But are you really comparing to a rock that might kill a few people (or dead cows that might kill a few more, maybe ruin some water,) to a weapon whose intent is to destroy entire cities?
It’s doubtful that the amount of radioisotopes would be dispersed by industrial accidents, both because it’s reasonable to assume steps would be taken to prevent it, and simply because the volume isn’t anywhere near the same.
Also, consider that pure FTL physically can’t exist given our current understanding; and it’s very unlikely we have an understanding that is that far off. So it’s likely any trip here would largely be one way, at least until we reverse engineer the technology.
Which is the real reason they almost certainly don’t come. A relativist transport is really just a really, really big missile. And of we’re not concerned with a zero/zero intercept (ie no flip over….) it would likely make a nuke look tame.
Still if we’d nuke ourselves…. Yeah. Well the mirror universe version of Vulcans making first contact is probably more accurate…
In any case that leaves coming here to wipe us out (cuz we’re also almost certainly not the only genocidal assholes,) or proselytize (also almost certainly not the only religious nutters.)
And my favorite… the ones that try to proselytize and then turn genocidal when we say “no”.
Presumably.
But are you really comparing to a rock that might kill a few people (or dead cows that might kill a few more, maybe ruin some water,) to a weapon whose intent is to destroy entire cities?
It’s doubtful that the amount of radioisotopes would be dispersed by industrial accidents, both because it’s reasonable to assume steps would be taken to prevent it, and simply because the volume isn’t anywhere near the same.
Also, consider that pure FTL physically can’t exist given our current understanding; and it’s very unlikely we have an understanding that is that far off. So it’s likely any trip here would largely be one way, at least until we reverse engineer the technology.
Which is the real reason they almost certainly don’t come. A relativist transport is really just a really, really big missile. And of we’re not concerned with a zero/zero intercept (ie no flip over….) it would likely make a nuke look tame.
Still if we’d nuke ourselves…. Yeah. Well the mirror universe version of Vulcans making first contact is probably more accurate…
In any case that leaves coming here to wipe us out (cuz we’re also almost certainly not the only genocidal assholes,) or proselytize (also almost certainly not the only religious nutters.)
And my favorite… the ones that try to proselytize and then turn genocidal when we say “no”.
Just so long as we’re not hunters in a dark forest…