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Is Arrival (2016) the most accurate version of what would happen if Aliens came
- Thread starter BarryAllen
- Start date
It's somewhat embarrassing but despite purchasing the 4K UHD Arrival I have not seen the movie all of the way through.
I have fallen asleep each time I have attempted to watch it. This makes me sad because it seems really interesting in concept.
The funny thing is that I had the same issue with Inception.
Anyway that was entirely off topic. I think if aliens did show up it would be unlike anything represented on film.
I have fallen asleep each time I have attempted to watch it. This makes me sad because it seems really interesting in concept.
The funny thing is that I had the same issue with Inception.
Anyway that was entirely off topic. I think if aliens did show up it would be unlike anything represented on film.
Well, among human languages. I'm sure the process to perceive a non-human, or non-terrestrial language more specifically, would have more weight behind the possibility. If anything, any sort of alien film is already an issue because of the fact that we are perceiving them with little effort. I would think it's not as simple as seeing a being.
Very astute observations from both of you. I hadn't considered it on terms outside of human language, which is funny since that's what the entire movie dealt with. I definitely like the empathy idea. I will dial down my "linguistic indignation" in light of a really fun narrative. ^_^
It doesn't have to be about resources, they could just consider all other intelligent forms of life inferior and their beliefs demand our destruction or just reasons beyond our understanding.
That's the thing about aliens, their beliefs and values will most likely be "alien". It's something a lot of science fictions seems to forget.
As others said, District 9 it is. Immediately treated as dangerous illegal migrants, closed in some freaking ghetto in inhuman conditions. When misery generates anger and crime, get back in there with soldiers and go hard on their asses. If peaceful aliens came by, chances are this would legit happen in a lot of countries given their stance on immigration. The only added part would be them making gazillions by selling the alien tech or the license for other countries' scientists to check out the ship.
Arrival is a fantastic movie but in today's climate I honestly doubt it would take this long for someone to force their way in or downright attack them.
Arrival is a fantastic movie but in today's climate I honestly doubt it would take this long for someone to force their way in or downright attack them.
Isn't it only the extreme version of the Sapir-Whorf Theory that's considered bunk? I thought the basic idea behind it was generally considered true considering the words and concepts that can't be expressed in some languages but can in others?
Depends entirely on the motives and predisposition of the aliens.
Perhaps Coneheads, Mars Attacks!, Predator, or Aliens are the most accurate version of events.
Perhaps Coneheads, Mars Attacks!, Predator, or Aliens are the most accurate version of events.
Ha, for all we know they might be right among us already. Playing our video games, listening to our tunes, watching our movies and laughing at our half-assed depictions of them in Star Trek and Star Wars.
I have to say as a linguist who has worked on developing tools to break down language walls this movie was actually kind of amazing as it shows work some form of the work I would personally be able to do if the aliens visited us
Overall a fantastic movie with great performances
Overall a fantastic movie with great performances
Probably not. Rather something like independance day where the Aliens are hostile from the get go. If a species that is so advanced they can travel through space makes intended contact with a species still in it's technological infancy it is probably not for a conversation on eye level, but for taking resources (water and whatnot, people as workforce).
Space traveling aliens would look at us like humans look at ants.
But the depiction in Arrival would probably be the ideal way.
Space traveling aliens would look at us like humans look at ants.
But the depiction in Arrival would probably be the ideal way.
Not really. Based on humanity so far, it will take either the destruction of earth, or the search for resources to get us into space. If other aliens suffer from the same problems, then first contact will be based on one of the above two reasons.
Best case scenario. Aliens looking for resources, find earth and decide to leave us be. Worst case they try to wipe us all out.
Best case scenario. Aliens looking for resources, find earth and decide to leave us be. Worst case they try to wipe us all out.
Linguistic determinism, which is the strong version of it, is pretty bunk, but there's a lot of good and recent research on linguistic relativism. And in the context of the movie, where we are dealing with a complete different species, even the strong version makes a lot of sense.
Hostile aliens don't really work. Interstellar civilization could vaporize the surface of the earth without us ever noticing, or , if they want to kill only people, engineer a virus or a nanomachine that kill only humans.
"War" with gods work only in JRPGS. In case of the actual event, i doubt anyone would even realize.
"War" with gods work only in JRPGS. In case of the actual event, i doubt anyone would even realize.
