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We asked members of EuroSeti@egroups.com some questions. Read their interesting answerers.
Zoltan Pentelencik - pente@EUnet.yu
? Who would be, in your opinion, the best Earth representative to talk with intelligent aliens?
>> That's one of the harder questions! I think at this moment, that it would be the United Nations. Of course, there could be established a special group of representatives from all around the world. The hard part of it would be to choose those representatives into the group. I'll leave that to discuss in this mailing list...
? What would you tell aliens during the first contact?
>> Welcome! I hope you will find our pitiful civilization worth your visit.
? What would you ask them? What is the most important thing for us to know about the aliens?
>> Question: Is there just hope in the Universe?
About aliens: Their history.
? If we were to meet aliens, do you predict some kind of Federation with different species in the distant future, as seen in Star Trek?
>> At this moment, it seems like the best thing that could happen to us. (if we not only get the Federation from Start Trek, but the advance in our knowledge also)
Yiannis Papadopoulos yiapap@yahoo.com
? Who would be, in your opinion, the best Earth representative to talk with intelligent aliens?
>> A prominent scientist. In the asbence of Einstein, Steven Hawkins will do.
? What would you tell aliens during the first contact?
>> How the benign nature of humans can contribute to a Universal culture.
? What would you ask them? What is the most important thing for us to know about the aliens?
>> How our not-so-benign nature can be tamed. How did they manage to promote the pace of their cultural advancment and progress, in order to match their civilisation's scientific progress.
? If we were to meet aliens, do you predict some kind of Federation with different species in the distant future, as seen in Star Trek?
>> No, not really, at least not until the human race is able to participate in a Federation of the MUTUAL benefit of all parties involved. I would expect a lengthy "quaranteen" period first.
Yiannis
Remus Pereni remus@nolimits.ro
? Who would be, in your opinion, the best Earth representative to talk with intelligent aliens?
>> Definitely a international group of preeminent scientists under the UN umbrella. But, get real this is only in our dreams. In reality will be a group of politicians backed up with lot's of security advisers and maybe a few scientists under a fake UN representation (do you really believe that all the countries are equal ;).
? What would you tell aliens during the first contact?
>> Please be patient and look at the overall aspects. We are good creatures but sometimes it takes a lot of time to discover this.
? What would you ask them? What is the most important thing for us to know about the aliens?
>> Do we have any chance to grow up? And if yes what do we have to do?
? If we were to meet aliens, do you predict some kind of Federation with different species in the distant future, as seen in Star Trek?
>> Well, if there are more than two difference species then a federation on long (very long :) terms could be plausible.
Conrad Costa conradcosta@yahoo.com
>> Hi all ... well in my modest opinion, it is a bit arrogant of humankind to believe that if we find intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, it will be similar in custom and appearance to ours. I think that alongthe ages, science has taken the wrong approach towards finding intelligent beings. The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that some statements issued by competent people clearly profess that "life cannot be supported on planet X due to the lack of liquid water" on that particular planet. Well, for all I know, these life-forms could be drinking ammonia and have their body chemistry based on methane instead of water. Re the nature of the intelligent creatures we come across, we might experience some difficulty communicating with them (imagine coming to get to talk to a mouse, which by the way IS an intelligent life-form). The questions posed here are put by someone who is assuming a great number of things about the creatures that can possibly be 'out there'. I think that it's about time we came off our pedestal on which we stand as human beings, and reassess the very nature of our searches.
Zoltan Pentelencik - pente@EUnet.yu
CC said: "Hi all ... well in my modest opinion, it is a bit arrogant of humankind to believe that if we find intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, it will be similar in custom and appearance to ours. I think that along the ages, science has taken the wrong approach towards finding intelligent beings. The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that some statements issued by competent people clearly profess that "life> cannot be supported on planet X due to the lack of liquid water" on that particular planet. Well, for all I know, these life-forms could be drinking ammonia and have their body chemistry based on methane instead of water. Re the nature of the intelligent creatures we come across, we might experience some difficulty communicating with them (imagine coming to get to talk to a mouse, which by the way IS an intelligent life-form)."
