One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

clark · 2004-01-29 14:42:47

Imagine that we have just established contact with an intelligent species fifty light years away. Now, it takes 50 years to send a message, and another 50 years for the ET to send a response (speed of light limit), what would be the one question you would ask (since it would be the only one you get to ask within your lifetime, for the sake of this exercise)

One question to an alien species, what would it be?

~Eternal~ · 2004-01-29 17:06:50

How can we travel faster than light?
or Is there a God?

Mundaka · 2004-01-29 22:38:52

Josh Cryer · 2004-01-29 22:48:45

I would opt to send several containers at nearly the speed of light full of information about us and a plea for a likewise response.

Hazer · 2004-01-29 23:58:47

Well...the question assumes that we can communicate clearly with said ET's.

clark · 2004-01-30 10:07:10

Josh gets a point for creativity! But he loses 2 points for not asking a question.

Eternal gets a point for trying an end run, but loses a point for trying to cheat! No cheating the laws of physics.

Mundaka get's two points for asking such a strange question, but loses them all for not asking if they taste like breast or leg.

And Hazer, assume that we can 'talk' with them. This isn't much of a discussion if we can't.

Byron · 2004-01-30 12:43:20

Here's my question: Do you consider us to be equals?

B

Palomar · 2004-01-30 12:59:11

Now, it takes 50 years to send a message, and another 50 years for the ET to send a response (speed of light limit),

*100 years combined of course...our average life expectancy (Westerners) is about, what, 80 now? Unless that gets "upped," will most of us still be alive to hear the reply (after we're old enough to articulate it in the first place)?

But okay...I'll play:

Do you look like Captain James Tiberius Kirk?

--Cindy

jadeheart · 2004-01-30 15:04:03

My question:

What do you know?

Seems like that gives us the most bang for our interstellar buck.

Byron · 2004-01-30 15:10:47

My question:
What do you know?

Seems like that gives us the most bang for our interstellar buck.

Ha, that's a good one

B

clark · 2004-01-30 15:58:32

Byron, excellent question! 14 points. However, our judges feel that you are not being Politcally Correct enough, and have docked you all of your points for being insensitive to our new alien friends.

Cindy gets three points, mainly for knowing Kirk's full name, but loses four points for not asking about the true captain of Star Trek, Captain Pike.

Jadeheart gets two points for coming up with the most effecient question so far, but loses four points for being to vague.

Keep up the good work, first place is still wide open! :laugh:

Palomar · 2004-01-30 16:04:34

Cindy gets three points, mainly for knowing Kirk's full name, but loses four points for not asking about the true captain of Star Trek, Captain Pike.

*Doesn't matter.

Captain Kirk was cuter than Captain Christopher Pike. That's all that matters!

(You think I'm gonna waste the 1 question on the less cute captain...hello?)

By the way, Clark...where is your answer to your own question? Hmmmmmmm?

--Cindy

Bill White · 2004-01-30 16:08:46

Quisp? or Quake?

Palomar · 2004-01-30 16:25:27

Quisp? or Quake?

ERRRRRRNNNNNNNTTTTTT!!!!

*That's two questions. Disqualified.

--Cindy :laugh: :;):

Bill White · 2004-01-30 16:31:25

Quisp? or Quake?
ERRRRRRNNNNNNNTTTTTT!!!!
*That's two questions. Disqualified.
--Cindy :laugh: :;):

Sorry, try again.

Quisp or Quake?

Byron · 2004-01-30 16:42:21

Quisp or Quake?

What kind of question is that? Or I missing something here...??

B

Bill White · 2004-01-30 16:48:51

Quisp or Quake?
What kind of question is that? Or I missing something here...??
B

Its from a long ago [http://www.bigredtoybox.com/articles/quispindex.shtml]childhood memory.

Kudos to anyone who can explain without following the link.

[http://www.tvacres.com/admascots_quisp.htm]Another link.

Since Quisp is the space alien, I predict clark's aliens would answer Quisp, which you can still [http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi … gory=10790]buy today.

clark · 2004-01-30 16:51:35

Cindy gets a point returned to her via judge review, bringing her to a total of zero points. Way to go!

Bill would have received 6 points if we understood what he was asking, so he gets penalized 6 points instead.

Byron seems to be confused about who he is supposed to be questioning, putting him in the hole with minus 2 points!

As for my question?

Do you kill one another?

Bill White · 2004-01-30 16:56:21

Do you kill one another?

Suppose we received that question. How should we answer?
Is truth telling mandatory in such conversations?

clark · 2004-01-30 16:57:37

Suppose we received that question. How should we answer?

EXACTLY! :;):

Edit:

Upon further review, Bill's question receives a bonus of 6 points for the nostalgia factor. However, he is further penalized 1 point for dating himself.