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Let's get one thing out of the way. . . aliens DO NOT need "our" resources. This is not a matter of opinion; it's an energy equation. The Earth is zipping around in a deep gravity well. In the simplest terms, it's kind of like saying, "I'm running low on gas and I live in Chicago; well, there ought to be a gas station in Utah." Not only might you run out just trying to get there (depends on the ship's needs, which I can't fathom), there are better options along the way. Bear in mind any alien ship would be exploring the system outside-in, so look at all this good stuff just sitting there, no nasty life forms guarding it, and much farther from Sol's gravitational influence. If you want hydrogen, there's Neptune. If you still use hydrocarbons, Titan's got lakes of them just sitting on the surface. Water? Mine Pluto, or Enceladus. And the best part? All these places are uninhabited. In fact, they could strip mine Titan and not only would we be powerless to stop them, would anyone with money or power even care? Aliens visiting Earth to gas up is one of those neat-sounding ideas that shrivels up and dies if you study science for five minutes.
So the only real appeal is the reason we want to go out and discover aliens ourselves -- curiosity. But even in this regard they could observe us for quite some time a safe distance out, and although they could curb-stomp us with superior tech, figure we're too primitive and violent to interact with directly. It'd be like scientists studying the Sydney funnel-web spider but going full Jane Goodall and living with them. You'd learn a lot, but there are much safer ways of getting the same information.
So the only real appeal is the reason we want to go out and discover aliens ourselves -- curiosity. But even in this regard they could observe us for quite some time a safe distance out, and although they could curb-stomp us with superior tech, figure we're too primitive and violent to interact with directly. It'd be like scientists studying the Sydney funnel-web spider but going full Jane Goodall and living with them. You'd learn a lot, but there are much safer ways of getting the same information.
This flatters the human species considerably. You wouldn't need to outsmart humans; we're literally defenseless from outer space by choice. Just alter the trajectory of a KBO or comet to intersect with Earth and wait a few decades. Or use an asteroid, if you're impatient. Odds are higher we'd detect it, but there wouldn't be enough time to do anything about it. We are aware of these threats -- it happens naturally FFS -- but no country on Earth is funding any sort of defense against what we know killed off the dinosaurs. Nor is there any collective effort to do so. The scientists are trying but no one's funding their efforts. We are spending billions on sports arenas, so there's that.
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basically this. While the human approach could be predicted because we know ourselves, the aliens' approach definitely not
You are forgetting one resource that isn't as common or easy to grab in the rest of the universe.
Slaves.
You have interstellar travel but aren't able to make robots ? You've got problems.
One way to think about this is that what would we do if we went to a different planet that had intelligent life, life that is below us in development.
If we came with good intent
- We probably wouldn't just land somewhere, that would risk being attacked
- We probably wouldn't just fly the skies, we'd probably test first for defence systems and reactions with drones that are easy enough to detect
- We probably wouldn't just hover and try to communicate, since that's quite ineffective
- We probably would send some kind of a drone lander with messaging and artefacts explaining who we are, where we come from, and that we come in peace
- We probably would set up a diagram illustration of what we think a friendly meeting would look like, and what the other species can do to communicate their willingness to one
- We would wait quite long between first arrival (drones), first communication (using technology) and actual first face to face meeting
If we came with ill intent
- We would just drop super weapons out of nowhere, and not announce our identity or presence, just wipe out everything and then land
So what actually would happen probably wouldn't make a very good film.
If we came with good intent
- We probably wouldn't just land somewhere, that would risk being attacked
- We probably wouldn't just fly the skies, we'd probably test first for defence systems and reactions with drones that are easy enough to detect
- We probably wouldn't just hover and try to communicate, since that's quite ineffective
- We probably would send some kind of a drone lander with messaging and artefacts explaining who we are, where we come from, and that we come in peace
- We probably would set up a diagram illustration of what we think a friendly meeting would look like, and what the other species can do to communicate their willingness to one
- We would wait quite long between first arrival (drones), first communication (using technology) and actual first face to face meeting
If we came with ill intent
- We would just drop super weapons out of nowhere, and not announce our identity or presence, just wipe out everything and then land
So what actually would happen probably wouldn't make a very good film.
Tyranid invasion comes to mind. The aliens have a greater chance of being nothing more than animals or advanced bacteria instead of an intellectual race that has conquered space travel.
It's impossible to say. Independence Day could be the most "accurate" version of what would happen. District 9, Body Snatchers, etc...
It would all depend on how the aliens arrived, how technologically advanced they were, and what their intentions might be. Unless you're just talking about the science portrayed in these movies.
It would all depend on how the aliens arrived, how technologically advanced they were, and what their intentions might be. Unless you're just talking about the science portrayed in these movies.
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Personally reckon they have been, saw and quarantined the planet due to mass insanity, possibly contagious imbecility and for generally being morons hell bent on our own destruction.
They would probably come and ask if they're still in time to make america great again, or if Trump already did it.
