Reasons why Aliens ignore us?

[Lookingglassman]

There may be alien races that are violent, but I highly doubt they would waste their time bothering with us if they were. If they are violent and they happen upon us they will either conquer us or look at us as we might look upon an ant on a wall, "yeah I see it, but it aint worth me killing it" If they are intent on counquering us then it would make sense that they come charging in and do what they want to with us. Why hide from us when we obviously cant fight back? Yeah we might have nukes, but I'm pretty sure a race that can conquer the distances of time and space have far worse.

I figure, if there are aliens, then they might live by a "prime directive" so to speak. Maybe they dont want to upset a primitive planet by their standards until we are ready to receive them.

What would humans do if we could travel the vast distances of space and we come upon a planet of aliens who are similar to us and are about where we are now technologically wise in 2009? Would we stop in, say hello and then leave or would we observe them and if they exhibit behavior that is strange or wrong to us (example, they feast on another of their species once a year because it brings them good luck) would we shun them?

 

[RandyS]

Aliens are looking for intelligent life.

(Thought I'd get in before anyone else. )

No, that's not it. They don't like the way we smell.

 

[K'Ehleyr]

no, no. I know. It's just that Star Trek usually gives people faith that there's more intelligence than just us out there.

I would love to think there were others out there. But even in Trek (and may you all forgive me for this) I doubt that the majority are bi-peds of similar size to us. Maybe they are so gigantic that our known universe is too insignificant for them to notice us, or maybe vice versa?
Maybe they exist as thoughts and they are among us, which makes humans so unpredictable?

 

[iguana_tonante]

Because they know that the first thing that will happen when they touch down is that our trigger happy armies will attack them without regard for whether they are peaceful or not, and then commandeer their technology for ourselves. Any survivors of our attack would be imprisoned and experimented on.

And thus began the Terran Empire. Just hope that pesky Captain Kirk doesn't come to convert people to his weakling's philosophy and make us all slave to the Alliance.

 

[Rÿcher]

no, no. I know. It's just that Star Trek usually gives people faith that there's more intelligence than just us out there.

I would love to think there were others out there. But even in Trek (and may you all forgive me for this) I doubt that the majority are bi-peds of similar size to us. Maybe they are so gigantic that our known universe is too insignificant for them to notice us, or maybe vice versa?
Maybe they exist as thoughts and they are among us, which makes humans so unpredictable?

Carl Sagan (my personal hero, by the way) said Drake's equation was quite pessimistic.

 

[JNG]

I'd have to conclude they are busy maintaining a really, really convincing illusion that they ain't around. Sort of the opposite of ignoring us, really. Or there's a more obvious conclusion.

 

[K'Ehleyr]

no, no. I know. It's just that Star Trek usually gives people faith that there's more intelligence than just us out there.

I would love to think there were others out there. But even in Trek (and may you all forgive me for this) I doubt that the majority are bi-peds of similar size to us. Maybe they are so gigantic that our known universe is too insignificant for them to notice us, or maybe vice versa?
Maybe they exist as thoughts and they are among us, which makes humans so unpredictable?

Carl Sagan (my personal hero, by the way) said Drake's equation was quite pessimistic.

Thank you for putting me onto that, I'd never heard or seen it before. *Hangs head*. Fascinating. I see the reasoning but still N could be 10 or millions? I'd need that tightened up a bit to believe

 

[The Borg Queen]

Even if there's only one species per Galaxy, there are still billions of Galaxies out there...

 

[K'Ehleyr]

^perhaps it's just a difference of time then? We are here but for a brief second...

 

[ria 75]

They probably can't breathe our air anyway. And environmental suits or not, we'd shoot them on sight. If they really came all this way, they can't be as stupid as to show themselves.

Maybe they can't decide on how to make contact. Maybe it's been debated in their parliament but it isn't a priority so explorers can't do anything because the decision-making process back home is too slow. Or they have a policy not to make contact.

They probably wouldn't want to, with all our bacteria flying around, and theirs. We already get sick visiting different continents!
Maybe they came and got sick and are wiser now.

Maybe they don't see the point in making contact though they may be interested in observing us. Maybe they don't want to make contact any more than we want to communicate with ants.

Maybe they'd like to study us discreetly before they make contact, but our stargazing technology and radars now make it difficult for them, and our very desire to explore space keeps them away.

