Oh yeah, I familiar with the anomalies of Mars. I think that these anomalous objects merit more attention than they have received. NASA should be putting more effort answering once and for all whether or not these objects are of artificial origin. If the rumors and theories are true, it would be a heyday for archeology, provide all the reason needed for a manned expedition to Mars, and inspire a whole new generation of archeologists. This is the same reason that I think that the supposed artifacts on Luna merit more investigation. And if there is any technology in these ruins, they could improve our own science. Granted that if TPTB believe that we should approach these ruins with caution, I won't disagree with them. I think it would be prudent to first send in probes chalk full of sensitive equipment to check for any booby traps, and make sure there isn't anything locked in these ruins that should stay locked away.
It just makes me infuriated with who or whatever is trying to cover-up these existence of these extraterrestrial ruins, because I have a burning curiosity! I just want the history behind these ruins! Who built them?! What is the function of these ruins?! When were they built?!
And I mentioned Japan because the geologists and the archeologists were practically at each others throats, and it finally took the discovery of some statuary to finally shut the geologists. And I want to bring up something....the Brookings report made right when NASA will still be put togather...which was a report done by the famous Brookings institute was made by a think-tank of many of the top egg heads from all fields of study, from scientific, cultural, economic, and social areas..and it stated, which I disagree with, that when we explore space and the enviable discovery of the evidence of intelligent, alien life.....be it ruins from long gone civilizations, or the ET's themselves, it would destroy human society....religious, scientific and economic institutions would collapse, everyone would go nuts and kill each other or themselves, and the most devastated people of them all would be scientists and engineers, for they would no longer bu the highest masters over nature, and so on. And if you don't believe me, look it up, it's a lot of reading, but it's there. And before someone says, "But it's a 50+ year old document, we would not be following that policy anymore!" Well, there's a little thing called the Constitution of the United States of America, and the first amendment itself is is only a handful of words from the thousands of words the entire document....and we still hold dear to this document, more than 200 years after it's been written. The Brookings report is many pages, so get yourself some coffee when, or if you plan to read it.
I suppose that the Brookings report might be right about what would happen if we encountered a superior extraterrestrial civilization. Unless we knew their intentions towards us, as a society, we wouldn't know what to do, and if they were hostile, most of society would either panic, unite together to try and survive, or panic first and then try to unite and fight them off (by which time any hostile extraterrestrial civilization would probably be nigh impossible to defeat).
I think that even if they appeared to be benevolent, we shouldn't exactly just give them free reign to come and go as they please. We should deal with them in a friendly and courteous, but cautious manner, and make them earn our trust. We should maintain our independence, and if they offer us their technology and advice, it might not be a bad idea to accept both, but we should try to (slowly and cautiously) learn how the technology works and learn how to manufacture it ourselves, and to try to take any advice they give us that can benefit all of us.
I think that this is the mistake that society made in the Twilight Zone episode To Serve Mankind. At first, they treated the aliens (the name of their race which I've forgotten) with skepticism, but once the aliens gained mankind's trust, they practically surrendered to the extraterrestrials. Instead of examining the technology that the aliens gave mankind, and trying to improve their civilization, they practically let the aliens do everything for them. Instead of letting the aliens fly them to their planet, mankind should have only sent ambassadors at first while trying to build ships themselves, so they could attempt to coexist with the aliens on the same level. I think it was because mankind dropped their guard, that they became easy prey for the aliens.
I think the best way to conduct business with other races would be similar to how mankind did in the Star Trek universe. Humanity accepted friendly relations with the Vulcans, set up an embassy, etc, and at time accepted aid, but also maintained a sort of independence. It is perhaps for this reason that those in charge of covering up the existence of extraterrestrial life won't stop until after we have developed FTL technology of our own, and can visit other civilizations on our own terms, though if our own FTL technology were developed in secret from recovered or stolen extraterrestrial technology, there is no telling when there will be a disclosure, or if it will be voluntary or because the press finally decides to uncover the truth themselves.
I disagree with the Brookings report regarding the finding of ruins of extraterrestrial origin, unless there was a live extraterrestrial civilization close by. The religious institutions might not do so well if the finding contradicts their doctrine, but I believe that they would either adapt to incorporate the new findings into their institutions, or become obsolete and die out (though that would be their own fault, and what ever would happen is inevitable). The Vatican has already admitted to the possibility of extraterrestrial life, so I think they would survive. A few groups of fanatics and lunatics might panic and do something stupid, but unless there are any groups that have a fanatical belief against the existence of extraterrestrial life and would try to end the world themselves, I think society as a whole would be just fine, and that any fear would quickly be replaced by awe, fascination, and curiosity. As a species, we are curious by nature, and would be very hungry for any knowledge that extraterrestrial ruins might provide us. Especially if I'm any example to go by; I'm STARVING to know what knowledge that all of these alleged ruins might hold!
