# Alien Contact Hypothetical - Join 'The Culture' or not? (Poll) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 15, 2014, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alien-contact-hypothetical-join-the-culture-or-not-poll/707328 "2014-12-15T21:34:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alien-contact-hypothetical-join-the-culture-or-not-poll/707328/21 "2014-12-16T21:49:01Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > _Suuuuuure_ they won’t. [bolding mine] Well as Max the Immortal says the basic premise of the Culture novels are that AI is invented and is benign, but yes its a pretty big risk we’re taking by signing up as unlikely as them turning against us is. But then again if we _weren’t_ part of their society we would have no protection at all against hostile aliens and AI’s, which in this scenario we now know are almost certainly out there. > [@ZenBeam](#): > > Who’s determining our destiny and direction _now_? Certainly not most of us, and probably not any of us, really. Well as flawed as it is its still humans in charge of human destiny. > [@ZenBeam](#): > > Plus, to the extent that some few humans have some ability to determine our future, whose to say that _they_ won’t ‘go bad’ and turn against the other biological members of our society. True, though the threat they could present is neglible in comparison to that posed by hostile Minds. > [@zoid](#): > > It would be cool if there was some mechanism by which those who wanted to could op in - like go to a recruitment center, sign up, pick a planet to live on and jump into a teleporter, or maybe the aliens terraform mars and you can hop over there to be part of their brave new world. Interesting, I like that idea, that Earth doesn’t join as such but any individual humans who want to can move to the Culture. I imagine they’d stay in touch no matter what decision we made and would let this take place. Whether Terran authorities would be so keen, likely losing their ‘best and brightest’ is another matter. > [@eburacum45](#): > > Not every Mind in the Culture is someone you’d want to meet in a dark alley. Or a brightly lit boulevard. I’m looking at you, the Meatfucker and the Falling Outside The Normal Moral Constraints. True, but even the Gray Area/Meatfucker only did it to people who probably deserved it. I can’t remember what exactly the FOTNMC did? And the former at least was a pariah for its actions. > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > It’s just a style thing; they are “humans” now. They’ve been other things in the past, and will be other things in the future. True, but most of the ‘seed species’ seem to have been humanoid, which is why after all the fashionable body-changing shenanigans they’ve mostly gone back to base humanoid form as standard. > [@dracoi](#): > > I don’t get these hypotheticals. > > If everything is really wonderful and perfect, as we’re assured it is, then why wouldn’t we do it? Because as mentioned we are ceding in reality total and absolute control to entities vastly more powerful and capable than we are, in a sense it could be thought of that we would be nothing more than children who never achieve adulthood as a species or pets under the leash of a benign master, but its still a leash and they are still our masters. > [@dracoi](#): > > If there’s a flaw in the premise and it’s not wonderful and perfect, then aren’t we pretty much screwed regardless? We can’t fight off the aliens or their AIs. They’re going to get whatever they want with or without our cooperation. In fact, you could even argue that the less benevolent they are, the more cooperation they should get. This is true, but The Culture would never force a decision like that on a species _(though they’re certainly not above attempting to covertly and subtley directing the decision to their preferred ends)_ > [@dracoi](#): > > Anyway, I’m obviously for it, but with one caveat: I don’t think people actually adapt well to excessive abundance. I think that both work and a certain amount of pressure/scarcity is good for us. For example, putting a deadline on your work, even when it’s arbitrary and self-imposed, is a good motivator. So whatever system we work out, I think that mandatory part-time employment ought to be part of the deal (students, homemakers and poets are all considered employed as long as they’re all accountable for getting things done). Everyone should be expected to contribute _something_. I don’t agree, the aforementioned Contact branch and other departments are their for people who want more than simple hedonistic pleasure, and there are plenty of people who do what we would consider work as a hobby or interest (biologically made items and art have a certain cache although in any objective sense the Minds could create vastly superior examples with ease, for example), but doing so is very much their choice. The very definition of Culture society is that nobody is forced into anything they don’t want to do, and there are plenty of worthy tasks for people who want to do them and plenty of volunteers for them. As for the hypothetical I would personally sign up in a heartbeat, The Culture is the best example of a plausible utopia I’ve ever read, but considering on a species-wide basis I’m more than a little uncomfortable at ceding power and control entirely to another, no matter how benign it is. btw I’m surprised and pleased that there are apparently so many Culture/Iain Banks fans in here. My personal favourite sci-fi author and sci-fi universe. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alien-contact-hypothetical-join-the-culture-or-not-poll/707328/22 "2014-12-16T22:15:05Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > Pretty much the whole premise of the series is, “What if the machines _don’t_ turn against us?” It is a deliberate departure from the cliche “AI turns evil for some reason” stories that abound. That might make a fun Terminator sequel. We create Terminators who defend us from an even greater threat. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alien-contact-hypothetical-join-the-culture-or-not-poll/707328/23 "2014-12-16T22:38:35Z")
I’ve read enough Culture novels to know that my answer would be an enthusiastic “Hell Yes!” Dibs on being Jernau Gurgeh in this scenario. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alien-contact-hypothetical-join-the-culture-or-not-poll/707328/24 "2014-12-17T00:18:00Z")
> [@Disposable Hero](#): > > Because as mentioned we are ceding in reality total and absolute control to entities vastly more powerful and capable than we are, in a sense it could be thought of that we would be nothing more than children who never achieve adulthood as a species or pets under the leash of a benign master, but its still a leash and they are still our masters. Another poster addressed this nicely enough for me. The amount of real power I actually have over my life wouldn’t go anywhere but up under this scenario. The President might feel like it’s crimping his style, but he’s controlled by the Illuminati anyway. 🙂 In fact, anyone who’s tried to get anything done when other people are involved knows that power is a fleeting illusion at best. The effort involved in getting the PTA to agree on a theme color makes me despair of any real control over human affairs. Even the choices we think we’re making independently seem like statistical trends on a big scale. Might as well cede it to a robot, assuming that we trust the robot’s motivations. ---
**Author:** ![Onyerbike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onyerbike/32/5402_2.png) [@Onyerbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onyerbike)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alien-contact-hypothetical-join-the-culture-or-not-poll/707328/25 "2014-12-17T02:02:58Z")
I would sign up. Earth governments are shitty by comparison and of course space is freaking rad. Advanced tech, hot blue ladies, brain to computer interfacing, hot blue ladies… Nope, it would never be a no from this one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alien-contact-hypothetical-join-the-culture-or-not-poll/707328.md?page=1)