Aliens.

[Ahimsa]

I'm very interested in astrophysics and fascinated by the possibility of other forms of life in the universe. I was reading recently that any intelligent civilization capable of reaching us, would, in all probability, be vegan. The reason being that a race that eats its fellow creatures lives an unsustainable life, and one that isn't likely to advance to the required level before destroying itself. Tolstoy once said: "As long as there are slaughterhouses there will be battlefields," and I quite agree with this statement. So, good news for all of you who lie awake at night worrying about being eaten by aliens!

 

[beancounter]

Whether they could sustain a meat centered diet depends on their level of technology. If they are very advanced, they just may have figured out a way to do it.

 

[Ahimsa]

Whether they could sustain a meat centered diet depends on their level of technology. If they are very advanced, they just may have figured out a way to do it.

I think what I read was referring to a self destructive element in carnists. The technology would be irrelevant because if we haven't got enough empathy for others, then sooner or later that lack of empathy will lead to destruction.

 

[beancounter]

Well "I want to eat meat, and profit from selling others meat to eat" doesn't require empathy.

Aside from that, anthropmorphizing human culture onto aliens is likely to be an inaccurate representation of their cultural priorities.

And what if these aliens are natural carnivores (like cats).

Too many potential variables. Aliens are unlikely to be rubber forehead humans.

 

[Ahimsa]

Well "I want to eat meat, and profit from selling others meat to eat" doesn't require empathy.

Aside from that, anthropmorphizing human culture onto aliens is likely to be an inaccurate representation of their cultural priorities.

And what if these aliens are natural carnivores (like cats).

Too many potential variables. Aliens are unlikely to be rubber forehead humans.

I can't wait to see a cat travelling through space and time!

Well "I want to eat meat, and profit from selling others meat to eat" doesn't require empathy.

Aside from that, anthropmorphizing human culture onto aliens is likely to be an inaccurate representation of their cultural priorities.

And what if these aliens are natural carnivores (like cats).

Too many potential variables. Aliens are unlikely to be rubber forehead humans.

You mean like "Red Dwarf?" I can't wait to see a cat travelling through space and time!

 

[Lou]

my take on it is more colored by philosophy. It's not a foregone conclusion. and certainly there is not a lot of supporting evidence, but my opinion is that an advanced civilization should also have an advanced moral code. Not up-to-date on my Star Trek stuff but I'm pretty sure that the Federation did not have a live stock industry. They had those machines that transformed matter and had syntheitic meat. I remember that in one episode the Klingons ate things that were alive - so they probably weren't synthetic. but I think they were just worms. It probably is pretty hard to keep a herd of cows or even a flock of chickens on a spaceship.

I can't remember what movie or TV show but the characters had a lot of meal worm recipes. On a space ship without transformers, meal worms might make a lot of sense.

I don't think the Vulcans even had a moral code. they governed themselves with logic. And I'm pretty sure that with the inefficiencies of livestock production - they would have abandoned animal husbandry as illogical

In Larry Niven's universe he liked to play around with how biology could affect a civilization. He had one civilization that were herbivores, Puppeteers. and another that were like tigers, K'zin.

Sometimes non-vegans will pose a question like, what would happen to all the livestock if the world turned vegan. I always point out that the world, could not, would not go vegan overnight.

but just for fun I invented a scenario where the world goes vegan overnight.

Astonomers detect a space armada heading for Earth. The Admiral sends a message to Earth that we have to decipher. they have not yet figured out how to read, listen, or view our transmissions. but they have come in peace and hope share their advanced technology and learn about life on earth. when we finally decode their messages we get video. and this alien race look remarkably like cows.

the earth goes vegan overnight.

 

[beancounter]

"To serve man is a cookbook"...

 

[Ahimsa]

my take on it is more colored by philosophy. It's not a foregone conclusion. and certainly there is not a lot of supporting evidence, but my opinion is that an advanced civilization should also have an advanced moral code. Not up-to-date on my Star Trek stuff but I'm pretty sure that the Federation did not have a live stock industry. They had those machines that transformed matter and had syntheitic meat. I remember that in one episode the Klingons ate things that were alive - so they probably weren't synthetic. but I think they were just worms. It probably is pretty hard to keep a herd of cows or even a flock of chickens on a spaceship.

