That "alien magastructure" again

[Shiranu]

Slave labor? Highly doubtful. A civilization advanced enough to conquer a star would likely have general purpose automatons. With those there is literally no purpose to slave labor.

Perhaps they are mean spirited. Perhaps they follow a philosophy or religion that takes pleasure in causing pain. Perhaps they are xenophobic and think everything outside of their species is a potential threat and will wipe any developing races off the map.

Also for your consideration; weapon testing on living beings... scientific abductions to see if there are any useful bits to our DNA they can exploit... boredom between wars.

[TomFoolery]

Also for your consideration; weapon testing on living beings... scientific abductions to see if there are any useful bits to our DNA they can exploit... boredom between wars.

True, we do all kinds of weird and awful shit to animals for research under the guise that they're "not people, duh." A lot of it is done for the exclusive benefit of humans. Even our closest relatives or other species with rich social lives and complex intelligence like chimpanzees, orcas, elephants, etc. aren't safe from our exploitation.

[aitm]

I am of the opinion, perhaps mis-guided, that any "species" that has evolved to the point where they can travel the stars has nearly perfected the ability of cooperation and compatibility. Being able to get exist peacefully on any large endeavor would suggest at least a good deal of sympathy as well. Not talking about the same species as in wars, but being able to traverse the universe examining other species would seem to me to require more compassion than "evil" intent.

I just can't see a species that would have the desire to travel the universe being "mean-spirited". I mean it requires a certain desire to see what it out there, that requires curiosity and wonder. 

If you are of a species that thinks "yeah, lets build all these space ships to go out and fuck with the rest of the universe"  I don't see them ever getting past fighting within themselves.

[josephpalazzo]

I've considered a few scenarios of alien confrontation. I am  currently reading the Expanse series of sci-fi books which includes alien encounter as a central theme, although a different version of it. Personally I don't see any way to stop a superior race with overwhelming abilities based on technology far beyond ours to overwhelm, conquer and destroy or enslave us.

What people don't think about is that in the case of the U.S., slavery was actually on its way out- thanks to mechanization, picking cotton and tobacco became easier and cheaper than to use slaves. I don't see any reason why they would do so. Short of having the ability to see us as a potential threat in some distant future, why would they want to enslave or destroy us? Might as well enslave colonies of monkeys to perform manual labor, when building a simple machine would do a better job.

And there is nothing on this planet resource wise that can't be found or created from sources closer to their planet. We are on the verge of creating artificial substitutes for meat and vegetables, surely any advanced race would have the same capabilities.

Sure, that's one possibility. Another more nightmarish scenario is that these aliens could see us like we see ants, crushing a few here and there doesn't make too many people feel guilty. You are thinking that superior technology makes you more ethical, in the sense, more compassionate/empathetic but that's not necessarily true. Alien morality, like alien biology, is most likely anything but what we think in terms of human concepts.

[Hydra009]

Possibly, but amoral aliens are unlikely to be inclined to venture out and visit our ant hill.

[Termin]

 I contend that they are an extremely long lived species, and this dimming is merely them setting the mood as they get funky.

[TomFoolery]

Another more nightmarish scenario is that these aliens could see us like we see ants, crushing a few here and there doesn't make too many people feel guilty. You are thinking that superior technology makes you more ethical, in the sense, more compassionate/empathetic but that's not necessarily true. Alien morality, like alien biology, is most likely anything but what we think in terms of human concepts.

After thinking about it, I see this as a greater possibility. In the way we do animal testing and call it ethical because it is likely to result in enhanced scientific knowledge for the benefit of humans and the planet. Scientists don't round up a bunch of rats and macaques and torture them for shits and giggles. An advanced alien species that considers itself more intelligent than us may view us in the same way we view great apes: as a life form capable of intelligence and worthy of some dignity, but at the end of the day still not even remotely equal.

[stromboli]

Sure, that's one possibility. Another more nightmarish scenario is that these aliens could see us like we see ants, crushing a few here and there doesn't make too many people feel guilty. You are thinking that superior technology makes you more ethical, in the sense, more compassionate/empathetic but that's not necessarily true. Alien morality, like alien biology, is most likely anything but what we think in terms of human concepts.

