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Noted scientist fears aliens ignored Earth because we’re too stupid
Hot Air ^ | June 1, 2014 | Jazz Shaw

Posted on 06/01/2014 10:08:39 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

What do you get when you put one of the smartest people in the world – astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson – in the same room with MSNBC talker Chris Hayes? Answer: You get a lot of science interview questions, not all of which will be gems. But to their credit, they did manage to cover the one burning issue which awaits resolution – where are the aliens, and why haven’t they contacted us?

Tyson may not know for sure, but he has a theory.

Astrophysicist and Cosmos host Neil DeGrasse Tyson told MSNBC host Chris Hayes that while it’s audacious enough for human beings to say they’re capable of defining intelligence, he would still like to know if there’s other intelligent beings in the universe.

“My great fear is that we’ve in fact been visited by intelligent aliens,” DeGrasse Tyson said to Hayes. “But they chose not to make contact, on the conclusion that there’s no sign of intelligent life on Earth. How’s that for measures of intelligence?”

One reason it’s presumptuous for humans to act like they’re the arbiters of intelligence, DeGrasse Tyson said, is the possibility that planets much older than ours are already sending us messages in a format that, while basic to them, is incomprehensible by our current standards.

The idea that the first hint an extraterrestrial species will have of us is old I Love Lucy reruns is not a new one. But would a space-faring race really assume we are all that stupid? A quick inspection would show that we have manned and unmanned artificial satellites orbiting the planet. A modest visual survey would show cities, roads, and all manner of intelligent design. It just seems unlikely to me that aliens would ignore anyone who had not yet mastered the warp drive.

I’ll suggest two other possibilities and you are free to add in your own.

First, assuming there are other intelligent species alive at this time in this galaxy, I’m guessing there aren’t going to be that many of them. Given the number of stars in the Milky Way it would have to take many times the span of years that we have had an advanced civilization to search them all. So they may be out there and looking, but they just haven’t found us yet.

The second possibility I am sure is far more likely. At roughly the same time they invented their own warp drive, they also invented politics. In the ensuing squabbles, the budget for the warp drive was diverted, and they never got off the ground.


TOPICS: Science; TV/Movies; UFO's
KEYWORDS: aliens; ancientaliens; calliingartbell; globalwarminghoax; heshouldtalk; neildegrassetyson; primedirective; space; toserveman; warpdrive; zeframcochrane
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I have always been of the opinion that if there are other intelligent races out there, they are probably not going to advertise. The universe might not be the friendly place we somehow tend to assume it is. Other intelligent races might consider discretion to be a wiser policy.


21 posted on 06/01/2014 11:43:52 PM PDT by Ronin (Dumb, dependent and Democrat is no way to go through life - Rep. L. Gohmert, Tex)
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To: Salamander
If you read the title you know what's coming ping

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in 3 ...

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1...

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22 posted on 06/01/2014 11:59:46 PM PDT by shibumi (Cover it with gas and set it on fire.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Obviously the aliens’ “first contact” was with the Republican leadership.


23 posted on 06/02/2014 12:03:58 AM PDT by LaybackLenny (Sarah Palin - Last Man Standing (Ironic, ain't it?))
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

LOL why is it that supposed Aliens are thought to be so much smarter than us - and so peaceful - and so against our wars - is it because our ideas of any possible Alien species all comes from Star Trek or Hollywood. For all we know any life out there could still be dragging itself out of it’s own primordial soup. Or they have tasted human and we don’t really do it for them - we give them gas!!! One of the Smartest Guys in the World? Is that what he wrote on his pamphlets?


24 posted on 06/02/2014 12:04:56 AM PDT by melsec (Once a Jolly Swagman camped by a Billabong.)
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To: LaybackLenny

“Why is their leader orange? I thought Neptunians were orange, Groldvakk? And why is he crying?”


