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[Truean]

Did somebody already say superman's time travel because if not, and especially if so, then that.

According to my vague and almost definitely incorrect understanding of the theory of relativity, the $15.83 in my pocket during the light speed space flight would turn into several gold bricks, possibly through the wonders of introducing something to do with Einstein to compound interest. Incidentally, the Einstein/light speed/compound interest lovechild gold bricks would tear the pockets off my pants and could break my leg, so I'm going to need something else to keep that $15.83 in. Possibly a safe or other non pocket thing.

[Starver]

Is it too crude to apply the time travellers paradox to the whole FTL thing?

Already covered by the Fermi Paradox, I think.  Pretty much as you said (except that I've just snipped it).

I tend to go with "The Universe is so large and FTL-capable societies are so few/far-between/transient* that even the most prolific FTL-dispersing/exploring* aliens just haven't found us/tripped over us/accidentally revealed themselves to us*". [*delete as inapplicable]

We might be in a "wildlife park", you know.  Kept pristine and unspoilt by major developments, beyond the dreams of any 'mere' Prime Directive type of thing.  But keep an eye out for any interstellar vandalism, litter and 'pic-a-nic baskets'!

[FearfulJesuit]

Did somebody already say superman's time travel because if not, and especially if so, then that.

According to my vague and almost definitely incorrect understanding of the theory of relativity, the $15.83 in my pocket during the light speed space flight would turn into several gold bricks, possibly through the wonders of introducing something to do with Einstein to compound interest. Incidentally, the Einstein/light speed/compound interest lovechild gold bricks would tear the pockets off my pants and could break my leg, so I'm going to need something else to keep that $15.83 in. Possibly a safe or other non pocket thing.

RON PAUL! and NASA: a winning combination.

[Scoops Novel]

Is it too crude to apply the time travellers paradox to the whole FTL thing?

Already covered by the Fermi Paradox, I think.  Pretty much as you said (except that I've just snipped it).

I tend to go with "The Universe is so large and FTL-capable societies are so few/far-between/transient* that even the most prolific FTL-dispersing/exploring* aliens just haven't found us/tripped over us/accidentally revealed themselves to us*". [*delete as inapplicable]

We might be in a "wildlife park", you know.  Kept pristine and unspoilt by major developments, beyond the dreams of any 'mere' Prime Directive type of thing.  But keep an eye out for any interstellar vandalism, litter and 'pic-a-nic baskets'!

On the other hand, we could be in a very bad neighborhood...

[10ebbor10]

On the other hand, we could be the bad neighbourhood.

Or maybe the aliens are already here and are sabotaging our society, so that we will destroy ourselves.

[MagmaMcFry]

Or maybe the aliens are already here and are sabotaging our society, so that we will destroy ourselves.

Why would they want that?

[DJ]

They ran out of paper bags and poo?

[Euld]

Or the aliens have left us alone and are just picking up the sheer amount of entertainment we broadcast daily.  I wonder if the aliens would even connect to the internet XD

[Helgoland]

Now we know: Hitler put them off, but sattelite TV is the reason there's been no first contact.

[SalmonGod]

But keep an eye out for any interstellar vandalism, litter and 'pic-a-nic baskets'!

Roadside Picnic

[kaijyuu]

I subscribe to the theory that if aliens have discovered us, we're already designated a nature reserve.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

They could also be scared of us. They intercept stories like X-Com and know what will happen if they contact us in any way, that being that we'll rapidly steal all of their technology and fight until we're extinct if they oppose us.

It's actually not that far-fetched if the invaders aren't the planet-destroying type. Our theoretical science is in some places centuries ahead of our practical science. If we were to suddenly find ourselves with an outside source of a matching level of practical science...

[Vorthon]

We'd still be screwed because any species that's made it to that kind of level of technology would know how to wage interplanetary war.

[SalmonGod]

We'd still be screwed because any species that's made it to that kind of level of technology would know how to wage interplanetary war.

Or we could be the first warlike culture they'd ever encountered, and they'd have no idea how to handle it.  It's rather anthropocentric to believe that just because an alien species shares one trait with us (intelligence/sentience) that their cultural paradigms would be at all comparable, including attitudes regarding conflict.  It could be an intelligent fungus that is essentially a single-minded being, making the very concept of interpersonal conflict completely alien to it.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

I can't imagine any way a lifeform could evolve without having internal conflict. A "single mind" type thing would never get off of its homeworld without dividing into multiple individuals, thus creating the potential for conflict.

Besides, it would be boring if we were the only species that could do war. We'd take the entire Milky Way and nothing would be able to stop us.