My real guess? Maybe there is sentient life on other planets but travelling to another sentient life-inhabited planet is as problematic to them as it is to us. Space is rich, but it's still BIG.

 

[Ghel]

I assume that any aliens would avoid earth the same way that people who lived their whole lives in large cities avoid back-woods "hick-towns." You could go there . . . but why?!?

This of course, also explains why alien spacecraft are always brightly lit in sightings. What we are seeing is alien teenagers hitting the high beams as they play a practical joke on the backwoods locals.

This leads to Roswell New Mexico. Any alien who has interstellar technology is not going to crash . . . unless they were drunk . . . or texting. Somewhere on an alien planet, there is one of those DMV "scare" videos that discusses what happens when you drink and fly. . . "Johnny died on impact. Tommy spent the next ten years being poked by hairless apes before his body gave out. Friends don't let friends fly drunk."

 

[Lindley]

Why would they even notice we are here?

Are you kidding? Our planet may as well be wrapped in flashing neon lights for all the radio signals we're spilling everywhere.

 

[Samurai8472]

The aliens probably think of us like the kryptonians in "Superman: The Movie"

"They're primatives, thousands of light years behind us"

or we're too insignificant.

 

[The Borg Queen]

The aliens probably think of us like the kryptonians in "Superman: The Movie"

"They're primatives, thousands of light years behind us"

or we're too insignificant.

We're several hundred parsecs behind them? What's that in kilometers?

 

[Brolan]

It's pretty easy really. Whenever a highly advanced culture meets a less advanced culture, the lesser culture is destroyed. We realize this from the history of contact between European and native cultures. Aliens have undoubtedly had similar experiences.

So to avoid destroying our entire way of life they leave us alone. Watching to see when it would be appropriate to contact us. Likely not in our lifetimes.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Given the technology and resources needed to overcome the difficulties of interstellar travel, and the likelihood of technological civilizations being relatively rare, the odds that Earth has been visited by Aliens is so close to zero as to make no difference.

If a species advanced enough and interested enough to make the journey did find us, they would likely look upon us as a mature adult looks upon a child; with compassion and forgiveness.

 

[Ensign_Redshirt]

Assuming that extra-terrestrial life exists somewhere in the universe (at least a strong possibilty), the most plausible explanation is that a) the universe is a pretty big place and b) faster-than-light travel might either be impossible or very hard to achieve.

So maybe there's a intelligent species 1000 light-years from here which is wondering why nobody came visit them so far.

Why haven't we (personally) looked for intelligent life in other solar systems? Because it would take 100.000 years of travel time.

 

[Red Ranger]

They don't get our sense of humor. -- RR

 

[archeryguy1701]

I would love to think there were others out there. But even in Trek (and may you all forgive me for this) I doubt that the majority are bi-peds of similar size to us. Maybe they are so gigantic that our known universe is too insignificant for them to notice us, or maybe vice versa?
Maybe they exist as thoughts and they are among us, which makes humans so unpredictable?

Carl Sagan (my personal hero, by the way) said Drake's equation was quite pessimistic.

Thank you for putting me onto that, I'd never heard or seen it before. *Hangs head*. Fascinating. I see the reasoning but still N could be 10 or millions? I'd need that tightened up a bit to believe

Well, a thing to keep in mind is that even if life in general was a giant cosmic accident, there are so many planets in so many star systems in so many galaxies that it is almost literally impossible for that accident to never happen again. And that's accounting for life similar to us. There are untold number of different "accidental" events that could create other forms of life (silicone based, etc).

As for why there hasn't been any official contact, I'm inclined to say it's because we aren't worth the trouble. As much as it saddens me, I think the new The Day The Earth Stood Still has it right- we will shoot it first even if by accident) and then consider it the enemy simply because it isn't us. I wouldn't want to waste my time with a race of people like that either.

 

[Lookingglassman]

I see your point, but if an alien observed us, learned our language and landed in the middle of Time Square at rush hour, got out, said hello, and then left how would that hurt anything? By the time the military got mobilized they would be gone and even if we managed to get jets over NY in time, they arent going to fire missles at a UFO surrounded by thousands of people.

Personally I don't think aliens exist, but if they do they are humans and not some little big headed oval eyed grey.