# Hypothetical alien question. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 26, 2000, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-alien-question/30799 "2000-08-26T04:02:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![m3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6f9a4e/32.png) [@m3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/m3)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2000, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-alien-question/30799/1 "2000-08-26T04:02:06Z")
This one’s a little weird, but if you want, you can come along for the ride. Ok, suppose that aliens really seeded life here on earth, but not for altruistic purposes, in fact they’ve been helping humanity’s evolution along so that they can use our organs to obtain immortality. Now the time has come for them to harvest their bumper crop, but since the inception of humanity they’ve had time to contemplate the error of their ways. They now believe that creating us was unnatural and not part of the universal scheme of life. Therefore, we must not leave their care as we might spread and destroy natural life elsewhere. Since they realize that we are thinking creatures capable of making decisions, they want us to make a choice. These are the options that they present to us. 1. Humanity faces imminent extinction. All humans will henceforth become sterile and be allowed to fulfill their remaining years. 2.Humans will be allowed to breed, but once they reach 30 they will be harvested (killed) by the aliens. What choice do you make? Ok, maybe it’s really weird. But I thought it might provide perspective to debates on genetic engineering and the farming of domestic animals. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2000, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-alien-question/30799/2 "2000-08-26T04:09:46Z")
Like we’re just going to let them tell us what our options are. Personally, I do not care how superior their weapons are. I am going to fight them. I will die trying if I must. ---
**Author:** ![m3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6f9a4e/32.png) [@m3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/m3)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2000, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-alien-question/30799/3 "2000-08-26T04:28:43Z")
I know it’s not much of a choice, but the point is to weigh the options against each other. Fighting isn’t an option. Suppose we can’t even find them. They could sterilize us all remotely just by enacting hidden genetic mechanisms in our bodies (they had to have some fail-safe for their genetic engineering). ---
**Author:** ![Ad\_Noctum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@Ad\_Noctum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ad_Noctum)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2000, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-alien-question/30799/4 "2000-08-26T04:59:27Z")
[http://www.boblazar.com](http://www.boblazar.com) covers much Alien stuff, ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2000, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-alien-question/30799/5 "2000-08-26T08:53:05Z")
Rubbish, all of this. I know what would really happen… A cable TV repair man will somehow get his hands on one of the aliens’ ships (it crashed back in the middle of the century in… oh… Cleveland), and spends five minutes writing up a computer virus, which just happens to be completely compatible with the alien computer interface, and he flies into the mothership and infects their entire system with the virus, which allows our ships to destroy theirs. Oh, and there’d be a romantic relationship somewhere in there, too. And a gratuitous stripper-shot (but not a completely nude stripper… this is a family movie). I call it, “Litte Timmy and the Alien Meanie-heads.” ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2000, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-alien-question/30799/6 "2000-08-26T09:41:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by m3 \* > \*\* > 2.Humans will be allowed to breed, but once they reach 30 they will be harvested (killed) by the aliens. > \*\* Do you think the aliens secretly had the movie “Logan’s Run” commissioned in order to see what we thought about option No. 2? ---
**Author:** ![m3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6f9a4e/32.png) [@m3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/m3)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2000, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-alien-question/30799/7 "2000-08-26T16:03:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Snooooopy \* > \*\* > Do you think the aliens secretly had the movie “Logan’s Run” commissioned in order to see what we thought about option No. 2? \*\* Nah, they liked the book a lot better.They actually pretty miffed about it. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2000, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-alien-question/30799/8 "2000-08-26T16:49:22Z")
“Logan’s Run” was a book first? Missed that. Well, what did the aliens think about the short-lived “Logan’s Run” television show? ---
