Primitive Aliens

We often imagine Earth being visited by more advanced civilizations, but in the future humanity may encounter more primitive ones on alien worlds. What challenges and dilemmas would we face?

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Credits:
Alien Civilizations: Primitive Aliens
Science & Futurism with Isaac Arthur
Episode 350a, July 10, 2022
Written, Produced & Narrated by Isaac Arthur

Editors:
David McFarlane

Graphics:
Darth Biomech
Fishy Tree

Cover Art:

Music by:
Martin Rezny, "Lifelight"
Denny Schneidemesser, "Bridge Ambience"
Stellardrone, "A Moment of Stillness", "Cosmic Sunrise", "Limbo", "Red Giant"
Aerium, "Fifth Star of Aldebaran"
Miguel Johnson, "Strange New World"

[giorgim]

Most importantly we need to help them to build various stone strucrures. In the shape of pyramids and circles, only to ghost them for next 5000 years

[yeager]

One of these days you need to end a video with “If advanced aliens are watching us right now, then make sure to like, comment, and subscribe.”

[EdricLysharae]

In Stellaris, every time I land troops on a primitive planet I say, "Hey, folks! Welcome to the galactic community!" 😁

[pll]

I recall a TV show episode which had humans visiting a world and finding primitives. They wipe out the primitives to claim the system, but then find out that the 'primitives' were actually a outdoor youth camp for a far more advanced empire, and they (and Earth) get exposed by a alien warship sent to find out what happened to their children.

Edit: Found the episode! "Relativity Theory" is an episode of The Outer Limits television show. It was first broadcast on February 27, 1998, during the fourth season.

[MrGeocidal]

Imagine a young caveman saying to an elderly caveman "fire is no longer a luxury, it is now an essential service".

[Ryukachoo]

As always, Arthur has the new perspective
"No matter which side you're on, first contact is a dumpster fire"

[ChristopherRyans]

Ah another video exploring the thankless task of answering the Fermi paradox this is the best candy for many of us

[barahng]

15:24 Actually xenomorphs can parasitize any animal species that has a circulatory system it can attach to and feed off of. It doesn't have be human, intelligent, or even mammalian. Just big enough to support the embryo without dying too early.

[KarlRosner]

This whole thing reminded of Neil Asher's Polity book series and his Jain species. They evolved from aquatic lobster creatures that re-produced via death match, with the winner taking the genetic material of the former. This hostility was literally part of them on an instinctual level, so after a few million years of doing that they evolved into tool use and eventually developed technology, which became part of the acquisition process in mating. Eventually they learned to steal knowledge from their opponents, merging into a new being after each challenge. A weird solitary species that grew though violence, takes longer to get to high tech than we did but over very scary.

[jamesdowell]

The squid example reminds me of the vampires in the "blindsight" universe. Antisocial, territorial & almost incapable of a civilization of their own, but ridiculously smarter than humans and able to dominate us once reintroduced into society. They're tenuously held in check only by a crucifix "kill switch" humanity has.

[dariustiapula]

The urge to play Civilization on primitive worlds for me is too hard to ignore. Flintlock rifles for everyone!.

[CharliMorganMusic]

Based on how empty the galaxy looks, I think it's very likely that this is the most likely first-contact scenario. I like to think we would be friends with them.

[xXx_Regulus_xXx]

21:41 "might raise a hazy line between a child and a pet" for many people I think the difference between the two boils down to potential. The kind of person that calls their companion animal a "fur baby" would probably put their pet through school if there was any point to doing that, same as they already sometimes take them to obedience training classes. Perversely, there are also people who treat their kids like pets and don't let them live up to their potential because they enjoy the early years of childrearing more than watching them mature. Point is, there are probably ways to figure out how to mentor someone with different psychology but had humanlike potential for growth, borrowing lessons learned from special needs kids and maybe some veterinary techniques, since that's our only experience raising nonhumans for now.

[gumunduringigumundsson]

If they noticed us we could accidentally ruin they're entire civilization timeline. Bad manners. But I guess if they are hyper horrible to each other it would just help them thinking about better things.
Thanks Isaac Arthur for keeping up the greeat work.

[johannageisel]

Alien youtuber, 10, 000 years from now: "This is the evidence we have that Xüdiflafs were actually built by humans in the ancient past."

[mateoewig]

To anyone who hasn't read/ listened to children of time and it's sequel children of ruin you really should. It's a very realistic depiction of everything that's been discussed in this episode (especially the sequel) and it's really interesting.

[saladinbob]

You should watch the Star Trek: Enterprise season 2, which is criminally underrated, because it contains an arc that deals with why the Prime Directive was created in the first place and the writers actually put some decent thought into the incidents which occur. It isn't your run of the mill "they might become bad guys in a hundred years", and it's not just shown from the one perspective. It actually backfires on humanity because a species' culture wasn't respected by a crew member.

[generationm]

Human settler: "Uh, Captain- I mean 'Pharaoh' Jackson?

Pharaoh Jackson: "What is it, first mate?"

First Mate: "You know these alien primitives, the ones who you tricked into worshiping you as a god?"

Pharaoh Jackson: "Yeah, what about them? "

First Mate: "Welp, turns out this planet was being watched over by a precursor civilization fifty light-years away. One of their fleets are en route and they do not look happy. "

Pharaoh Jackson: "...I'm sure there's nothing to worry about."

[Roll credits]

[NoticerOfficial]

I’m a simple man, I see aliens and Isaac, I grab a drink and some snacks.

[acethesupervillain]

Speaking of that alien squid that is intelligent, but without empathy, there's an interesting parallel with real life monitor lizards, especially Komodo Dragons. Komodo Dragons don't seem to show any compassion to fellow dragons in the wild, but they -can- be quite affectionate to zoo keepers. Whether they interface well with humans or not seems to be dependent on their individual personality. It's interesting to think that they could be universally antagonistic toward their own species (not usually outright hostile, as they do hang out in big groups) but think of human beings as big squishy teddy bears who scratch behind their ears and bring them food.