What Era Would Visiting (peaceful) Aliens See Us 'In'?

[Swank]

Engineered Sadism

 

[Omits]

Likely it would be something in comparison to themselves; something which as humans it would be impossible for us to guess at. It would also depend on what values were important to them.

They may listen to the music of Mozart, read the words of Shakespeare and view the works of De Vinci or Michaelangelo, and consider us to be an enlightened, cultivated form of life.

They may switch on the TV or read history books and jusge us by those standards.

Or they may regard humans in the same way that we might regard a colony of ants.

On the nail Marvin! I can work with this one in my story. They need to see through the crap and pick out where we are going to make a judgement and apply their laws if action is needed (or come back in a century or two to check on progress).

 

[Vertigo]

I think most technological civilisations would likely have gone through some sort of technological explosion powered by fossil fuels similar to us and they would probably recognise that we are coming to the end of ours having exhausted most of the easily accessible fossil fuels and hugely (permanently) damaged our environment in the process. This would I think be a relatively common phase for such civilisations. So I would suggest they might describe us as nearing the end of our fossil fuel era and also recognise this as a critical and highly dangerous stage in a civilisation's evolution. But that might depend somewhat on whether the aliens have encountered other civilisations. If so they will probably have a framework of such 'eras' if not then they would only have their own history to compare with.

 

[Rodders]

Late barbarism era.

 

[Elckerlyc]

Juvenile.

 

[Swank]

I think most technological civilisations would likely have gone through some sort of technological explosion powered by fossil fuels similar to us and they would probably recognise that we are coming to the end of ours having exhausted most of the easily accessible fossil fuels and hugely (permanently) damaged our environment in the process. This would I think be a relatively common phase for such civilisations. So I would suggest they might describe us as nearing the end of our fossil fuel era and also recognise this as a critical and highly dangerous stage in a civilisation's evolution. But that might depend somewhat on whether the aliens have encountered other civilisations. If so they will probably have a framework of such 'eras' if not then they would only have their own history to compare with.

Fossil fuels might not be common. What if we evolved earlier? No oil layer.

 

[Omits]

Fossil fuels might not be common. What if we evolved earlier? No oil layer.

If that's the case could what would replace these fuels and build the industries we have?

 

[Swank]

If that's the case could what would replace these fuels and build the industries we have?

There isn't a replacement other than a different development path. More bio and nuke, for instance. But it would be a setback for chemistry and power.

 

[Cthulhu.Science]

I think Isaac Asimov would agree that we are still in the Atomic Age.

 

[Cthulhu.Science]

Lets see - stone, bronze, iron - Are we in the Polymer Age? Carbon Age?

Consider, we can finally start with a basic building block -- Carbon -- and reconfigure it into really effective tools.

 

[Robert Zwilling]

Technically, we could be still in the fire stage, still physically burning things. How common are combustion powered rockets.

 

[Cthulhu.Science]

Elemental Phase of development
Still using the periodic table (electron/proton count) to describe the physical environment.

 

[Elckerlyc]

The above is all assuming the V(p)A - the Visiting (peaceful) Aliens - will define era's by technological level or levels of power (stone, bronze, iron for tools but foremost weaponry), peat, coal, oil, nuclear for heat, powering engines and foremost weaponry.)
It is how we think. Power, Control, over the other. But our peaceful visiting Aliens? Whom most likely have developed such an advanced technology that, in comparison, it throws stone to nuclear on one, insignificant heap? Unimaginable different, I expect. I hope.

 

[KGeo777]

The pre-extinction era?

Going by human history--extreme travel was either due to accidents or curiosity---Viking travel to North America--or due to survival efforts-hunting-herding, or merchant activity. Or warfare reasons.
We assume that aliens which were really advanced would want to explore--but would they?
If they were peaceful, maybe they would not want to explore because they realize exploration means trouble-making.
You cannot explore, and not cause trouble. You would have to be an invisible ghost presence to do it.

Does peacefulness and curiosity-driven exploration really go together?

That's what I ponder.

 

[Elckerlyc]

Does peacefulness and curiosity-driven exploration really go together?

That's what I ponder.

It can, if done by a small party. It were the great numbers, the greed, the feeling of superiority, that did the most damage.
David Livingstone didn't do much harm.

 

[Vertigo]

Fossil fuels might not be common. What if we evolved earlier? No oil layer.

That's a possibility but I would say unlikely. As I understand it most of our fossil fuels were laid down long before advanced animals appeared on the scene and I would think that is likely elsewhere as well. I believe the vast majority of them were laid down, starting around the Devonian, by algae, bacteria and plants well before, for example, the dinosaurs appeared. If this is correct then it seems likely that any planet will do similar well before animals have advanced as far as intelligence. Not impossible but I'd say unlikely.

There was an interesting book I read a while back (I can't remember which but maybe from one of the Brits like Asher, Banks Hamilton, Reynolds) in which there was a planet which had had a technological civilisation that wiped themselves out with atomics but only after they'd exhausted the fossil fuels of that planet. A new species had come forward to intelligence and dominance but had a long slow haul up to technology without the boost of fossil fuels.