25 posted on 06/02/2014 12:06:14 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (I will raise $2Million USD for Cruz and/or Palin's next run, what will you do?)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

What about the idea that life as we know it is so unique that we are it, and it is our commission to “Go forth and multiply” in the galaxy if not the universe.


26 posted on 06/02/2014 12:13:17 AM PDT by fella ("As it was before Noah so shall it be again,")
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
If they are sweet and come in the form of Jeff Bridges, I hope they change their minds. :)

John Carpenter's Starman

27 posted on 06/02/2014 12:19:55 AM PDT by beaversmom
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
DeGrasse Tyson said to Hayes. “But they chose not to make contact, on the conclusion that there’s no sign of intelligent life on Earth. How’s that for measures of intelligence?”

Aliens probably concluded this after watching Tycon's Cosmos global warming episode.

28 posted on 06/02/2014 12:26:15 AM PDT by Rightwing Conspiratr1
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>> One reason it’s presumptuous for humans to act like they’re the arbiters of intelligence, DeGrasse Tyson said

A rather presumptuous statement.


29 posted on 06/02/2014 12:28:28 AM PDT by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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To: shibumi
Who IS that guy? I see his picture around, but I have no idea what the story might be.
30 posted on 06/02/2014 12:47:37 AM PDT by Psiman (PS I am not a crockpot)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Now THAT'S funny.
31 posted on 06/02/2014 12:48:38 AM PDT by Psiman (PS I am not a crockpot)
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To: shibumi

I truly would not know what to do without you.

<3

:)


32 posted on 06/02/2014 12:53:41 AM PDT by Salamander (It's a cult and they worship blue oysters!)
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To: shibumi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bzz6zBqjnO0


33 posted on 06/02/2014 12:57:22 AM PDT by Salamander (It's a cult and they worship blue oysters!)
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To: Psiman
His name is Giorgio Tsoukalos.

He is one of the hosts of the History Channel's series on Ancient Aliens.

We have not yet decided if it's documentary, fantasy, satire, self-parody or some other form of high comedy.

But "just *everyone*" wants Giorgio's hair!

Rumor has it he was a consultant on the sci-fi show "Babylon 5" -


34 posted on 06/02/2014 12:59:20 AM PDT by shibumi (Cover it with gas and set it on fire.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I saw an earlier documentary about the universe hosted by this guy. He said the same thing. These celebrity astrophysics are definitely in the misanthrope category. I’m not entirely sure of his meaning. What I gathered in to context of the technology required to travel faster than light (thus proving the physicists wrong) is that we humans are not worth the time to visit. Kind of like Star Trek not making contact with pre warp civilizations.


35 posted on 06/02/2014 1:02:27 AM PDT by Organic Panic
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To: shibumi

36 posted on 06/02/2014 1:02:41 AM PDT by Salamander (It's a cult and they worship blue oysters!)
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To: Salamander

I hit the YouTube link and the first thing that popped up was an ad for hair transplant surgery.


37 posted on 06/02/2014 1:02:45 AM PDT by shibumi (Cover it with gas and set it on fire.)
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To: All

I can state with certain knowledge that we are not ignoring you, we are selecting which of you can serve, and who otherwise should die.

Perhaps I have said too much.


38 posted on 06/02/2014 1:06:30 AM PDT by Peter ODonnell (It wasn't this cold before global warming)
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To: shibumi

Hairvolution.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDKvWiToj8Y


39 posted on 06/02/2014 1:10:56 AM PDT by Salamander (It's a cult and they worship blue oysters!)
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To: shibumi; Psiman

It is *the* best show on History Channel.

I adore Girgio even though he’s toys in the attic/batsh*t in the belfry/cracker factory crazy.

I have never seen a show whereupon so many wildly disparate yet tortuously unified mad hatter assertions are made with absolutely straight faces.

It is high entertainment of the most absurd sort.

I never miss an episode.

:)


40 posted on 06/02/2014 1:21:43 AM PDT by Salamander (It's a cult and they worship blue oysters!)
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