Is Hawking getting old or what?

[Realitycheck]

I read this article about some of Hawking's opinions about et and so forth and his response to some Avatar hysteria is a bit perplexing. Granted, blindly interacting with an unknown alien race is probably not the smartest thing to do, and I think we are agreeing that when you factor in the likelihood of finding another INTELLIGENT race, then it is going to wind up being 50,000 light years away. The part that conflicts with my understanding of all that exists is his loosely throwing around the idea that wormhole travel is perfectly plausible. I've read about scenarios where the energy output from a star is used to create a wormhole, (a sphere around the sun the size of jupiter's orbit). If that's not far out enough for you, how about the means of protecting the ship from astronomical temperatures? Is he joking or does he really believe that it is in the realm of possibility? Does anybody believe that anybody, anywhere, at any time could ever come close to such a feat?

 

 

http://m.cnn.com/primary/_WPmCnS-ixhkxw31f

 

'On the show, Hawking suggests that extraterrestrial beings might not harbor goodwill toward people on earth. He imagines that aliens might have the technology to harness energy from whatever star they're near. The process, he proposes, could open a wormhole that could let them travel large distances.

Hawking's warning contrasts with the excitement some are showing about the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.'

[DrP]

I'On the show, Hawking suggests that extraterrestrial beings might not harbor goodwill toward people on earth...'

 

 

He's just being racist/xenophobic with that remark..

[Mr Skeptic]

Caution regarding aliens is indeed very wise. Think about it: consider the sort of technology needed to receive and understand radio signals of absurdly small amplitude, and the rate at which technology develops. It's almost guaranteed that any civilizations that detect us could be a good million years more technologically advanced than we are. And what happens when a more advanced civilization meets a less advanced civilization? Ask the Native Americans, or the Africans. But maybe the technology will make this problem moot.

[DrP]

With any luck they will be so far advanced that they will have solved all moral issues and run some kind of thing like the Prime Directive so they won't interfere. Probably wishfull thinking though.

[Icefire]

well, look on the bright side. We have no idea of what form aliens would exist as, let alone proof that the organic structures we know and love are the only means for life. so they could possibly be beings inside a star, or spawned from seas of diamond, or otherwise in a form that would find Earth's environment to be hazardous.

[ajb]

To some extent it is too late too worry. Our planet is "lit up" by our communication systems. Any passing aliens whatever their intention will see us.

 

So, we might as well make an effort to contact them.

[dirtyamerica]

I think that Hawking is still mentally very spry. IMO, "plausible" means: under the proper theoretical conditions, things could happen...although maybe very rare.

 

But yeah, we should be cautious of aliens and their motives (if they exist). We can't even voyage to another planet right now. If they have the technical know-how to come all the way here (perhaps using the distance connotation loosely) then surely they've also built a better mousetrap too.

 

The bigger picture here: I think Hawking continues to think like a scientist: You have to remain skeptical until it can be scientifically proven, without pruning your ideas of what is possible.

[Double K]

I remember reading some theory (with mathematical 'proof') that if many factors each have infintessimally small probablities of occuring that the probablity of the final product occurring actually increases dramatically.

 

If only I could remember what it was called...

 

I will do some digging and see if I can find it as food for thought re the possibility of chatting up some aliens

[toastywombel]

The part that conflicts with my understanding of all that exists is his loosely throwing around the idea that wormhole travel is perfectly plausible. I've read about scenarios where the energy output from a star is used to create a wormhole, (a sphere around the sun the size of jupiter's orbit). If that's not far out enough for you, how about the means of protecting the ship from astronomical temperatures? Is he joking or does he really believe that it is in the realm of possibility? Does anybody believe that anybody, anywhere, at any time could ever come close to such a feat?

 

First off, if one were able to use the energy from a star to create a wormhole, I think they would be able to harness some of the energy and use it to produce a force field around the ship and/or themselves.

 

But let me ask you:

 

In 200 AD at the height of the Roman Empire, did anyone think it possible to send a crew to the moon? have them land? and then come back?

 

In 400 BC when Lu Long Fuzi began travelling China to spread his philosophies, do you think that anyone thought it possible that one day a bomb only three meters long could destroy an entire city?

 

Maybe wormhole travel is not possible, but technology can advance so quickly in so many ways. It is good to be open minded. I guess what I am saying is don't underestimate the abilities of mankind.

[vordhosbn]

...And what happens when a more advanced civilization meets a less advanced civilization? Ask the Native Americans, or the Africans...

 

But since those hypothetical aliens will be able to create wormholes at will (and possibly harnessing the power output of whole stars), what possible interest will they have in destroying the life inhabiting a single water covered rock near an average yellow star?

On top of that, I can't imagine any form of hostile, aggressive civilization, having such magnitude of power (Dyson spheres and wormholes) to survive long enough.

[pink_trike]

I'm always amused by people who assume that aliens would just love us. How narcissistic is that? They might scope us out and decide that we're savage and dangerous, and then clear us off Earth like getting rid of of an infestation of termites. Or make dried jerky out of us.

[vordhosbn]

Would you go visit the Amazon rainforest to sterilize an ant infested tree? :]

 

I would go so far to say, it's narcissistic to think that they will take any interest in us at all.

[Spyman]

If the difference in advancement is huge they are not likely to come here to pick a fight with us humans.

 

But since their technology to build wormholes is dependent of average stars and they so happens to be building a highway through Milky Way with our Sun in their blueprints as one of many "Cobblestones" in their pavement, we might find ourselves unluckily standing in their way.

 

What could happen to Earth when they build devices of that magnitude, to both harness the Suns output and their wormhole, in our neighborhood?

 

Do we take care to not destroy anthills when we want to build something, do we even notice them when our bulldozers clear the area where a road is going to be built?

 

They don't have to be hostile or aggressive, we could merely not be significant enough for them to notice or care.

Edited May 7, 2010 by Spyman
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[Farsight]

It's just publicity, guys, intended to attract your attention, with a little wormhole woo thrown in for good measure.