I can't remember what movie or TV show but the characters had a lot of meal worm recipes. On a space ship without transformers, meal worms might make a lot of sense.

I don't think the Vulcans even had a moral code. they governed themselves with logic. And I'm pretty sure that with the inefficiencies of livestock production - they would have abandoned animal husbandry as illogical

In Larry Niven's universe he liked to play around with how biology could affect a civilization. He had one civilization that were herbivores, Puppeteers. and another that were like tigers, K'zin.

Sometimes non-vegans will pose a question like, what would happen to all the livestock if the world turned vegan. I always point out that the world, could not, would not go vegan overnight.

but just for fun I invented a scenario where the world goes vegan overnight.

Astonomers detect a space armada heading for Earth. The Admiral sends a message to Earth that we have to decipher. they have not yet figured out how to read, listen, or view our transmissions. but they have come in peace and hope share their advanced technology and learn about life on earth. when we finally decode their messages we get video. and this alien race look remarkably like cows.

the earth goes vegan overnight.

Umm, I assume these "cows" have come from somewhere in the Milky Way? I can't share your optimism about humans turning vegan overnight, more like they see this armada as some sort of Delivermoo service.

 

[Sax]

We better hope they're hardcore about animal rights because we'd be like ants to a civilization that crosses the stars. I doubt they'd care what we eat. Unless they're a plant-based intelligence then us vegans are in trouble!

 

[Brian W]

They're ok. They synthesize food from molecules they find in space.

 

[Ahimsa]

They're ok. They synthesize food from molecules they find in space.

How do you know ... where did you say you're from again? Lol.

 

[Ahimsa]

We better hope they're hardcore about animal rights because we'd be like ants to a civilization that crosses the stars. I doubt they'd care what we eat. Unless they're a plant-based intelligence then us vegans are in trouble!

I'm just worried about how long it'll take for the transmission of the movie: "Earth Girls Are Easy" to reach their planet!

 

[Brian W]

How do you know ... where did you say you're from again? Lol.

I was abducted once but they realized I was more intelligent than most humans so instead of experimenting on me, they gave me some food. I obviously asked if it was vegan, so they told me all about it.

 

[Ahimsa]

I was abducted once but they realized I was more intelligent than most humans so instead of experimenting on me, they gave me some food. I obviously asked if it was vegan, so they told me all about it.

 

[Ahimsa]

Umm, I see, but I guess not being the sharpest tool in the box I'll just have to make do with the female of their species mating with me for experimental purposes.

 

[Brian W]

Oh, poor you!

 

[Lou]

I just learned about a Science Fiction series.

In addition to bringing the animal question into dystopian versions of Earth, occasionally science fiction writers imagine alien civilizations that offer an alternative to exploiting animals.​

​

One example is Karen Traviss’s Wess’har Wars series. Traviss isn’t a vegetarian, but can imagine other ways of seeing the universe. Her series narrates the first contact between a stumbling humanity and the members of an advanced, multispecies, vegan civilization, who, shocked by what they see, decide to liberate Earth … from the humans.​

Imagining Other Worlds: Science Fiction and Animal Ethics – Our Hen House

www.ourhenhouse.org

 

[Ahimsa]

I just learned about a Science Fiction series.

In addition to bringing the animal question into dystopian versions of Earth, occasionally science fiction writers imagine alien civilizations that offer an alternative to exploiting animals.​

​

One example is Karen Traviss’s Wess’har Wars series. Traviss isn’t a vegetarian, but can imagine other ways of seeing the universe. Her series narrates the first contact between a stumbling humanity and the members of an advanced, multispecies, vegan civilization, who, shocked by what they see, decide to liberate Earth … from the humans.​

Imagining Other Worlds: Science Fiction and Animal Ethics – Our Hen House

www.ourhenhouse.org

Absolutely, I couldn't agree more. I've seen the vegan theme used in so many works of sci-fi.

 

[David3]

In the Star Trek mythos, the Vulcans are vegetarian: Vulcan (Star Trek) - Wikipedia

 

[David3]

Raising livestock animals on a starship would be inefficient and smelly. Who is assigned to clean up the poop? What do you do with the skin, bones, cartilage, intestinal contents etc.? A starfaring civilization would have the technology to efficiently synthesize food.
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