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Aliens may destroy earth over greenhouse gases
Alarming Nasa report says aliens could be alerted by sudden increase in CO2
There is new reason to curb greenhouse gases that not even climate change sceptics can dismiss. Apparently the growing amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could alert aliens to our existence, and they may decide to destroy earth as a result.
That is one of the more alarming scenarios outlined in a report from Nasa scientists and researchers at Pennsylvania State University.
Their argument goes that alien cultures will notice the presence of humans on earth by the sudden increase in CO2. "A preemptive strike would be particularly likely in the early phases of our expansion because a civilisation may become increasingly difficult to destroy as it continues to expand," says the report.
Aliens may also be enraged by the damage we are doing to our planet and decide to wipe us out to save earth.
The paper divides the types of encounter we could experience with extraterrestrials into three camps: beneficial, neutral and harmful. At the harmful end of the spectrum there is the prospect that the aliens could "eat us", "enslave us" or "attack us". There is also the worrying prospect that we could be wiped out by an inter-galactic "act of incompetence" or a physics experiment that destroys our solar system.
There are more prosaic dangers too. If and when they do arrive, larger aliens "might accidentally crush us while attempting an unrelated maneuver". They may also decide to take advantage of out kindness.
As for the "beneficial" scenarios, apparently beating an invading race that is intent on killing us would be counted as a positive contact. "Humanity benefits not only from the major moral victory of having defeated a daunting rival but also from the opportunity to reverse engineer ETI technology," notes the report.
Given the calamitous nature of much of the report the conclusion comes as little surprise. "Our analysis suggests some immediate practical recommendations for humanity. One... is that messages to extraterrestrials should be written cautiously." For example, we shouldn't tell them what we're made of.
What is notable is that many of the potential outcomes mulled over in the report, entitled Would Contact with Extraterrestrials Benefit or Harm Humanity? A Scenario Analysis, bear an uncanny resemblance to sci-fi films. District 9, War of the Worlds, Independence Day, Contact and K-PAX all get a mention. ·
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I think you had better change the wording of this as otherwise it will stay in cyberspace forever as false. It's not a 'Nasa report' as stated in the title. Frankly, it's pathetic: Seth Baum, the paper's lead author, has now admitted "The article was not in any way prepared for or sponsored by NASA. Instead, it was a spare-time project of three researchers". And the NASA-affiliated person, Shawn Domagal-Goldman, has today admitted "This isn't a 'NASA report.' It's not work funded by NASA, nor is it work supported by NASA in other ways. It was just a fun paper written by a few friends, one of whom happens to have a NASA affiliation...So here's the deal, folks. Yes, I work at NASA. It's also true that I work at NASA Headquarters. But I am not a civil servant...just a lowly postdoc. More importantly, this paper has nothing to do with my work there. I wasn't funded for it, nor did I spend any of my time at work or any resources provided to me by NASA to participate in this effort...I do admit to making a horrible mistake...I should not have listed my affiliation as 'NASA Headquarters'...I'm deeply sorry for that, but it was a mistake born out of carelessness and inexperience and nothing more." So, they've had their bit of fun at our expense, and managed to get all over the MSM with it, and it's really not much more than a spoof. As I say, I'm not that gullible.
And people are paid to come up with such reports?! Ha ha ha...they must be laughing all the way to the bank. I would love to join them.
Yes Kev,
a light hearted throway remark at the start of an article is further evidence that global warming is a dastardly communist inspired plot. Good job we're not gullible eh?
"There is new reason to curb greenhouse gases that not even climate change sceptics can dismiss." You must be joking. One can dismiss suggestions that are so completely silly and improbable as this. For a start, there are much better markers that there is civilization here than a trace gas that has been in our atmosphere since time immemorial - how about all the light pollution into space from our cities? What about all the space junk in orbit around the earth, and in satellites transmitting around our solar system? What about the cacophony of radio transmissions leaking out into space? Now all these things are real signs of intelligent life. So, much more so "There are reasons to curb electromagnetic radiation that not even climate change alarmist can dismiss." What all this reveals is just how bankrupt global warming alarmism has become. Having failed to scare the population of the world to death over what is essentially a scam, they try on some really cheesy over-the-top science fiction. Sorry, I'm not that gullible.