And how much technology and energy does this alien species expend to go out to a minor solar system just to crush some ants? Any technology I can conceive that would give them that ability would have to be well beyond our understanding. Even if such beings were effectively immortal or really long lived, would they want to travel hundreds or thousands of light years just to crush some ants?

doing so at light speed would require a ridiculously long journey; even at greater than light speed. This isn't Marco Polo traveling to China, its more like traveling to Pluto at walking speed.  To crush some ants? Maybe there is an alien race just that vicious, but I'd have a hard time believing any race could justify doing that. Study us yes, but why would any race that advanced feel that we are somehow a danger?

[josephpalazzo]

And how much technology and energy does this alien species expend to go out to a minor solar system just to crush some ants? Any technology I can conceive that would give them that ability would have to be well beyond our understanding. Even if such beings were effectively immortal or really long lived, would they want to travel hundreds or thousands of light years just to crush some ants?

doing so at light speed would require a ridiculously long journey; even at greater than light speed. This isn't Marco Polo traveling to China, its more like traveling to Pluto at walking speed.  To crush some ants? Maybe there is an alien race just that vicious, but I'd have a hard time believing any race could justify doing that. Study us yes, but why would any race that advanced feel that we are somehow a danger?

Not necessarily see us as a danger, but just as annoying pests. Why would they travel here and what does this planet has to offer? Advanced their knowledge bank, and used the natural resources this planet has to offer - two reasons I can think of. I doubt it that the concept of "human rights" would enter their minds. If they have the power to exterminate us, what would stop them? Do ants have the power to stop humans from killing them? In the end, it's not morality that rules, but raw power. If they'd have that kind of power, we would be at their total mercy.

[stromboli]

The alien premise of The Expanse is that a superior alien entity has sent a large- small planet size- object to destroy the earth (ostensibly-not proven) that got captured by Jupiter's gravity and became a moon. In exploring, the corporations that expand out to the asteroid belt discover the entity and seek to learn from its protozoic shape shifting whatever to gain technological advantage by learning alien culture. What is not known is whether the culture is actually benign or not, or what its intent was to begin with.

What the aliens did was throw a bowling ball to make a strike and wound up in the gutter; or at least that is the initial implied supposition of the series. If I were going to wipe out a species at great distance, this is something like the method I would use. But it still a huge effort to accomplish something like that, and there is still no real motivation apparent except for willy nilly destruction, but to what end?

The other side of that is that it would take us millennia if not longer, barring some really amazing technological or scientific breakthrough, to ever reach the alien star in question. So a race of aliens 2 billion years ago shoots a bowling ball to destroy an infantile race that would not encounter the aliens for millennia?

I don't personally see that as logical. In any case an alien race suitably advanced could wipe us out without us ever seeing it coming, so I don't see it as something to worry about.

[Baruch]

Our human overlords consider us annoying and expandable.  But I don't let that worry me either.

[Baruch]

Unless you have no debt.

Bwahah ... there are many debts that the government has assigned to your future taxes ... that you are completely unaware of.  The whole point of fiat money since 1971 ... is that any debts incurred by the government, or their favorite corporations/rich folk ... will be payed by the sheeple.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Bwahah ... there are many debts that the government has assigned to your future taxes ... that you are completely unaware of.  The whole point of fiat money since 1971 ... is that any debts incurred by the government, or their favorite corporations/rich folk ... will be payed by the sheeple.

I don't pay taxes.

[Baruch]

I don't pay taxes.

No sales taxes, no property taxes?  Do you live on the Moon?  How is the Internet up there ... I heard that NASA was working on it.

Everyone pays taxes, at least indirectly.  Even El Chappo ... unless he shoplifts all his needs.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

No sales taxes, no property taxes?  Do you live on the Moon?  How is the Internet up there ... I heard that NASA was working on it.

Everyone pays taxes, at least indirectly.  Even El Chappo ... unless he shoplifts all his needs.

I pay sales taxes occasionally, I don't pay property taxes. You're struggling to make me fit your preconceptions.