Scientists, comprising an incredibly small percentage of our species, are currently searching for alien life beyond Earth and this is a process that is taking place and that:

1. Has a non-zero % chance that we discover alien life.
2. Has a non-zero % chance that alien life, if discovered, is much more technologically advanced than we are and is hostile/malevolent.

Given these technical possibilities, should this not be something that we as a species vote on together? We run the risk of bringing about our own extinction by attracting attention to us. Would the risks be worth the benefits?

This post was edited by Handcuffs on Oct 29 2022 10:51pm

A technologically advanced hostile alien species wouldn't need help finding us to hurt us so we might as well keep searching.

Do you think this is something that should be voted on at-scale though, or are we to let scientists be the de facto decision makers?

Yes. In general the people who are capable of thinking critically about the subject at hand should be the ones making decisions.

In my view either

1) they are friendly and share their tech

2) they kill us all and I get to die a glorious alien extermination death.

Win win

Nah your average american is a moron.

I agree with that general position; however, do you think that the fact that this risk--hypothetically--includes the non-zero risk that we bring about/accelerate our own extinction makes this worthy of humanity's vote?

No. Given the chance humans have already done that. We aren't good decision makers.

Very interesting! Thanks for just answering thought experiment questions so straight-forwardly. It is one of my biggest pet peeves in life right now when people what-aboutism in the middle of thought experiments.

Aliens are probably cool

lets search the galaxy first though

Lol get gov to declasify it's data and involvement with aliens and their technology that already live here on our planet

This post was edited by addone on Oct 30 2022 12:32am