My answer: The question is not whether there is life form not based on water, the question is how "intelligent" that kind of life-form would be.. From the perspective of student of chemistry, water is a very good solvent. Because of its high polarity, it can solvate a very high number of supstances, has a very high boiling temperature (much higher then it actually should have without its high polarity) - so it's mostly liquid on Earth.
CC said: The questions posed here are put by someone who is assuming a great number of things about the creatures that can possibly be 'out there'.
My answer: At this time, this is one of the (if not the only) thing we can do: making assumptions. All science is based on facts, but all research is done by making assumptions, and then see whether these assumptions are right or wrong. Making assumptions of non-water based life-forms is very problematical: you can just imagine *anything*, as at this point we *only* know of water based lifeforms, and we can make the best assumptions of alien life-forms, based on our knowledge we have.
At this time, research is done to find how can an organism live in extreme (extreme to our water-based life form here on Earth) conditions. (Hawaii - underwater vulcans, and the Antarctic)
CC said: I think that it's about time we came off our pedestal on which we stand as human beings, and reassess the very nature of our searches.
My answer: As I said: it's not because of our arrogant nature, that we can think of only water based life-form, it's our limitation of our knowledge to think about other possible life-forms to a more detailed extent.
Fergal fergal.macalister@siemens.ie
? Who would be, in your opinion, the best Earth representative to talk with intelligent aliens?
>> Me.
? What would you tell aliens during the first contact?
>> To stay well
away from us until we learn respect for each other.? What would you ask them? What is the most important thing for us to know about the aliens?
>> Assuming they are beings of good will, how did they break away from their violent past? However, this makes so many assumptions about ET that questions like this are really total speculation. What can mankind do now to evenually be able to live and let live? Or is this an impossibility in the animal (alien) kingdoms?
? If we were to meet aliens, do you predict some kind of Federation with different species in the distant future, as seen in Star Trek?
>> This question is again total speculation. I doubt it though. What we will find, I'm sure, is something so totally alien that we probably would never have thought of it.
Paul Müller pmtech@swissonline.ch
? Who would be, in your opinion, the best Earth representative to talk with intelligent aliens?
>> Well, that's hard to tell. Someone like Steven Hawking. Steven Jay Gould would be a good choice too, because he thinks, that menkind isn't something special.
? What would you tell aliens during the first contact?
>> That the human race is still in kind of barbarian state. And we need any help to come over with.
? What would you ask them? What is the most important thing for us to know about the aliens?
>> Now the how to exist without war? And was it worth to visit earth?
? If we were to meet aliens, do you predict some kind of Federation with different species in the distant future, as seen in Star Trek?
>> I wouldn't predict. The difference migth be too big in mind or else. But I would appreciate it.
Phivos Papadopoulos phoebus@hotmail.com
? Who would be, in your opinion, the best Earth representative to talk with intelligent aliens?
>> Hmmm, Gandhi or John F. Kennedy perhaps? If you want living, then probably Bill Clinton (that would be cool)!!
? What would you tell aliens during the first contact?
>> A nice "Hello" would do!
? What would you ask them? What is the most important thing for us to know about the aliens?
>> "How's the weather in your side of the world?"
? If we were to meet aliens, do you predict some kind of Federation with different species in the distant future, as seen in Star Trek?
>> Probably, yes. It wouldn't happen overnight but it would definitely happen. Unless they wipe us all right from the beginning so we wouldn't even have to worry about that!
mail sburleab@fx.ro
? Who would be, in your opinion, the best Earth representative to talk with intelligent aliens?
>> It depends of the type of contact. I think a scientific team is a good choice.
? What would you tell aliens during the first contact?
>> The first thing to do is to set a frame for a more sophisticated communication.
? What would you ask them? What is the most important thing for us to know about the aliens?
>> I would like to find out facts about their history and their technological evolution. Next questions would be about their philosophy.
? If we were to meet aliens, do you predict some kind of Federation with different species in the distant future, as seen in Star Trek?
>> No. The differences between civilizations should be so huge that even communication is a very difficult task. For instance we aren't able yet to colonize Mars and they could be interested in exploring the "n" dimension.
[January 2001.]