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Even if we assume that "UFO" means "space alien", it doesn't seem puzzling to me. Answer 1: selection bias. Obviously the only ones that people see at night a
by ken 8y ago
Even if we assume that "UFO" means "space alien", it doesn't seem puzzling to me.
Answer 1: selection bias. Obviously the only ones that people see at night are those which have lights. We aren't going to hear about the ones that people don't see because they're dark.
Answer 2: alien apathy. You've flown a million light years to spy on some great apes who aren't even sure you exist. Who cares if a few of them get flashed with bright lights, while you're looking around? They don't even have flying saucers yet, so it's not like they could chase you.
- weberc2 8y agoYou can generalize answer 1 even further. For all you know, there are hundreds of UFOs all around you that just have very advanced cloaking technology and only a few that don't. :)
- mrleinad 8y agoClearly they don't care much about the prime directive
- narag 8y agoAnd 3: the light is a unavoidable side effect of their propulsion system.
- james_s_tayler 8y agoYou ever see those guys that put neon lights under their Hondas? What if it's just the cosmic version of that? Genuinely can't tell which one of us is applying Occam's Razor here...
- narag 8y agoLOL, you have a point. What kind of individuals would volunteer for a possibly one-way mission that gets them in a stasis pod for a century?
- jansan 8y agoOr small malfunctions of their propulsion or cloaking system, like an engine misfire.
- rbanffy 8y agoOperating warp drives in atmospheres can cause a lot of Cherenkov radiation at the bubble border. One must be careful not to overheat the external hull. Sorry. Couldn't resist adding one more speculative cherry to the top of this very tall tale.
- matthewwiese 8y agoFrom a rational standpoint, I generally subscribe to the selection bias you (and Scriptor in a separate reply) raise as #1. However, for the sake of discussion, let's operate under the assumption these sightings are legitimate/noteworthy. Personally, I grew out of bothering ant hills when I was about twelve. Nowadays, I pleasantly observe from high above. So why wouldn't aliens do the same? In this case, your second theory fills in the gaps. But, one would assume some species capable of this technology would also have cultural norms about not interfering with less developed groups. Much the same way we (generally) try not to interfere with primitive tribes around the world. I suppose, then, that the comparison could be made to the Sentinelese firing arrows at aircraft out of fear and suspicion. The aliens (in my opinion rightly) assume we would do the same to them because they are so foreign to us.
- andrewflnr 8y ago> one would assume some species capable of this technology would also have cultural norms about not interfering with less developed groups I would assume nothing of the sort. It's not as if humans even really conform to that norm. It's a pretty recent trend, at best. With aliens of unknown evolution/history, all bets are off.
- matthewwiese 8y agoVery faint point which I predicted the keen HN audience would be quick to contend. My reasoning to assume so is a wholly intuitive instinct that all ultra-high technology societies converge in their moral and ethical norms to a common limit. That to have survived the gamble of existence long enough to reach such a point, this civilization almost certainly needed to adopt a set of values wherein the "Prime Directive" incidentally coincides. Though I concede that it betrays my personal beliefs more than any tangible insight. For example, my hippie confidence does nothing to explain the likes of the Zerg or Tyranids, that's for sure. :)
- matthewwiese 8y agofair not faint as I hope most readers surmised -- for some reason I did not realize this error until it was too late to edit
- RaceWon 8y ago>Answer 2: alien apathy. You've flown a million light years to spy on some great apes who aren't even sure you exist. Who cares if a few of them get flashed with bright lights, while you're looking around? They don't even have flying saucers yet, so it's not like they could chase you. I just read your reply and so I deleted mine which was similar, but a bit stronger; its not like we could possibly hurt them.
- ensiferum 8y ago3. Human cruise ships (and airplanes) have bright lights too. What if it's just an "alien" cruiseship entertaining a bunch of interterrestial holiday makers?
- ahje 8y agoJack McDewitt's 'ECHO' comes to mind. Let's hope it's not a bunch of ill-behaved interstellar tourists. :)