and surely that's flawed from the outset - how can we know or envisage?.
Although I do think that "survival of the fittest" might prevail - but slavery might not fall under that heading - it's a man made idea.
Doug

[starlooker (Duc)]

I voted other.

If we are more technically advanced, then we should try to make contact.

If we are less technically advanced, and there is the possibility of a visit from aliens, then we shouldn't.

Of course, we won't know either way, until contact is made, so better to just listen for alien transmission, rather than broadcasting.

[bojan]

Robots are much better slaves than humans ever were

[dugnsuz (Doug)]

Originally Posted by bojan

Robots are much better slaves than humans ever were

You want to read some Asimov!
Those guys can get out of hand!
Hypothetically!

[bojan]

Originally Posted by dugnsuz

You want to read some Asimov!
Those guys can get out of hand!
Hypothetically!

I have read everything written by Asimov :-)
The 3 laws of robotics are there, firmly implemented in their OS, so no worries.

EDIT:
(yes, I know.. windows etc... but I hope Microsoft will not be anywhere close to robots

[supernova1965 (Warren)]

What are you all so scared of. All the movies that we humans have thought up like predator, alien and avatar either show bad aliens or bad us but it is showing how we think not how alien races will think when they may have completely alien way's of looking at things that we could not understand.

[dugnsuz (Doug)]

Originally Posted by bojan

I have read everything written by Asimov :-)
The 3 laws of robotics are there, firmly implemented in their OS, so no worries.

Well,I've seen iRobot with Will Smith...and those guys can be corrupted.

[dugnsuz (Doug)]

bojan - your edit beat me to it!!

[bojan]

Originally Posted by dugnsuz

bojan - your edit beat me to it!!

:d

Hmm.. smiley does not work...

[dugnsuz (Doug)]

We live in a strange world where aliens can be debated till the cows come homes but religion which is equally contentious/ controversial and debatable closes threads down.

[bojan]

Originally Posted by dugnsuz

We live in a strange world where aliens can be debated till the cows come homes but religion which is equally contentious/ controversial and debatable closes threads down.

shush....

[dugnsuz (Doug)]

Originally Posted by bojan

shush....

[bojan]

BTW, have you noticed the slavery was introduced and practised only in (early) democratic societies ? (oops..)

[dugnsuz (Doug)]

Originally Posted by bojan

BTW, have you noticed the slavery was introduced and practised only in (early) democratic societies ? (oops..)

We've got to get off comparing humanity with alien-ity!!
But I realise all we've got is 'comparison' - should we take it back to first principles and suggest that DNA might be a fundamental for life universally?

If so then I still suggest the 'survival of the fittest' a good analogy for the Raison d'etre () of the lifeforms we might encounter. ???????????????

[bojan]

I agree 110% with principle "the fittest survives", because there is no other mechanism that could possibly drive the evolution of living organisms - DNA-based or whatever-based...
However, the competition between us and them could be only for resources which are important for both.. and that may not be a great number of things if differences are sufficiently large (Sun's energy? Plenty of other stars are available for this purpose so.. )

Questions, questions..

[bojan]

The point I am trying to make is, with intelligence and civilisation, the Raison d'etre acquires a new dimension.. totally different "qualities" and "properties" are now important for species and/or individuals to survive.
For example, when we were in caves, we had to be both smart and strong to avoid being eaten by cave bear - our neighbour and wannabe tenant..
Today, we have to be only smart (to outsmart people like those who are running GOLDMAN Sachs and alike, for example) to survive..
I guess, the similar principles may be applicable to all sentient organisms living in civilised societies.

And, what may be important in the future?
With robots slaving for us (like in Asimov's novels.. rebellions etc would not be tolerated, so we have to design them not too smart), art, science and all those useless activities will replace "real" work .

Quite possibly, future humans will have very different goals.. and quite possibly, co-existence with alien races could be viable, without interference..

[casstony]

If we don't learn to be nice to each other we will destroy ourselves before evolving into a space-faring civilisation; therefore space-faring aliens must be nice in order to have avoided destroying themselves through war. Maybe.