Dr. Hawking, whose position has “evolved” on this topic, warned in a Discovery Channel special: “I imagine they might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources from their home planet. Such advanced ... nomads [would look to] conquer and colonize whatever planets they can reach.” Conspiracy theorists would knowingly point out that DSC Channel is linked to ABC, which broadcasts “V” –- a show about nomadic reptilian extraterrestrials in massive ships looking to conquer and colonize Earth. Hmm . . . But “V” producers are surely delighted by the seemingly coincidental shoutout from the world’s most famous scientist.
Reporting Dr. Hawking’s provocative statements about the risks to Earthlings of encountering extraterrestrial life, Countdown’s Keith Olbermann called upon Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, for some perspective. Unfortunately, the segment devolved into the usual snickering about aliens eating us (famous Twilight Zone episode, “To Serve Man”), to which Dr. Pitts replied, “I really think, Keith, we have several hundred million years before we really need to worry about that. But just in case, I think we need to get rid of all of the ketchup on the planet.” It’s almost a reflexive reaction that any serious consideration of this issue, even when it’s raised by the world’s pre-eminent scientist, becomes a mirth fest lacking factual context.Certainly, Dr. Pitts’s rote reply to the question about possible alien contact is safe, solid, and unimaginative: “The fact of the matter is we have no documentation whatsoever of any kind of contact. There‘s so much speculation, Keith, it‘s enough to keep the movie industry and the book industry and science fiction going for a very long time. It‘s sort of great to play around with this idea, but the only problem is that whenever you make these extraordinary claims, as you heard Dr. Sagan say, you need extraordinary proof. We have none of that whatsoever.”
But Keith also asked the question: “Has anybody ever, to your knowledge, either scientifically or in some semi-governmental way, contemplated the defense plan, other than the old duck-and-cover thing, bend over, head between your knees and kiss your planet good-bye?”
Dr. Pitts: “As much as we know about aliens somewhere else in the galaxy or the universe, we are much more concerned with the immediate problems we have from some country across the border, rather than worrying about some aliens coming here to eat us. We figure that at least we‘ll have a few million years‘ warning, so there‘s no need for us to become concerned about that. So I don‘t think there‘s any plan around, other than, you know, I‘ll set up my insurance company, let me know what you need, I‘ll provide it.”
Either Dr. Pitts was genuinely unaware of their existence, or he was being artfully dodgy about this 1960 Brookings Institution Report for NASA entitled “Implications of a Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life;” or a 1968 RAND Corporation internal paper entitled “UFOs: What to Do?” Not to speak of a very recent 1999 French “COMETA” report by the Institute of Advanced Studies for National Defense, entitled “UFOs and Defense: What must we be prepared for?”, which was sent to then-President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Lionel Jospin before its public release.
The 190-page Brookings report states, “The consequences for attitudes and values are unpredictable, but would vary profoundly in different cultures and between groups within complex societies; a crucial factor would be the nature of the communication between us and the other beings.” The report continues: “Societies sure of their own place have disintegrated when confronted by a superior society. (This is an interesting source of agreement with Dr. Hawking’s statement 50 years later) Others have survived even though changed. Clearly, the better we can come to understand the factors involved in responding to such crises the better prepared we may be.” Although the research group did not expect any immediate contact with extraterrestrial beings, the discovery of intelligent space races “could nevertheless happen at any time.” The report strongly suggests that contact with extraterrestrials could be disruptive to humanity, and raises the possibility that such contact be withheld from the public.
What was that again, about “has anybody ever, either scientifically or in some semi-governmental way, contemplated the defense plan” . . . “So I don’t think there’s any plan around” thing? In 1999, Dr. Hawking stated on C-Span: “Of course it is possible that UFOs really do contain aliens as many people believe, and the government is hushing it up. I wouldn't like to comment on that.” Hmm . . . Perhaps Dr. Hawking (who is actively discouraging contact with extraterrestrials) and Dr. Pitts (who is artfully debunking it) know more about this than they’re authorized to disclose.
Ha! Keith Olbermann, Derrick Pitts, and Stephen Hawking are now officially part of the Vast UFO Conspiracy & Coverup.
of you have sat, and perhaps thought, with us!
3 comments:
Have Brookings or Rand updated their findings in the last 40 or 50 years? Please provide links.
Not to my knowledge; but this doesn't mean there aren't more recent classified reports out there. Rand's was originally an internal secret document, until news of it leaked and they reluctantly made it pblic. If I find any interesting links I'll post them here, or in an update to this.
Columbus Aliens preserved the Native American ethnias (you only have to look at current South American inhabitants). British Aliens did not; they just kept a few of them in reservations.
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