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Comment by cryptos | Hacker News Reader

But why should we find them? And are we really sure we want them to know us? There are so many more pressing challenges on earth, I don't see why we should invest money in searching for life in space.

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Just speculating here, but what if they might have some solutions for our problems here on Earth? Perhaps they passed our evolutionary stage and have some insights into our possible futures.

And what if we're just intelligent enough to be useful slaves?

I think I'd prefer we don't broadcast our home world location. If we ever get to the point we're settling the galaxy we can start our search from somewhere far away from the entirety of our species.

> And what if we're just intelligent enough to be useful slaves?

Humans would probably survive longer as alien slaves, livestock or pets than we would in the wild on a planet we've already pushed to the brink of habitability. I, for one, welcome our new alien overlords.

It seems unlikely to me that any species capable of crossing the interstellar void has much use for slaves.

>It seems unlikely to me that any species capable of crossing the interstellar void has much use for slaves.

Based on what? There's literally no reason for there to be slaves in the human race in 2021, but there are. Why do you think that suddenly changes just because you can get to another planet?

Hell, aliens may enslave other intelligent beings for the sheer enjoyment of it. Assuming their actions in any way reflect humans and our societal morality is a pretty arrogant and dangerous way to think IMO.

You're right, they might just find us tasty.

This always seems to come up when space exploration is discussed. The US spends more than $14bn a year on plastic surgery, more than $134bn on computer games, $48bn on tobbacco, $11bn on ice cream. But you want to cut space exploration?

Total global spending on space technology and orbital infrastructure is over $400bn, dominated by the US, and the vast majority of that is commercial activity that directly contributes to improving life on Earth. Mostly Earth observation satellites and communications systems.

The NASA budget is less than 10% of that but is a vital investment that catalysed this whole industry that has reaped massive rewards for the US and mankind. If space resource utilisation such as Asteroid capture do end up being economically viable NASA will have catalysed another industry potentially worth hundreds of billions. Jeff Bezos wants to move industry into space and zone Earth for residential and recreational use only.

Just cigarettes would pay for the entire NASA budget, but you'd rather cut NASA than cancer sticks?

I feel the justification for exploring space despite the challenges on earth is similar to the justification for poetry, art, and other "non-productive" activity.

Personally, I find "wasteful" uses of our energy to be an essential part of what makes us human. Lifting our eyes from time to time beyond the mere prosaic necessities of survival is something I find nourishing and necessary, and I suspect ultimately also makes it more possible for us to more effectively address things like the pressing challenges on earth.

It's okay for people to not agree with you on how they spend their time and money. Some people are more interested in the questions and answers we would get from knowing about aliens than banging their heads against intractable problems like climate change or mentally ill homelessness.

Let's also not paint it as either or. A lot of economic activity these days has little to do with aliens, preventing climate change, healthcare, housing or feeding people.

No kidding, crazy what people do with their freedom.

Us knowing about their existence can hardly be of any disadvantage?

We might try to meet them someday. Oh, you mean a disadvantage for us.

Half the people will want to meet them, the other half will prepare for an invasion, and we'll end up killing each other over it.

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