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I don't think this is a popular opinion at all, so thank you for expressing it. The shouting down of unpopular ideas drives me crazy - all progress is based on
by eloff 9y ago
I don't think this is a popular opinion at all, so thank you for expressing it. The shouting down of unpopular ideas drives me crazy - all progress is based on unpopular ideas. I think if you do a risk analysis weighing the cost of not having nukes in the face of an alien invasion, vs the threat they pose to ourselves - I think the smart money is in getting rid of them.
Remember also that nukes may not be that effective against an interstellar civilizations and the technology that implies. Almost certainly useless against the point defenses a ship that travels at a fractional percentage of lightspeed would need for targeting and deflecting/destroying small space debris. On the Earth itself it should be suicidaly useful, but if the aliens feel we're a threat to them on the ground they can simply sterilize the planet from space.
Bottom line, if we're visited by a hostile alien race, it's likely to be game over - even with home field advantage.
- YeGoblynQueenne 9y agoI don't disagree. But at least with a nuclear arsenal we have a bit more of a chance to react and protect ourselves -even just by blowing ourselves up- than we do without it.
- sebleon 9y ago> “protect ourselves - even just by blowing ourselves up” Doesn’t that defeat the purpose?
- YeGoblynQueenne 9y agoThe idea is that if the Earth was taken over by an alien species they'd exterminate us- we'd go extinct anyway. So we might as well threaten to do it ourselves _and_ take the planet with us, which greatly reduces the value of invading.
- sebleon 9y agoHa, so the idea is to keep nuclear arms around so that we can bluff aliens and prevent an invasion? I don’t think humanity would opt for mass suicide if aliens showed up.
- YeGoblynQueenne 9y agoWho said anything about bluffing :) But you're right- determining any degree of consensus for such a decision would be nearly impossible. Then again- extinction event.
- perl4ever 9y agoI think it's pointless to think like that. Humans, to aliens who want earth, are like hornets that are in the way. If you know what hornets are, and that they're mean bastards, you don't attack them with better stingers, and it doesn't matter how eager they are to sacrifice themselves for the nest. Aliens would use pesticides and we'd never see them coming. See "The Screwfly Solution". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Screwfly_Solution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Screwfly_Solution
- YeGoblynQueenne 9y agoHey. One of my all-time favourites :) And it's a great point- but still, we have more chances with some sort of plan to defend ourselves than without.