**Author:** ![ijustdontcare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c57346/32.png) [@ijustdontcare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ijustdontcare)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2000, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-alien-question/30799/9 "2000-08-26T19:15:51Z")
I don’t know about you, but I’d make a deal with the aliens so I could get some super powers or somethin. If they wouldn’t go for that, I’d just say,“Hey, why don’t you take your options and #$@% off?!?!” ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-alien-question/30799/10 "2000-08-27T01:32:48Z")
If those are my only two choices, then I have a question. If I choose the options where we can breed but die at 30, what happens to those of us who already over 30? If we just get offed, then screw offsprings, I’d prefer to live my life out. Selfish I know, but what the hell, life as we know it would be pretty much screwed anyway. ---
**Author:** ![CandyBoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@CandyBoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandyBoi)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-alien-question/30799/11 "2000-08-27T02:26:48Z")
This isent even a contest, let me live out to be old and such, I never wanted kids anyway, and now, i wont get them. _Joyous!!_ I can see many a night…“Hey lets go it, we dont have to worry about childern” Aww…life would be good…thank you ET… ---
**Author:** ![m3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6f9a4e/32.png) [@m3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/m3)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-alien-question/30799/12 "2000-08-27T02:48:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jack Batty \* > \*\*If those are my only two choices, then I have a question. If I choose the options where we can breed but die at 30, what happens to those of us who already over 30? > \*\* Organ harvesting would be pointless for them after 30. It’s the 29-30 yr olds who’d have death staring them in the face. The choice could even be made on an individual level, become sterilized and live out the rest of your natural years (or until you get hit by a truck), or choose to further the human race and die at 30 (your offspring wouldn’t have the same choice though, it’s way too much bureaucracy even for the aliens to handle). > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Snooooopy \* > \*\* > Logan’s Run" was a book first? Missed that. Well, what did the aliens think about the short-lived “Logan’s Run” television show?_\* It was a book but it wasn’t called Logan’s it was called something less catchier because I can’t remember it now. A logan’s run tv show? Tell me this was a creation of the 70’s. That’s the only way it could be excused. ---
**Author:** ![tubagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b77776/32.png) [@tubagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tubagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-alien-question/30799/13 "2000-08-27T03:04:43Z")
Tell me if I’m taking this too seriously but: Who would want to choose for their offspring to live in the control of the aliens? I mean, if you don’t want to die at age 30, wh would your children? It is along the lines of “why bring your child into the world, if you can’t make their life better than yours.” I wouldn’t have a child in a radioactive area, because int he future, they would have severe medical problems. I’d say that death at 30, is definitly a madical problem. **Sterilize me, BABY!!!** ---
**Author:** ![m3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6f9a4e/32.png) [@m3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/m3)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-alien-question/30799/14 "2000-08-27T03:11:29Z")
Hmmm… so far no one’s willing to make the sacrifice for future of humanity. Granted it’s a bleak future, but at least it is one. Think of all the self destructive artists that made their best work before thirty. Many older folks sit around and fantasize about their early years as the best of their lives. Our earliest ancestors were lucky to live that long. Is it really all that bad? ---
**Author:** ![2sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e47774/32.png) [@2sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2sense)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-alien-question/30799/15 "2000-08-27T06:25:43Z")
The sterility option has no future. The “die at 30” option is the way to go. Maybe someday the kids could throw off the yoke of oppression. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-alien-question/30799/16 "2000-08-27T07:44:04Z")
Gee, would we send our offspring down the river for personal gain? Viet Nam Social Security The National Debt Clear Cutting Fuel Depletion Pollution etc. etc. etc. tubagirl, I’m afaid the minority that would make the sacrifice to keep their children from such a destiny would become the butt of jokes from the majority. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-alien-question/30799/17 "2000-08-27T10:01:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by m3 \* > \*\*It was a book but it wasn’t called Logan’s it was called something less catchier because I can’t remember it now. > A logan’s run tv show? Tell me this was a creation of the 70’s. That’s the only way it could be excused. \*\* From the one episode I caught, the short-lived television show followed the adventures of a group of Sandmen who had crossed over from the dank underground city as they roamed about doing good for whoever they ran into. No Michael York, so no point in watching.