Monday, May 3, 2010

The Cream of the Crop?

In class this week the question was raised as to what the expedition did wrong and if its’ members were poorly chosen. Personally, I believe that changes indeed could have been made to the composition of the team. For one, chemists and pathologists should have been brought along in the journey. On Earth, the interactions between people from different continents have lead to the deaths of millions of beings from the same species. What are we to expect when beings from different planets interact? I think it was reckless to attempt first contact without taking severe precautions to prevent contamination of another world with fatal diseases. Although the team took precautions, they were not very extensive. One microbe from a breathing human could let loose a cell that can multiply exponentially in an alien environment as well as dominate native forms of life. The team should have done months of experiments with the native plants and wildlife on the lander, as well only explore the planet in environmental suits until it was better determined that the human presence posed no risk.
I would have to agree with my classmates’ proposal that sociologists and social scientists would be useful in a first contact scenario. Although faced with the challenges of unfamiliarity, these professionals are trained to deal with such scenarios and be conscious for the most subtle of meanings in things ranging from art work to facial expressions. Granted such professionals would not be a panacea or able to comprehend everything, but they would be able to look for and understand much more than say a musicologist. Concerning whether the team should have had so many religious people, I would be hesitant to say no. Yes, I first contact team should not represent one religious mentality or have a sectarian agenda, however it would be wrong to represent humanity as an entirely secular species. Religion is a guiding force in human history and life and to hide or ignore this is not only a disservice to aliens but us as well. Thus, I would advise a team to act secularly and not be driven by a wholly religious agenda, but also be open to sharing human beliefs to extraterrestrials as well.
Generally I feel the team acted with compassion and patience, thus allowing it to bond easily with the Runa. These are indispensible characteristics that are needed to make not only a good first impression but to truly establish communication and relations. Two groups that feel empathy towards one another are much more likely to be open than two groups that hold mutual suspicions. However, the team did make the fatal flaw of giving the Runa agricultural techniques. Not to sound snobbish, but even I, who was not concerned about contaminating Runa culture was able to catch on that this was mistake based on my knowledge of history. One only has to look at how the introduction of agriculture or the expansion of food sources has an enormous impact not only population but a society’s fundamental way of life. Such examples can be the Green Revolution and the introduction of American foodstuffs to Europe. Even if the team could not have foreseen the negative effects of agriculture expansion amongst the Runa, it should have made a more informed decision and taken time to consider the consequences of such actions.

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