We better figure out how to build battlestars and star destroyers soon

[Aeson]

Having watched WALL E recently, I am uniquely qualified to comment on the realities of extended space voyages, and it's clear to me that the aliens will be fat and out of shape by the time they get here, having forgotten how to use their technologically advanced technology other than food/entertainment services offered on the vessel... and so we will easily be able to round them up like cattle and eat them (or whatever use their physical makeup lends itself to... such as burn them as fuel, use them as construction materials, or prostitute them out to hedgehogs) at our leisure...

[chequita guevara]

It's highly unlikely there's any intelligent life in our galaxy capable of interstellar travel. If there were, they'd be here already.

What we can tell about stellar systems so far is that systems like ours are exceedingly rare. Even if we could expand beyond our own system, where would we go? Most of the surrounding star systems have inner system gas giants, which means no terrestrial rocky planets for us.

[SlowwHand]

[Dauphin]

What about competition for energy? Assuming a very advanced civ they may just decide our sun is just right for a Dyson sphere. And we're in the way.

Given the number of stars in the galaxy, ours is hardly going to be a popular choice. (Not just Dyson, but anything that involves taking our sun's energy.

[MOBIUS]

I have to say that I am enjoying the remake of 'V' so far...

[DaShi]

[Drake Tungsten]

Nice try Mobius, but no one is enjoying the remake of V.

[Heraclitus]

The world is nearly all parcelled out, and what there is left of it is being divided up, conquered and colonised. To think of these stars that you see overhead at night, these vast worlds which we can never reach. I would annex the planets if I could; I often think of that. It makes me sad to see them so clear and yet so far.

-Cecil Rhodes

One of my favorite quotes.

[Ecofarm]

technologically advanced technology