Aliens, exist or not?

[cheesepuffly]

See south park episode.

[Warfreak]

I wish I could find that clip... (I know the one you are talking about... "GREETINGS MARKLAR!!  ")

[iron maiden]

Granted, however, if a more peaceful and advanced alien race were to discover us, we could use their technology to begin colonizing other worlds. If we do that, large portions of people would leave the planet, giving more land back to nature and lowering the population here on Earth. I use the California and Yukon Goldrush emigrations As a point of reference.

[Warfreak]

Here is the only problem I could see with that idea... The only way we could get their tech is by force, cause NO species in the right mind would DARE help our egotistical butts.

I mean we can hardly look to our OWN kind for this kind of support. What makes one think that others will help us?

[Red Spot]

Here is the only problem I could see with that idea... The only way we could get their tech is by force, cause NO species in the right mind would DARE help our egotistical butts.

I mean we can hardly look to our OWN kind for this kind of support. What makes one think that others will help us?

Perhaps the other race doesn't really know arrogance or even deceit ... 

[cheesepuffly]

Hell they probably work a lot different than we even imagine.

[Mr X]

Lets face it, if they're more evolved they could have ditched emotions ages ago.

[cheesepuffly]

Lets face it, if they're more evolved they could have ditched emotions ages ago.

Most Logical.

[mrtwosheds]

Most illogical, emotions are a most basic and essential survival trait, evolution would ensure that they did not lose them.

[Nielk1]

Lets face it, if they're more evolved they could have ditched emotions ages ago.

I doubt it. Emotions are a higher order function.

[bigbadbogie]

Any living creature would die in minutes without emotions, or bulletproof armour (Cybermen/Daleks  ).

[Avatar]

Um...there are people now who are emotionless, they're called among other things "psychotics".  Humans could exist quite well without emotions, but they are a function of the 'reptile' part of our brain which is the core section.  That means we started very emotional, with the rational part of our brains developing later.

This leads me to believe the truth in this:

Most illogical, emotions are a most basic and essential survival trait, evolution would ensure that they did not lose them.

But, I feel that once a civilization advances far enough they can ditch emotions if they choose with no real ill effects.  We're doing that sort of thing right now by developing logic engines and computers, who will in the future decide things for us on a strictly rational basis.

I only hope we keep our humanity when this happens... our compassion.

-Av-

[Mr X]

Actually, lets try a bit of natural selection logic here:

two people:

Person A has emotions

Person B doesn't

A cat is in a burning building, who is more likely to try to save that cat and likely remove themselves from the gene pool?

I also put it to you that a living thing could survive without emotions, they'd just have to know how to survive in their higher brain.

[Nielk1]

It's no longer about survival you know. Emotions drive invention. Invention keeps that person who rescues the kitty safe.

[Mr X]

No, necessity drives invention, emotionless would see a problem and find the most logical way to handle it.