End futile search

The heck with this futile search for Martians. Let's send some
bacteria or algae that'll survive to become the first Martians.

----

"William Elliot" wrote in message ...

The heck with this futile search for Martians. Let's send some
bacteria or algae that'll survive to become the first Martians.


Do you think they'd have a chance of evolving into a space-faring civ-
ilization if not even *we* can manage to move our sorry asses past low
Earth orbit?

I'm wondering what all this "finding alien life" craze is about. Is
it about wishing we could find someone to hitch a ride with who's al-
ready done all the work because we're too lazy to build spaceships of
our own?

Is it that?? If it were it would be *pathetic!* SETI as a bunch of
would-be hippie freeloaders.


--
__ "A good leader knows when it's best to ignore the __
('__` screams for help and focus on the bigger picture." '__`)
//6(6; ©OOL mmiv :^)^\\
`\_-/ http://home.t-online.de/home/ulrich....lmann/redbaron \-_/'

On Mon, 26 Jan 2004, Ool wrote:
"William Elliot" wrote in message ...

The heck with this futile search for Martians. Let's send some
bacteria or algae that'll survive to become the first Martians.

Do you think they'd have a chance of evolving into a space-faring civ-
ilization

No but perhaps they'd be nice to have around when the real Martians
arrive.

I'm wondering what all this "finding alien life" craze is about. Is
it about wishing we could find someone to hitch a ride with who's al-
ready done all the work because we're too lazy to build spaceships of
our own?

It's the carrot before the donkey that keeps the cart moving.

"William Elliot" wrote in message ...
On Mon, 26 Jan 2004, Ool wrote:

I'm wondering what all this "finding alien life" craze is about. Is
it about wishing we could find someone to hitch a ride with who's al-
ready done all the work because we're too lazy to build spaceships of
our own?

It's the carrot before the donkey that keeps the cart moving.

Only if it leads us to more than just sticking our thumbs out.


--
__ "A good leader knows when it's best to ignore the __
('__` screams for help and focus on the bigger picture." '__`)
//6(6; ©OOL mmiv :^)^\\
`\_-/ http://home.t-online.de/home/ulrich....lmann/redbaron \-_/'

William Elliot wrote in
:

The heck with this futile search for Martians.

If we mindlessly charge in and destroy what may already be living there, we
will have lost a priceless opportunity to study the origin of life. I'm
sure we'll eventually get around to terraforming, but we must be
circumspect.

In fact, if we find life elsewhere in the solar system, it will reflect
poorly on our ability to terraform other planets, because the existing
bacteria would have done it already!

"Ool" wrote in message
...

I'm wondering what all this "finding alien life" craze is about. Is
it about wishing we could find someone to hitch a ride with who's al-
ready done all the work because we're too lazy to build spaceships of
our own?

Is it that?? If it were it would be *pathetic!* SETI as a bunch of
would-be hippie freeloaders.

Your lack of insight borders on the astonishing.

"Chosp" wrote in message news:rTuRb.11279$F15.1148@fed1read06...
"Ool" wrote in message
...

I'm wondering what all this "finding alien life" craze is about. Is
it about wishing we could find someone to hitch a ride with who's al-
ready done all the work because we're too lazy to build spaceships of
our own?

Is it that?? If it were it would be *pathetic!* SETI as a bunch of
would-be hippie freeloaders.

Your lack of insight borders on the astonishing.

Nah, actually I'm just a mind-bogglingly wise, intelligent, and well-
educated troll. And I'm sorry. I've been having stressful times the
last few days, taking steps to hopefully get closer to space explora-
tion projects myself, out there in the real world, when what I'm doing
now is finished. And it occurs to me now that putting down other peo-
ple's plans of exploring, even if they're based on motivations I don't
share, perhaps isn't the wisest approach to rallying support and get-
ting anything accomplished.

After all, look at it this way: How much could SETI profit from cur-
rent plans if it had access to radio telescopes on the back side of
the Moon as a result? And how much more leverage would we have going
there and building them if we *did* find microbes on Mars or Europa
or wherever...?


Sorry!


