There was an Italian movie "un marziano a Roma" which narrated the ramblings of a Mars citizen in a "Dolce vita" city. He was rather confused and longed to go back to Mars.
Tullio

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I think that the world could handle a contact message from many many light years away without any major disruptions. What we could not handle is an impending collision with a very large, high-speed asteroid.

In my opinion no government would want or need to keep such alien contact secret---impending asteroid collision? I am not so sure.

If you were Mr Trump and you were told that half of America was going to be wiped out, what would you do?

Post all over the Twittersphere trhings like "It ain't gonna happen hear" and "If it does happen her we will Sue them".

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

I do not think that an extraterrestrial civilization will be pestered with Earthlings, why?

Why hide the connection with extraterrestrial civilization?
Military technology, how will you use and sell them?
Religious prejudice, this does not prevent governments from adopting laws that are contrary to religion.

You can build a "Conspiracy Theory", but it will not have anything to do with reality.

Some very valid points, and in the main I agree with you. There are many reasons to say "fear" an alien approach, but in reality such an approach is most probably going to be "accidental" rather than "planned" - Earth just happens to be in the middle of a communication link between a civilisation far advanced over us, and we hear, and manage to decode, a set of signals. As for a "sensible" communication with them, well unless they are within the Solar System the communications delay would be so great as to make it hard (not impossible) to send a "We are here, please don't harm us" type message, then hope for the best.

Would governments try to hide such a contact? Well they might try, but given the way science works, and the diverse nature of astronomy it is highly unlikely that such attempts would succeed in anything other than the short term, or within a jurisdiction.

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

As I wrote in another thread, the first to propose an expansion of the universe was a Catholic priest, Belgian Abbe' Lemaitre in 1927. The first Catholic to give a Christian meaning to evolution is Pierre Teilhard de Chardin,SJ, in his book "The human phenomenon". So the Catholic Church is no longer opposed to science and can accept aliens, if they ever appear.
Tullio

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Chris I am a Catholic and I never insulted anyone because of his creed or the color of his skin. Unfortunately many Italians have voted for a party, the Lega, which is racist and people are being insulted, beaten or even killed because they are blacks or Rom. I am deeply ashamed for this behavior of Italian citizens who enjoy all the rights provided by the Italian Constitution which was made by Communist, Socialist, Catholic and liberal politicians. Then Italian politics degraded itself to money making and we live dark times.
Tullio

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What will religious people do when they learn about the existence of extraterrestrial civilization?

They will wonder if there are Christians, Hindis or Muslims there, and what they might be called instead.
They will wonder if Christ or Gjork had to die for them as well after if they ate of the tree of knowledge and got kicked out of their garden of Paradise.
They will wonder if their savior was born in a stable.
They will wonder about the possibility of crusades, fatwahs and other religious wars there on Planet x

They will wonder more strongly if the whole religious thing isn't a load of dung and profitable pap for the ignorant proles..

There is a board for:
Nationalism
Religion
Politics

It's called the Politics board.

This is the Seti@home Science board.

I am still of the opinion that confirmation of ET would bring about religious unrest, but most others disagree. I am still of the opinion that the authorities would at least try to clamp down on the news,
but again the majority here think differently. So I will consider myself out voted and in the minority! We are a democracy are we not?

Sorry Chris, but I happen to disagree with you slightly here, because perhaps look at the institutions of the Earth, for also its people as well, for that of sometimes anarchy leading to chaos.

Next that it either could be a successor for that of a crime here, when resistance could be met, because of a given attitude.

Perhaps not too commonly seen right now, but if police choose to kill innocent people all over, perhaps such a thing as a riot back in return, except for also such a thing for that of slavery,
or even tyranny as well, when people know that they are being oppressed, and next could be seeking freedom, by means of carrying out their own justice.

If not wrong, this may have happened in the past, and also altered history, except for not always the best remembered thing either.

I'm a Catholic, and I've never heard any worries about how ETI might affect the religion.

I think most religions would embrace an ETI. Why not?

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

I also just don't think an ETI is something politics or religion can suppress.

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

I have a book on Peru and its history by Federico Kauffmann Doig, a Peru archaeologist published by Casa Editrice Erizzo with the help of Centro Ricerche Ligabue from Venice. Giancarlo Ligabue is an amateur archaeologist who make money by catering for ships and my brother, a sea captain, gave the book to me. It is heavily illustrated and makes a good reading.
ullio

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Why Would the Government Cover Up Aliens?
SETI Institute Senior Astronomer Seth Shostak asks noted skeptic Ben Radford a big question on behalf of a StarTalk fan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17TP7ppflYM

Why Would the Government Cover Up Aliens?
SETI Institute Senior Astronomer Seth Shostak asks noted skeptic Ben Radford a big question on behalf of a StarTalk fan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17TP7ppflYM

If one government or the other thinks they have an exclusive relationship with aliens then they would do everything within their power to keep it a secret. Otherwise I see no advantage to keeping the knowledge of the existence of aliens a secret. Certain religions might suffer serious setbacks which might be a good thing.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

The very process of verifying the reality of a SETI signal involves repeated observations from nations throughout the world. There would be neither occasion, nor opportunity for one nation to keep such a thing to itself. SETI researchers are on record as intending to tell everyone, once such a signal is scientifically confirmed.

Oh

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SETI@home are not looking for messages.
They are only looking for radio carrier waves that ET could use to transmit messages just like we do.
If such radio carrier wave is found. How could we interpret the message?
Actually it would contain a LOT of data of different kind.
Just to separate the messages addressed to us from their own messages is a overwhelming task.

I have a problem with interpreting "The Happy Couple" on the plaque.
Rising an open right hand like he does is not universal.
It's a cultural thing.
Usually it means "I'm a friend, come closer".
But it can also mean "Stop, don't come closer".
For instance in Iraq some Iraqees misinterpreted that sign approaching a US road block.
They were shot dead.

I have to agree with that. however, I personally think that the technological & scientific advantages outweigh any religious issues.

I think you are taking a very superficial view of this issue.

Usually it means "I'm a friend, come closer".
But it can also mean "Stop, don't come closer".

Neither is applicable in the caricature presented. The man is standing in a non provocative position with his raised hand in line with the front of his body. He is not grimacing nor clenching his fist. His hand is raised palm flat in an obvious friendly greeting mode. The woman beside him is also standing in a very relaxed mode, and presents no threat. Neither are wearing any kind of uniform.
The example you quote of Iraqis is irrelevant. That situation consisted of a war zone, a road block, and soldiers in uniform, carrying weapons. That is a totally different situation entirely.

What caricature have I presented?
How could an ET interpret human social interaction correctly?
We have only to compare apes and humans.
Smiling, showing teeths, is an aggressive behavour among apes!