~Eternal~ · 2004-01-30 17:51:57

Perhaps we should ask them the meaning of life and see if they've come up with an answer yet .

Mad Grad Student · 2004-01-30 21:58:57

*100 years combined of course...our average life expectancy (Westerners) is about, what, 80 now?

Sorry this is the first time I've been able to post in the last couple of days, mostly been doing other things. To answer your statement/question, I believe that here in the States average life expectancy is about 72 for men and 77 for women. Do I get points for a politically-incorrect joke in edgwise? Because here goes: "Do you ever wonder why women live longer than men? It takes them longer to get ready!" :laugh: Apolgies if I've offended any feminists around here.

For some reason ALE (Isn't making up acronyms great?) is higher in countires like Japan, France, and Sweeden. Maybe this has something to do with that these guys allow stem cell research? Thank you, George Bush :angry: .

You know, how come I only get to ask one question? I'd figure we could ask as many as we wanted, with the 100 years conversational delay, of course. I'll play along anyway, but assume that at least a thousand or so other scientists get to ask their questions, so I'll be a little different.

"Do you believe in God?"

They might be more advanced than us. This would mean that either they are still believers on the most part, have socially moved beyond theism, or are just plain wrong on whatever their view is. Perhaps getting another race's view on religion would help us put ours in perspective, and allow us to see if the idea of theism is universal. Can I include a statement along with this question? Seems reasonable, if I could I'd say something like:

"We live on a terrestrial planet with a large rocky moon one sixth the size of our planet." Just to see what they think of that improbable and if they'd even belive me. Hey, maybe these guys from Chara (Nice little star system 49 ly's from Sol) came up under even weider circumstances. More than that and I'd start griping about the Apollo program (Or lack replacement of), if NASA would let me. Bring on the points!

Mundaka · 2004-01-31 18:55:35

clark · 2004-02-02 09:05:08

Eternal gets 5 points but loses them all for not asking in the form of a question, so instead, he has been docked 5 points, and is now forced to where the dunce hat until he can make a proper showing!

Mad Grad Student scores a first, a double negative 2 point shot! It being a double negative though, he stays steady with zero points.

My question has a couple parts to it, which is why I chose it. How we answer, how they might answer- it has significant meaning. You can take a look and see some of your own reactions to get an inkling of what I am pointing out.

Now, another aspect to think about is communicating to this alien people. Facts and such can be transmitted pretty simply- a mathmatical formula here, binary to represent 'yes' or 'no' or even unknown. But how do you properly explain the fuzziness of life?

Do you kill one another? Sometimes. How do you properly explain the 'sometimes' to an alien? I imagine it's a bit like trying to explain a meaning in a foreign lanhguage that can't properly express it. Those who speak more than one language will get the drift.

Then there is answering the follow up to any fuzzy question, the 'why's'. Why do you kill one another, sometimes? Why? Self defense- sure, but always? Well, no. But mostly.

This one question, answered either way, or any way, allows us to also find a common thread, or a vantage point to reappraise ourselves as a species. Is this natual, or otherwise? Is this common, or are we an abberation. Is there a chance for something else, or is this a universal constant too?

And you only get to ask one question because that's the only way to cut through the noise of your own head.

Josh Cryer · 2004-02-02 10:12:31

The question I proposed was everthing about them.

This would allow us to answer every useful question there would be to ask. The point of this is that such a thing is so profund, it would require providing everything about us to forumlate our question; that is, the question about everything of them.

20 years from now we'll be able to compress every piece of media known to man (this includes historical media like stone tablets, etc) into a chip the size of a sugar cube. Do so, and send that chip out at nearly the speed of light (requiring comparatively little energy to do so in the process).

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#1 2004-01-29 14:42:47

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#2 2004-01-29 17:06:50

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#3 2004-01-29 22:38:52

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#4 2004-01-29 22:48:45

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#5 2004-01-29 23:58:47

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#6 2004-01-30 10:07:10

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#7 2004-01-30 12:43:20

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#8 2004-01-30 12:59:11

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#9 2004-01-30 15:04:03

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#10 2004-01-30 15:10:47

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#11 2004-01-30 15:58:32

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#12 2004-01-30 16:04:34

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#13 2004-01-30 16:08:46

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#14 2004-01-30 16:25:27

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#15 2004-01-30 16:31:25

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#16 2004-01-30 16:42:21

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#17 2004-01-30 16:48:51

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#18 2004-01-30 16:51:35

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#19 2004-01-30 16:56:21

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#20 2004-01-30 16:57:37

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#21 2004-01-30 17:51:57

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#22 2004-01-30 21:58:57

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#23 2004-01-31 18:55:35

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#24 2004-02-02 09:05:08

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

#25 2004-02-02 10:12:31

Re: One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask?

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