Quote Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime View Post
Have you seen or read Ghost In The Shell? I think you'd like it. It aired on SBS earlier this week. If you haven't seen it I recommend picking it up from a comic store or on DVD. I'd lend you my comic book, but it's in Japanese.
Oh yeah man, I've seen that stunning Anime and it's sequel a number of times and I thoroughly love them both.
Much like the scene with The Architect, both OVAs require a couple of sittings to fully digest the amount of philosophy and theory contained within them.

Great, great OVAs and I imagine the Manga would be even better.
(Damn my linguistic ineptitude! )

We haven't even fully explored our own planet, let alone space. e.g. the ocean depths still remain a mystery to us - it's not uncommon for people to discover new species. We know so little about species like the giant squid -- most of the specimens we've seen have been juveniles. Sightings of full grown adults have been rare.
Indeed, I often wonder what things we'd discover if the sorts of money being thrown at outward exploration, were to be thrown at inward investigation.
I love hearing about new specie discoveries as I like the idea that there are still places, above water , that have yet to have a Human in or around it's presence for at least 1000 years.

The immense resources and cost required to even travel to Earth from the nearest galaxy would make occasional visits impractical unless they were able to profit from coming here (e.g. conquest, plundering resources etc.).
I whole heartedly agree Goki, hence why I believe if we were ever to be visited we would most likely never live long enough to know about it.
(The zoo analogy is a rather optimistic view IMO )

Imagine if we discovered the existence of an intelligent but primitive alien species in Alpha Centauri -- say with the cognitive level of chimpanzees. Would we bother to spend zillions of dollars to send a mission to study these creatures if there were nothing to gain? If they had something we wanted, like say Unobtainium, then we'd colonise them. If they resisted, we'd happily displace them (or even annihilate them).
Exactly dude, for our current culture - The only thing that would keep us going back is money or the prospect of it.


We as a species, have an exceedingly long way to go.