What would you ask E.T. if you had the chance? - A lot of the suggestions, no doubt, were based on assumptions of what aliens who are capable of interstellar travel are like. However I have the idea that there is one question—proposal rather—that most have not thought of.
If I were confronted by an alien, I would make a suggestion. "Let's make a deal."
Unarguably pure capitalism is the most ethical method for intelligent beings to interact with one another. The free exchange of goods and services for value would seem to be the sort of thing that aliens will have refined in their progress from hunter/gatherer to interstellar explorer. If we believe that aliens would have a highly advanced sense of ethics and morality, capitalism would likely be the basis of their civilization. That would not, of course, make them the sort of caricature of free market traders such as the Ferengi on "Star Trek." That species was created by people who do not understand capitalism or capitalists and were capable of imagining something called a "non monetary economy" without actually thinking through how such a thing would work.
Without a doubt, visiting aliens would have a lot that humans would value, in the form of high technology and possibly tourist packages to some of the better worlds of the Galactic Federation. The trick, of course, would be ascertaining what the aliens would want in return. Money would not be an option, nor precious metals or resources. The latter two can be easily acquired on uninhabited bodies or even created using nano technology.
Works of art and music, since they would be something unique to human culture, might be something the aliens might want to acquire in return for—say—a cure for cancer or the technology to build a food replicator. With luck, the aliens might appreciate the sort of junky arts and crafts one can acquire cheaply every place from an American flea market to a Middle Eastern souk. A velvet picture of Elvis might be very prized in alien art circles.
Of course such an attempt to interact with ET as a potential business partner might backfire. What if the aliens bring with them a "To Serve Man" situation? And there is always the possibility that the first ET one meets will not be an ethical merchant at all, but perhaps a wanted fugitive. If an alien holds up his blaster and replies, "Certainly, your planet or your life" then one knows that one is in big trouble. ( news.yahoo.com )
If I were confronted by an alien, I would make a suggestion. "Let's make a deal."
Unarguably pure capitalism is the most ethical method for intelligent beings to interact with one another. The free exchange of goods and services for value would seem to be the sort of thing that aliens will have refined in their progress from hunter/gatherer to interstellar explorer. If we believe that aliens would have a highly advanced sense of ethics and morality, capitalism would likely be the basis of their civilization. That would not, of course, make them the sort of caricature of free market traders such as the Ferengi on "Star Trek." That species was created by people who do not understand capitalism or capitalists and were capable of imagining something called a "non monetary economy" without actually thinking through how such a thing would work.
What would you ask E.T. if you had the chance?
Without a doubt, visiting aliens would have a lot that humans would value, in the form of high technology and possibly tourist packages to some of the better worlds of the Galactic Federation. The trick, of course, would be ascertaining what the aliens would want in return. Money would not be an option, nor precious metals or resources. The latter two can be easily acquired on uninhabited bodies or even created using nano technology.
Works of art and music, since they would be something unique to human culture, might be something the aliens might want to acquire in return for—say—a cure for cancer or the technology to build a food replicator. With luck, the aliens might appreciate the sort of junky arts and crafts one can acquire cheaply every place from an American flea market to a Middle Eastern souk. A velvet picture of Elvis might be very prized in alien art circles.
Of course such an attempt to interact with ET as a potential business partner might backfire. What if the aliens bring with them a "To Serve Man" situation? And there is always the possibility that the first ET one meets will not be an ethical merchant at all, but perhaps a wanted fugitive. If an alien holds up his blaster and replies, "Certainly, your planet or your life" then one knows that one is in big trouble. ( news.yahoo.com )
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