Don't Talk to Aliens (No, this isn't about Arizona)

Stephen Hawking warns that humanity shouldn't be so keen on making contact with extra-terrestrials. Mathematically speaking, it is highly likely there are other planets in the universe that have life and some of those with intelligent life. His argument is basically that there is a possibility that any intelligent life out there may not have benevolent intentions toward us. And if they have the capability to reach us, they most certainly have the capability to destroy or enslave us.

He points to Columbus's discovery of the Americas (which is only one such example) as evidence of what happens when an advanced civilization makes contact with a more primitive one - almost complete annihilation of its people, reaping the benefits of the abundant natural resources available. It's a somewhat reasonable assumption to make, except in thinking about how we would treat a planet of sentient beings after traveling there. It's hard to imagine humanity getting away with the wholesale slaughter and destruction of an alien civilization on the order of the European destruction of American Indians.

We have evolved beyond those kinds of attitudes, most people would agree. Although, those primitive cultures (and the prejudice is evident in the use of that word 'primitive') in the history of our planet were largely considered inferior and perhaps even less than human thus alleviating the people of guilt. Suppose we traveled to a distant planet that had life, but only in the form of microbes and small animals. Would we have any misgivings about strip mining such a planet for resources? Doubtful. Oh, the hippies and environmentalists would be loudly outspoken about it, to be sure, but in the end common sense would win.

Up the ante a bit. Suppose we discovered a planet populated by animals with an intelligence roughly on the order of the great apes, but still nothing approaching the intelligence and ingenuity of homo-sapiens. I'd still be willing to bet we'd have little problem taking what we wanted from such a planet.

Upon finding living beings capable of some form of clear communication, use of tools and possibly technological developments, I find it hard to believe we would act as the Europeans did toward the Indians. It seems logical to assume that any society that has achieved the ability to travel to distant planets (namely ours) has also evolved a higher sense of moral order and would not be coming here for nefarious purposes.

But then we come back to how we would treat a hypothetical planet populated by nothing more intelligent than the average chimp. What if the alien life that makes contact with us, travels to our planet, is advanced so far beyond what we are capable not only of doing, but of understanding? What if, to them, we are nothing more than chimps? Would they not have few reservations about kidnapping us and using us as test subjects and then taking what they want from our planet?

Yeah, Hawking may be right. Let's just sit quietly in our little corner of the universe and hope no one notices us.