--
__ “A good leader knows when it’s best to ignore the __
('__` screams for help and focus on the bigger picture.� '__`)
//6(6; ©OOL mmiv :^)^\\
`\_-/ http://home.t-online.de/home/ulrich....lmann/redbaron \-_/'

Never cared much about aliens and strange, new worlds containing civi-
lizations!

I agree with you there. I'd like to know what the 'craze' is, meself.

IMO, those who yearn most for alien contact are philosophers who want to prove
that we are nothing special, but rather commonplace and pathetic. I don't get
what proving that philosophical point does for anybody, to be worth that
expensive effort.

If there are aliens out there we'd meet them soon enough once we
started spreading across the galaxy. And that's when all the culture
clash problems would begin, and the squabbles and wars about resources
and ethnic differences...

Indeed. Daydreams about exotic trade goods and commerce in wildly new
technology are just fantasy. Why would aliens *want* to trade with us, or
share their hard-won technology, rather than use us for pets, or slaves, or
interstellar target-practice?

If the aliens come from an evolution anything like ours, we should be very
afraid.

In my opinion, the later that happens the better! An America without
the dark chapters involving the eviction of the "Indians" into barren
territories or an Australia without the Aboriginees would have been a
much better deal, guilt-wise.

Unfortunately, we are probably going to fill the role of the Indians or Abos in
any interplanetary conflict.

"G EddieA95" wrote in message ...

In my opinion, the later that happens the better! An America without
the dark chapters involving the eviction of the "Indians" into barren
territories or an Australia without the Aboriginees would have been a
much better deal, guilt-wise.

Unfortunately, we are probably going to fill the role of the Indians or Abos in
any interplanetary conflict.

Quite possibly, if all we keep doing is splash around a little in LEO.
Or we might be like China, which had its chance to explore and to ex-
pand but then suddenly outlawed sea-going vessels and built walls in-
stead. Which is why today we have America while all *they* have is
Canada.

Another interesting fact is that when the Native Americans' ancestors
first arrived in their new home they hunted most of the big game to
extinction within a few thousand years, including the horse. So when
we finally arrived there they were a bunch of nomads who didn't have
horses while we did. I think there's a lesson there for all of us.

(Though I'm not quite sure that that last bit is of any use as an al-
legory for anything to do with space flight...)


--
__ “A good leader knows when it’s best to ignore the __
('__` screams for help and focus on the bigger picture.� '__`)
//6(6; ©OOL mmiv :^)^\\
`\_-/ http://home.t-online.de/home/ulrich....lmann/redbaron \-_/'

On 28 Jan 2004 19:33:32 GMT, (G EddieA95) wrote:

Never cared much about aliens and strange, new worlds containing civi-
lizations!

I agree with you there. I'd like to know what the 'craze' is, meself.

IMO, those who yearn most for alien contact are philosophers who want to prove
that we are nothing special, but rather commonplace and pathetic. I don't get
what proving that philosophical point does for anybody, to be worth that
expensive effort.

I am sure the idea more goes along the line that they wish to find out
our place in the Universe. Not to mention having a logical discussion
with some silicon based blob is sure to be quite interesting.

Indeed. Daydreams about exotic trade goods and commerce in wildly new
technology are just fantasy. Why would aliens *want* to trade with us, or
share their hard-won technology, rather than use us for pets, or slaves, or
interstellar target-practice?

Why do I have a feeling that it is YOU and not these philosophers who
believe that we are "commonplace and pathetic"? After all you said it
above, where now you say that we are only worthy of pets or target
practice.

I am sure that we would have something to trade with aliens even if it
was just "shiny beads" or their own version of "tentacle sex". As I
mean all the stuff that is on our planet, then there certainly must be
something.

If the aliens come from an evolution anything like ours, we should be very
afraid.

If those same aliens can pay us a personal visit, then I am sure that
they would have grown out of it. As lets not forget that we are the
new technological species on the block.

I am sure that they desire to talk to us just as much a little old
lady would desire to talk to a bunch of tattooed and pieced skinheads
playing punk music as loud as their system can manage!

Unfortunately, we are probably going to fill the role of the Indians or Abos in
any interplanetary conflict.

Well if we can get our butt kicked, then it is a good time to appear
respectful.

Cardman
http://www.cardman.com
http://www.cardman.co.uk