ET Is Out There, So Get Ready

By on July 5, 2012 in News 32

In a TED Talk, astronomer and alien hunter Seth Shostak argues that over the next generation, we will probably pick up a signal from intelligent life outside of our solar system. What would it mean? Coming into contact with a more advanced lifeform could give us a window into where humanity is headed, and give us hope that technological advancement doesn’t inevitably lead to destruction:

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  • VaudeVillain

    An alien hunter at an alien hunter conference said that alien hunters will find an alien real soon now?

    Well I’m certainly convinced…

    • Gergith

      Uh…. Do you honestly have no clue what TED talks are? Google them and you’ll be amazed. They are much more then alien hunter conferences. In fact, they typically don’t have anything to do with conspiracies…. Your stupidity is showing….

      • Likwidglostix

         Netflix has hundreds of “episodes” for a dozen or more topics on streaming. Each episode is short (5-15min,) but you’re right they’re all over the map.

        • Gergith

          you can also find them on youtube and their own website, ted.com

      • VaudeVillain

        Yes, I’ve heard of TED. I’ve even watched a few TED talks. They are very occasionally interesting.
        I was being pithy and sarcastic about the fact that imminent contact with extraterrestrials has been predicted for decades, and will continue to be predicted until either A) it actually happens or B) the heat death of the universe.In the first case, it would be impressive if somebody accurately predicted it once and it happened, but at this point it would be more like a habitual lottery player hitting a medium prize after years of claiming they would win “sometime soon”. The contact would be interesting, the told-you-sos would be a waste of air.In the second, it would be surprising to see it happen so soon.

        As for conspiracies, I find they generally don’t require aliens any more than aliens generally require conspiracies. I prefer to speak directly to one, the other or both as applicable rather than arbitrarily conflating two disparate subjects.

        • Gergith

          That doesn’t change the fact your sarcasm is lost based on your lack of understanding of the context of the speech series this man is contributing within.

          • VaudeVillain

            I’m pretty sure that my understanding the context does change the “fact” that I don’t understand the context… but clearly it is important to you that I kowtow to the greatness of TED.
            __________________________________________________________

            Wow! I’m super-glad he brought this up at TED! Now it’s totally 100% guaranteed to be true, because nobody who speaks at a TED Talk could possibly be blowing smoke out of their ass.

            Now I’m totally convinced that we’ll make contact with extraterrestrials during my lifetime, and we can join them in a galactic economy based on hugs and happy thoughts and Glopoitagyhjkujhgjk (which is what ETs eat)! This is fucking awesome!

          • Gergith

            I never once stated it was great or otherwise, I just said your stupidity is showing as you continue to make sarcastic comments about an organization you STILL haven’t really looked into given your highly sarcastic responses… :p But that’s fine with me. I’m just pointing it out repeatedly. To allude that TED talks are in the same league as UFO conventions means you still have no concept of what you’re poking fun of. People like Malcom Gladwell have spoken at TED. He’s leagues ahead of the type of people you hear speaking at UFO/alien conventions :) Besides, Seth very clearly explains his bias in the video given that he has been working at SETI almost his entire career. This is a very serious field that is being pursued at places such as Harvard, Berkeley as well as the private sector.

            Did you honestly even watch the video? Or are all your comments literally just based on the expert/blurb at the top? It’s an earnest question.

  • Malk

    it’s so sad people of this level of intelligence still think we’re not in contact with extra terrestrials… that or they’re not allowed to say in front of their “peers” because the “norm” is to play ignorant.
    /sigh

    • Chris Brown

      It’s so sad people of this intelligence still think we have anything to offer extra terrestrials… that or they’re not allowed to say in front of their “peers” because the “norm” is to play ignorant.

      • Malk

        I know what you’re saying and I agree for the most part.

        I do think we are unique though and can in fact offer a lot to the universe in time. Not in the form of material, science, or intellect (certainly not intellect), but perhaps through our experience of growing out of so much pain and suffering. The Human heart can beat surprisingly fierce.