Oh yeah, I think Hoagland is one of the individuals who has talked in Ancient Aliens.
Oh yeah, I think Edison is the reason behind why the fuses of light bulbs wear out, and you have to change them: so you have to buy more. I hate that! It is so annoying having to change them. I keep forgetting to change the main light for my room!!
I'm certainly glad I've never had your teacher, and I hope I never will. If he ripped up one of my papers, I don't know if I would have walked back to my seat in embarrassment and shame, or yelled at him for tearing up my work without reading it first!
Yeah, don't you just like it when the military and White House contradict each other? If there is one thing I just hate, it is being lied to! Granted that I'm usually forgiving if provided a good reason!
And no one stated that 2012 is the end of the world. From my own studies, and those of many others, it's more of the end of an era...a new beginning of how we could look at and see things, a new way of thinking. Personally, I look forward to a year from now. 2012 with it being the end of the world is more of a 'fear porn' campaign than anything else, same with so much fear porn about comet Elleneen, calling it a doomsday comet or whatever....no. Hell, even NASA said it was one of those comets that once it passes by us, we'll never see it again, ever....yet the guy who actually discovered it said the opposite.
I'm not worried about the world coming into an end in 2012, I'm just worried that most of humanity, much less the civilization we've built won't be here come 2013.
I fervently hope to God, with all my heart, that you are right, and that there won't be any kind of massive destruction on December 21st next year, and that all that I know and love will still remain. But I'm kind of holding my breath here, and will probably let out a big sigh of relief if nothing bad happens.
And, while this might piss off a few Trekkies, I feel Gene might have known something, along with Lucas, Spielberg and Clark. Part of Brookings said something of a "conditioning" program to in a way get folks ready so they won't go crazy and kill each other when the day we learn of the existence of alien life, past or present. Look how scifi changed over the years....from before the 60's, it was aliens wanting to kill, rape, enslave or eat us....and from the 60's onwards, it was humanity and aliens working, living, even loving together. Plus I see little kids, with pictures of the now classic gray alien on their shirts, toys and so on. Kinda like what Gorkon said in ST6, that major change would be the hardest on the older generations, the younger ones, like the gen-x'ers, little kids, teens, and so on would handle it by saying, "Yep, we know! Ain't it cool?!

" and the like. I even remember some of Gene's stories, like Who Morns for Apollo, The Paradise Syndrome, Patterns of Force and so on where man's development was effected by alien visitations in the past, or vice versa. It's been a huge theme with Doctor Who and Brookings with the aforementioned conditioning to get people ready and avoid 'culture shock' in 2001: A Space Oddessy. And I don't see it hard to envision, several hundred to several thousand years ago alien travelers with advanced technology and/or abilities coming to Earth, and they being thought of as gods or other deities. The Native Americans, especially, talk about beings from the sky visiting them, teaching them, helping them. Maybe the origins of angels and maybe even Christ himself could be alien in origin. I seen many Renaissance paintings showing weird vehicles, looking a lot like the UFO's seen in the sky today. Plus the Nazca lines, those pictures that only one can see from in the sky...plus, with my own theories of the face on Mars, being left there for someone to see it...I mean a mile long face on a planet that the mainstream says should not be there, would be an attention getter. Same with our odd development...first we're sitting in caves, eating bananas and picked lice out of our butts, and then in a super short time, making pyramids....and then it all goes slow again until around less than 200 years ago we go from horse and buggy to all the advances we supposedly done in a short time...I mean our tech spiked over the past 100 years alone. I feel that we either were helped, or that we got it from someone else in other ways. That's how I feel on the topic.
Now that I think about it, seeing as how much science fiction was way back when, it would make sense to cover up the existence of another extraterrestrial civilization. When I think about the Prime Directive, it makes sense not to reveal the existence of extraterrestrial life until a civilization is collectively mature enough that they would approach this logically. I'm not unfamiliar with the idea that those in charge of the cover up have set up a program where society as a whole is conditioned to react towards the relevance of alien life in a positive manner, as opposed to panicking and not knowing what to do.
I think that originally, those in charge of the cover up intended to tell the public when they felt we were mature enough, but I think that now they fear how the public might react when they find out that they have been lied to all this time. I think that as a society we have evolved enough to handle the truth, but I think that those who are maintaining the cover-up are fearful of how we would react when all of their secrets come to light. But I also think that the longer that they try to maintain the cover-up, the bigger a hole they dig for themselves, and the more negative of a reaction that they might receive. And the longer they wait, the more likely that someone might find enough evidence to finally convince the news media that there is a cover-up, and I most certainly wouldn't want to be one of those in charge of the cover-up if that happened.