Discussion about how likely/unlikely it is for ET aliens to use humans

**Kyriakos** · December 10, 2015, 07:37 AM

I have been thinking a bit on this, given part of my literary work touches upon sci-fi. I am of the view that it is less likely that IF aliens are here, they are directly interacting with humans (including deliberate abduction or other scientifically-tied actions).
I think that mainly because:

1) Assuming the alien species is capable of some degree of direct interaction (which would mean they can at least use language or limbs or material movement etc), and assuming they are an advanced species compared to us, they are more likely to be here to mine stuff they need, and not to relocate power/resources so as to bother studying a much lesser species. Human scientists don't relocate resources in the quest to morph into guinea pigs or otherwise interact with the lab animals in a direct manner.

2) If the aliens are so massively advanced that our human world can be run/examined as something analogously trivial as our own human experiments on lab animals, then it likely follows they don't have anything of note to gain by studying us in the first place. A child may play with an ant-nest, but the ant-nest from the human perspective is just a creation on a pile of sand/dirt.

3) If the aliens are not even similar to some manner to us (eg 3d-based species), then it becomes even more unlikely they would want to observe us, or at least identify us as something 'alive' as they are. Much like we don't tend to view a rock or a sound wave as 'alive' in this sense, despite being able to observe them.

4) Mining stuff can always make sense, and it would not be far-fetched that if some aliens were here to mine things, they would want to be mindful of humans in the area they are mining, and thus react if their business was threatened, including in violent fashion.

Anyway, just to - hopefully - get a discussion going. What is your view?

**Condottiere 40K** · December 10, 2015, 09:42 AM

They want to serve Man.

**Kyriakos** · December 10, 2015, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by Condottiere 40K

They want to serve Man.

**Frunk** · December 10, 2015, 08:09 PM

What is the reason you think hypothetical aliens would consider humans "much lesser"? I would hope that aliens would not be so arrogant.

While I think it's highly likely extraterrestrial civilisations exist, I think it's almost impossible that they will ever visit us, or vice versa, even if we are able to detect them via the numerous methods that already exist and are being developed to examine nearby star systems.

Even if extraterrestrials were vastly superior to us, they would surely still struggle with interstellar travel. With our current technology, getting to the Alpha Centauri system would take tens to hundreds of thousands of years. It's hard for me to believe even exceptionally advanced beings being able to overcome the sheer scale of space.

**Vítor Gaspar** · December 19, 2015, 08:56 AM

This thread reminds me of a joke I heard the other day. It goes like this:

Man finally comes across extraterrestrial life. Or, better yet, extraterrestrial life comes across Man. A large, alien-looking spaceship lands - its doors slowly open.

The Commander shows up. He is wearing odd-looking, but colourless, clothes and a creature behind him is carrying a banner with a geometrical pattern.

He opens his mouth. Man cries. He hears the most soul-crushing, foreboding sound he could hear.

...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

**Sir Adrian** · December 19, 2015, 01:06 PM

Commander"Oi. Eu wouldao likeao toao speakao toao seu preisendentao"

Originally Posted by Frunk

What is the reason you think hypothetical aliens would consider humans "much lesser"? I would hope that aliens would not be so arrogant.

While I think it's highly likely extraterrestrial civilisations exist, I think it's almost impossible that they will ever visit us, or vice versa, even if we are able to detect them via the numerous methods that already exist and are being developed to examine nearby star systems.

Even if extraterrestrials were vastly superior to us, they would surely still struggle with interstellar travel. With our current technology, getting to the Alpha Centauri system would take tens to hundreds of thousands of years. It's hard for me to believe even exceptionally advanced beings being able to overcome the sheer scale of space.

And a hamster would hope that humans are not so arrogant but alas. Tis the nature of life, we would be but animals to them if not bacteria.

**Vítor Gaspar** · December 19, 2015, 06:23 PM

I think it had more to do with eminent slavery but your version is probably as scary.

**Col. Tartleton** · December 21, 2015, 10:09 AM

If they wanted resources they'd go to other planets and not bother us. There's plenty of mineral and chemical wealth on the other planets. Earth is unique (theoretically) only in its ability to sustain life.

I can't imagine it being worth their time to screw with us. We're just not that interesting.

**Kyriakos** · December 22, 2015, 06:46 AM

Originally Posted by Col. Tartleton

If they wanted resources they'd go to other planets and not bother us. There's plenty of mineral and chemical wealth on the other planets. Earth is unique (theoretically) only in its ability to sustain life.

I can't imagine it being worth their time to screw with us. We're just not that interesting.

Assuming the aliens are not very close to us re perceptive organs, they easily may identify different minerals here to those we do, and some of those may be rare in the vicinity of their own civ.

**Lord Oda Nobunaga** · January 21, 2016, 11:06 PM

They would force us to worship them and make a cult so that we would want to serve them.

**Condottiere 40K** · January 22, 2016, 12:30 AM

Or they're on a Spring Break, which would explain the probing.

**Guy** · January 22, 2016, 05:25 AM

One theory I heard is that we may not be considered an intelligent form of life by whoever's come across our planet. As us humans base intelligence on our own capabilities and how other species size in comparison to us, aliens may have come across us, deemed us unintelligent in comparison to how advanced they are and simply moved onto the next bunch.

How rude.