Hypothetical scenario: What should we do with an alien artifact?

Urban Ranger · February 9, 2003, 13:36

Suppose we find an alien artifact. What should we do with it? Should we take it apart and study it, or should we use it as is?

If we take it apart and study it, the device may be too advanced for us to figure out anything, and it is all too likely to damage it in the process so we can't put it back together.

If we use it as is, it won't give us any new knowledge, and it is just as likely to break down after awhile, so we have nothing for show.

What do you think?

loinburger · February 9, 2003, 13:45

Do we know what the thing does? There's sure be egg on our face if we turned it on and it did something silly like kill everybody and then travel back in time and retroactively kill everybody's ancestors.

Gangerolf · February 9, 2003, 14:04

Did you find something in a crater in your backyard, UR?

Urban Ranger · February 9, 2003, 14:07

Lets say we found out. For example, make banana trees grow to ten times the normal size. So that pretty much precludes bombs or xenocidal devices.

Sava · February 9, 2003, 14:07

Good sci-fi question, but in reality, I doubt the situation would ever arise. I say, try to duplicate it, don't use it, but try to understand the engineering behind this device.

Urban Ranger · February 9, 2003, 14:09

Quote:

Originally posted by Gangerolf
Did you find something in a crater in your backyard, UR?

It would be interesting if that's the case.

Az · February 9, 2003, 14:13

Quote:

Do we know what the thing does?

I don't think so. Because to know what it does we have to either:
1)Try to run it: we already make a choice to run it.
2)Take it a part to analyze it: we make a choice and take it apart.

You know, the aliens won't leave a note saying what it does. And if they do, we won't be able to translate it, anyway.

Sava · February 9, 2003, 14:13

I'd trust UR with a powerful alien artifact more than I trust myself with one

Velociryx · February 9, 2003, 14:18

Well, as an evil American, I say we should obviously use it to impose our will on the rest of the world....

Seriously, even if we run the risk of breaking it, we should take it apart and study it. If WE can't figure it out, perhaps our children can....

-=Vel=-

Dis · February 9, 2003, 14:22

research it.

put as many scientists available on it so we can build an alien spacecraft or heavy plasma rifle.

sort of like X-com

Sarxis · February 9, 2003, 14:32

Normally, I find the banana option silly but comical. But now, we may actually need that artifact

Nubclear · February 9, 2003, 15:20

Link it to our network node, of course.

Demerzel · February 9, 2003, 15:24

Quote:

Originally posted by Tassadar5000
Link it to our network node, of course.

heh the one that Deidre built?

Az · February 9, 2003, 15:38

no, Silly.

Diedre is just a treehugging eurocom.

We at the UNIVERSITY, get our network nodes for free.

Velociryx · February 9, 2003, 17:11

Actually, I changed my mind! We need to hook it up to the network node and get a free tech, of course!

-=Vel=-

EDIT: Dang....Tass beat me to it.....*sighs*

Nubclear · February 9, 2003, 17:19

Quote:

Originally posted by Velociryx
EDIT: Dang....Tass beat me to it.....*sighs*

Dauphin · February 9, 2003, 18:52

My first concern would be the circumstances of the discovery. It could be a prelude to alien arrival, or if its been here millenia I'd wonder if it was not actually an artefact from a long lost advanced civilization.

Paul Hanson · February 9, 2003, 18:54

Study it, determine how to build more, then churn them out at a profit, a la X-COM.

KrazyHorse · February 9, 2003, 18:58

Quote:

Originally posted by Azazel
no, Silly.

Diedre is just a treehugging eurocom.

We at the UNIVERSITY, get our network nodes for free.

Does anybody not play as the University?

Zero · February 9, 2003, 19:01

I'd eat it.

loinburger · February 9, 2003, 19:01

I prefer Lal. That +1 happiness really pays off in the higher difficulty levels. When I play as University I wind up having to nerve staple everybody.

Paul Hanson · February 9, 2003, 19:02

I play as the Peacekeepers, when I can be arsed to play SMAC at all.

monolith94 · February 9, 2003, 19:07

"Does anybody not play as the University?"
University is fun, but not too challenging. Actually, my favorite race is the seabased humans of the expansion pack - I really love the mobility of seapower and having seabased cities...

Main_Brain · February 9, 2003, 19:56

I play as the Workers and reeingener your Tech and massproduce it

KrazyHorse · February 9, 2003, 19:57

I don't have SMAX, just SMAC

monolith94 · February 9, 2003, 20:18

I don't either, I just played the demo of it.

Skanky Burns · February 9, 2003, 20:54

I would take it apart and study it.
If the entire thing was documented (and with a find like that, it would be), someone would eventually figure out how to get the thing to work. It would most likely give other indirect benefits, like advanced circuitry or similar.

I would then use the technology to make spiffy blue armour for soldiers, ala XCom.

Urban Ranger · February 9, 2003, 22:45

Dang it, I knew I should have been more specific.

And quit it all of you SMAC threadjackers

Zero · February 9, 2003, 22:54

why not pick up a copy of alien crossfire? Im sure its cheap now.
Recently I spotted a SMAC copies in the bargain bins for 50cents. I went to but 10 copies just because well... I felt like it. $5 was less valuable to me at that time than buying 10 copied of SMAC for brief moment of humor.