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At Smithsonian Magazine: What space aliens must be like

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In an excerpt from Imagined Life: A Speculative Scientific Journey among the Exoplanets in Search of Intelligent Aliens, Ice Creatures, and Supergravity Animals, we learn,

In addition, we don’t have to assume the standard science fiction galaxy populated by bipedal hominids that speak English to understand how natural selection might operate on other Goldilocks worlds. We can look at the development of intelligence and technology on Earth and draw possible analogies to similar Goldilocks planets in the galaxy.

The key point about natural selection that we have to pay attention to is this: it is not a process that selects for niceness or moral worth…

So what does this tell us about the types of life forms that will develop on Goldilocks worlds? We’re afraid that the answer isn’t very encouraging, for the most likely outcome is that they will probably be no more gentle and kind than Homo sapiens. Looking at the history of our species and the disappearance of over 20 species of hominids that have been discovered in the fossil record, we cannot entertain a hopeful attitude toward the possibility that we will encounter an advanced technological species that is more peaceful than we are. Anyone we find out there will most likely be no more moral or less warlike than we are. Scary!

James Trefil and Michael Summers, “If Aliens Existed Elsewhere in the Universe, How Would They Behave?” at Smithsonian Magazine

Fascinating to be so sure when we have no evidence of any space aliens at all. A religion underlies this, you may be sure.

By the way, there is no evidence that our branch of the human family killed off the others. Lineages can die out without anyone killing anyone else off. For example, small groups are often simply absorbed into larger groups.

See also: Tales of an invented god (a look at the space alien religion)

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Comments
The Smithsonian article presents some possible explanations for the Fermi paradox, which questions why we haven't heard from any advanced extraterrestrial civilizations (AEC). But they fail to include the most plausible explanation that AECs simply don't exist. There are innumerable variables in the Universe that require exquisite fine tuning for advanced life to exist. If just a few are considered simultaneously (e.g. temperature, radiation levels, and availability of essential elements), it becomes evident that not only is our Earth in a Goldilocks orbit around a Goldilocks Sun, but also our Sun and its planets are in a Goldilocks orbit within a Goldilocks galaxy, our galaxy is in a Goldilocks position within a Goldilocks Local Group, our Local Group is in a Goldilocks position within the Goldilocks Virgo Cluster, the Virgo Cluster is in a Goldilocks position within the Virgo Supercluster, and the Virgo Supercluster is in a Goldilocks position within the Taurus Void area of our Universe. If all existential variables are taken into account, it’s cosmically impossible for another planet in our Universe to share the same essential characteristics as our Earth.MikeW
January 1, 2020
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At least they've lost that optimism that has colored so many of the alien extrapolations over the years--so much of the sci-fi crap about beneficent aliens who intervene to stop us from nuking ourselves, for example.EDTA
December 31, 2019
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