September 5, 2005

Arguing Alien Intentions

I re-watched "The Day the Earth Stood Still" this afternoon. I still think it's a darn good film, even if it is deeply flawed on several levels.

It got me thinking though. It was (and is) heralded as the first film to positively portray ETIs. Prior to that, aliens were typically portrayed as monsters chasing around scantily clad women. Instead, these visitors were as enlightened as they were helpful.

In fact, the portrayal of ETIs in this film is quasi-messianic and filled with wish-fulfilment overtones (the nuclear age world in the midst of the coldwar -- "ET, God is dead, save us from ourselves!").

This movie reinforces in my mind the idea that we have replaced God with ETIs. Just look at the Raelians, for example, with their promise of extra terrestrial salvation and eternal material life.

Since "The Day the Earth Stood Still," both film, public sentiment and even science have supported the idea that ETIs are enlightened, friendly, and potentially helpful. Carl Sagan argued, for example, that ETIs would *have* to have those characteristics, otherwise they wouldn't have survived the nuclear age.

Ultimately, questions I wonder about include: is all this just naive wishful thinking? Is the assumption that ETIs are benevolent just another variant of religion, messianism and new age thinking? Should we assume that aliens and their artifacts are potentially dangerous?


Tags: .

10 comments:

cash at home said...

Hello, My name is Don you have a great blog here! I'm definitely going to bookmark you! I have a teen make money site. It pretty much covers teen make money related stuff.

Come and check it out if you get time :-)

luckpoo said...

Keep it up. I enjoy your nice blog. check out my business opportunity make money at home site. It pretty much covers business opportunity make money at home related stuff.

girljane said...

Hey, you have a great blog here! I'm definitely going to bookmark you!

I have a review most effective penis enlargement pills site. It pretty much covers review most effective penis enlargement pills related stuff.

Come and check it out if you get time :-)

Anonymous said...

Hey, your blog has some nice key points to it. I will definately add it to my favorites. I have a site that pretty much covershow to make fake money related stuff.

Anonymous said...

This site has a lot of information pertaining to my interests herbal healer academy . I will definitely bookmark this page and be back later. If you get a chance, please check out my herbal healer academy site. We so have something in common. Check ya later...

Anonymous said...

I discuss this topic daily myself. I also have a website that talks about make money add your link related things. Go check it out if you get a chance.

Greg said...

Hey, you have a great blog here! I'm definitely going to bookmark you!

I have a really greatSEO site. It pretty much covers professional seo related stuff.

Come and check it out if you get time :-)

Johnjon said...

Yo, This blog is pretty neat. You should check out mine sometime. It pretty much covers email marketing related stuff.

Work From Home Center said...

Hi, Thanks for your interesting blog. Keep up the great work! I also have a site & blog about work from home medical billing
, please feel free to visit.

Brian said...

Hey, you have a great blog here! I'm definitely going to bookmark you!

I have a advies email en language language marketing nl nl site site/blog. It pretty much covers advies email en language language marketing nl nl site related stuff.

Come and check it out if you get time :-)