Alien contact - Human representative

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20 Nov 2010, 5:46 am

Say sometime in the next week, we will finally come into contact with an extraterrestrial civilisation. Assuming these aliens have never known our planet's existence before hand, everything we give will be taken at face value. If we are allow to appoint one individual to act as humanity's ambassador, what are the political and religious qualities he or she should possess, in order to bring about the most constructive dialogue between two very different species?

Fire away!

ruveyn
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20 Nov 2010, 5:53 am

bloodshot wrote:

Fire away!

precisely!

ruveyn

Sand
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20 Nov 2010, 6:32 am

bloodshot wrote:

We should appoint someone not too fat but with a good deal of meat on their bones so that properly prepared with a good sauce they will have a good opinion of us. A few recipes might even help.

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20 Nov 2010, 9:24 am

bloodshot wrote:

If we are allow to appoint one individual to act as humanity's [representative], what are the ... qualities he or she should possess ...

Discernment and decisiveness. An ambassador is merely PR on foreign soil.

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Sand
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20 Nov 2010, 10:48 am

leejosepho wrote:

bloodshot wrote:

If we are allow to appoint one individual to act as humanity's [representative], what are the ... qualities he or she should possess ...

Discernment and decisiveness. An ambassador is merely PR on foreign soil.

How come suddenly Earth is foreign soil?

leejosepho
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20 Nov 2010, 11:34 am

Sand wrote:

How come suddenly Earth is foreign soil?

The person we are asking about would *not* be an ambassador because s/he would *not* be on foreign soil.

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Sand
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20 Nov 2010, 9:15 pm

leejosepho wrote:

Sand wrote:

How come suddenly Earth is foreign soil?

The person we are asking about would *not* be an ambassador because s/he would *not* be on foreign soil.

What would you call someone selected by Earth society to deal with extra terrestrial visitors?

bloodshot
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21 Nov 2010, 4:06 am

Ok, this derailment of the topic needs to cease please. Call it missionary, ambassador, diplomat, representative whatever...I expect people from all walks of the political spectrum or religious sects to submit their ideal spokesperson for humanity!

Personally i would appoint Sam Harris, PhD. He is the shining beacon of rationality, possesses a scientific skepticism towards all faiths and ideologies, and is friendlier than Richard Dawkins (I like him too but he might be a tad bit extreme).

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21 Nov 2010, 4:17 am

bloodshot wrote:

You are expecting, of course, a gentle intelligent alien with human thought patterns but a cut above human technology . You have no idea whether this alien is coming to eat you or capture you as a specimen to be dissected or to put in some sort of zoo for interstellar amusement.
Don't expect a rational answer.

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21 Nov 2010, 6:34 am

Stephen Hawking.
who else could handle this job?

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21 Nov 2010, 7:05 am

Just suppose a grasshopper crawled up your leg with a petition bitten out on the edge of a piece of grass in the finest grasshopper language. Would you try to read the piece of grass or would you brush the grasshopper off your leg in annoyance?

bloodshot
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21 Nov 2010, 7:17 am

katzefrau wrote:

Stephen Hawking.
who else could handle this job?

Stephen Hawking already admitted early this year he holds unfavorable views regarding any aliens that can possibly reach us. His bias should disqualify him.

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21 Nov 2010, 7:24 am

bloodshot wrote:

Ok, this derailment of the topic needs to cease please.

No derailment has taken place. Along the line of what Sand has said, you need someone capable of shooting on sight, if necessary, and that means you need a team like Michael and Fiona from "Burn Notice".

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21 Nov 2010, 7:42 am

If you really want a proper representative of humanity perhaps Sarah Palin would do since her intellect is probably representative of humanity in general and if they eat her she won't be missed.

katzefrau
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21 Nov 2010, 7:43 am

bloodshot wrote:

katzefrau wrote:

Stephen Hawking.
who else could handle this job?

Stephen Hawking already admitted early this year he holds unfavorable views regarding any aliens that can possibly reach us. His bias should disqualify him.

i think he is wise enough to judge them on their own merits rather than his preconceptions, but you can disqualify anyone you like since you wrote the question.

bloodshot wrote:

what are the political and religious qualities he or she should possess, in order to bring about the most constructive dialogue between two very different species?

i don't think religious or political opinions should have anything to do with it. best someone who has no opinion on either, but who favors cooperation rather than competition.

qualities that would matter: truthfulness, intelligence, diplomacy.

not a politician. a true diplomat.

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katzefrau
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21 Nov 2010, 7:46 am

Sand wrote:

If you really want a proper representative of humanity perhaps Sarah Palin would do since her intellect is probably representative of humanity in general and if they eat her she won't be missed.

much better idea. send a knife and fork.

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