Speaking of the prime directive...

[Discofan]

How badly do you think our society would be affected if aliens (with superior science and technology) made known their existence to us? Do you think people would panic and become crazy, that it would be chaos and things of that nature or that people would quickly get used to the idea and adapt?

I believe the latter is by far the most likely of the two.

 

[johnnybear]

No it would depend on the aliens themselves! If they just turned up and started shooting of course people would panic! Even if they didn't I think the people would still panic! If they really were friendly without any real hostile motive and showed the masses a new way to live I think the people here would realise how badly they've been treated over the last few centuries and rise up against the governments! so we're on a loser in every way!
JB

 

[MacLeod]

It'll likely be a mix of how people react.

 

[Timewalker]

It would depend a lot on what they do with their superior science and technology.

TANSTAAFL.

 

[Tenacity]

and showed the masses a new way to live

Nahhh, tourism.

 

[TribbleFeeder]

Humans would probably treat them the same way Americans treat illegal Mexican immigrants.

And then they would kill us all.

 

[Tenacity]

^ More like the way we treat foreign tech company who want to build here, or well-heeled tourists. If their intentions are peaceful (actually) then they would be welcome and celebrated.

As long as they don't come barging in by the hundreds of thousands like they own the place after we ask them not to.

 

[Kor]

This speaks volumes about how people would react:

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Kor

 

[BillJ]

I don't think there would be any one reaction. Some would welcome them, some would fear them, some would think they were the Devil in the flesh.

No way to know how it would all shake out.

 

[Tenacity]

It would depend on where the aliens landed, not just what country, but what part of some countries. And who they talked to first.

I think avoid the governments and arrange to appear on high viewership talk shows. in America the best choice would probably be The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Pre-record it so that when it plays government agents won't be able to "storm" the studio and grab the aliens.

 

[Refuge]

Imagine if a group of Federation like aliens tried to evaluate us like Starfleet supposedly doesn't with its encounters. As much as I love Star Trek the Federation pretty much thinks it knows what's best and Prime Directive or not they leave their 'footprint' everywhere they go. I just wonder if for example a different set of ethics and alien thought was the guiding principle for contact how that would play out? Say a group of aliens felt it was moral to have (a la Logan's Run) under thirty year olds only to populate a planet. A Prime Directive should protect us from them influencing us but what if they kind of decided to 'help' us anyway, lol.

 

[Australis]

Hard to quantify until it actually happens. Could be anywhere between ET, ST First Contact, and War of the Worlds/ID4

 

[Tenacity]

Could be anywhere between ET, ST First Contact, and War of the Worlds/ID4

"Spaced Invaders."

 

[Tenacity]

Say a group of aliens felt it was moral to have (a la Logan's Run) under thirty.

teach us how to grow crops in sand with no water, great.

insist we live a life of total logic and no emotions, no thanks.

 

[Timewalker]

Imagine if a group of Federation like aliens tried to evaluate us like Starfleet supposedly doesn't with its encounters. As much as I love Star Trek the Federation pretty much thinks it knows what's best and Prime Directive or not they leave their 'footprint' everywhere they go. I just wonder if for example a different set of ethics and alien thought was the guiding principle for contact how that would play out? Say a group of aliens felt it was moral to have (a la Logan's Run) under thirty year olds only to populate a planet. A Prime Directive should protect us from them influencing us but what if they kind of decided to 'help' us anyway, lol.

When you compare Kirk's interpretation and Picard's interpretation of the Prime Directive, I prefer Kirk's. Sure, it involves a lot of judgments being rendered against stagnant civilizations, but Kirk honestly wants the civilizations he discovers to thrive and survive.

Picard just makes a sanctimonious speech, orders another tea, Earl Grey, hot, picks up his Shakespeare book, and it's on to the next assignment. Who cares if people will die if they don't intervene, or if people could benefit?


As for Logan's Run, there's a difference between the original novel and the movie. The novel had Lastday set at age 21, not 30, and the reason for it was overpopulation. There was no nuclear war. There were several large city complexes throughout North America and Europe (probably other areas as well, but the novel didn't go into those), connected by mazecars. Carousel isn't in the novel. People on Lastday have 24 hours to wind up whatever affairs they might have, and report to a Sleepshop for euthanasia. If they choose to Run instead, that's when the Sandmen come into it.

Kirk would definitely take out the computer controlling that system. Picard would likely find it a revolting way to run a planet from a personal perspective (can you imagine a world where the only officer you have who could safely beam down without being legally executed for being too old would be Wesley Crusher?), but he'd leave it alone just on principle.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

I think any aliens landing here would be lynched by a mob within the hour. Humans have an unfortunate tendency to be afraid of strangers and to destroy what they are afraid of.

 

[Discofan]

I think any aliens landing here would be lynched by a mob within the hour. Humans have an unfortunate tendency to be afraid of strangers and to destroy what they are afraid of.

I don't think aliens intelligent enough to find a way to cover the unimaginable distance that separates other stars from ours would be stupid enough to put themselves at the mercy of an idiotic mob.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

Good point, Discofan. I was a bit pessimistic when I wrote that as I just had received a rather aggressive PM. I had attempted to help to someone who mistook friendship for condescension. Since that poster is usually very amiable - which was my reason for trying to help - the sudden and utterly unexpected attack unsettled me quite a bit.
Morale - and this brings us back to the prime directive - like in Insurrection, attempts to protect a long-watched organism are not always appreciated

Returning to the example of aliens landing here, there is in my opinion a considerable risk that both sides might misunderstand friendly gestures for acts of aggression. To use some earthly examples: most predators consider eye contact a challenge. Baring teeth (in a human smile) is understood by most mammals to be an immediate threat (I'll attack/eat you). A hamster who grates its teeth audibly is warning you that an attack is imminent if you don't withdraw immediately, whereas a rat making the same sound is feeling very comfortable. A dog waving its tail is in a friendly mood - the same gesture in a cat expresses a threat or nervouseness. The American gesture for "excellent" is an obscenity in Italy.

What I'm driving at is: body language is not universal but species-related or even culturally based. Hence the danger of misunderstandings between us and aliens is very high.