  • Chris Brown

    I can’t wait. I wonder what they taste like?

    • Malk

      You’re talking about their women right?
      In which case, me too ;p

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000123017810 Seán Brown

        I want one of those green hotties from “Star Trek”

  • Mihelichsmith

     Everyone have ready to face any situation .
    https://twitter.com/Carmealy/status/221106295778971650

  • http://buzzcoastin.posterous.com BuzzCoastin

    if Aliens follow the first contact habits of Columbus and western civilization
    we’re all goners

    • http://twitter.com/leastactionman Tom

      I agree with you. There is a good science fiction book ‘The Killing Star’, which follows the consequences of what are perhaps the three things we can most safely assume about intelligent aliens. The implication is that if they’re out there then we should try to be hide from them to the best of our ability!

    • Monkey See Monkey Do

      Scary thought. Though the new world natives didn’t exactly dissapear either.

      • http://buzzcoastin.posterous.com BuzzCoastin

        usually anywhere from 0 to 5% survived Western Civilization’s infection
        but merely survived
        usually in less than optimal circumstances

        however, China has successfully repelled Western onslaughts so far
        and the Mongols & Qing conquered China and became Chinese in the process
        so maybe the Chinese would survive and turn the Aliens into Chinese
        I could see that happening, the Aliens wouldn’t stand a chance

        • Chris Brown

          The Chinese are living on borrowed time. They have economic colonies, but good luck squeezing blood from a stone.

          In this case, the stone is willing to shed blood in lieu of paying it’s debt. I actually predict that China collapses before the US.

          • http://buzzcoastin.posterous.com BuzzCoastin

            excellent point
            if you don’t count 5000 years of Chinese culture
            and 1.4 billion Chinese
            99% of which are Han Chinese
            that their civilization has withstood even Mao
            if you don’t factor that in
            they will collapse first

            when the Pilgrims killed the first native peoples in America
            China was already 4500 years old

          • Monkey See Monkey Do

            I theorize that any sufficiently advanced aliens have probably already observed our ‘civilzations’ and kept on searching. Much in the same way most of us woud walk past an ant hill without paying it too much attention.

          • JaceD

            Denial, a classic trait of your average American. Don’t worry mate, you’re winning, even when you’re losing you’re still winning.. Just keep those positive thoughts going “Lost = Won”.

    • Calypso_1

      No doubt, that was a naive analogy at best.

      • http://buzzcoastin.posterous.com BuzzCoastin

        how so pray tell
        naive to assume they’d be worse than Western Civ 101
        naive to assume they’d recognize humans as intelligent life forms
        naive not to assume they are already here and Dick Cheney is their leader

        • Calypso_1

          Not your analogy to Columbus’s contact, but to Shostak’s use of it.  The moment he made the comparioson I had a chill. 
          I completely agree that it is supremely wishful thinking to believe that contact does not have the potential for disastrous consequences.

          • Monkey See Monkey Do

            Going by how we already know more advanced species treat less advanced species, we will probably be a delicacy too them.

          • Calypso_1

            I can see an intergalactic chains of  restaurants:

            Kitalpha Fried Caucasian
            Blue Human
            Bonepeople Grill
            Whataearthling

            …maybe some of us will get to be pets or vivisection is always fun.

  • Davids

    “Could give us a window into where humanity is headed”

    Or not. Could be absolutely different from us in any sense.

  • gesoflip

    These id iots love selling snake oil. What if we are the smartest and those out there are waiting for us? What if the rest if they exist are all really stupid? What if we quit wasting money on nonsense like this and instead worry about things that are more relevant and closer to home. 

  • FunkyDindahouse

    If it is so that there has been no contact i wonder if they’ve ever tried or ever will try sending MUSIC into space. I don’t know if this is possible, I’m just a teenager. but instead of an E.T translating a language wouldn’t it be a simpler for a song. I apologize if this doesn’t make sense. 

    • Dj

      They did do that. In 1977 they sent out they Voyager into space with not only different samples of music on a record with a record player but also other samples (images and sound bites) from Earth.