Can we talk to aliens? | Robin Hanson and Lex Fridman

Lex Fridman Podcast full episode: • Robin Hanson: Alien Ci...
Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
- Lambda: lambdalabs.com/lex
- Audible: audible.com/lex
- BiOptimizers: www.magbreakthrough.com/lex to get 10% off
- BetterHelp: betterhelp.com/lex to get 10% off
- ExpressVPN: expressvpn.com/lexpod and use code LexPod to get 3 months free
GUEST BIO:
Robin Hanson is a professor at George Mason University and researcher at Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford.
PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: lexfridman.com/podcast
Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2lwqZIr
Spotify: spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
RSS: lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
Full episodes playlist: • Lex Fridman Podcast
Clips playlist: • Lex Fridman Podcast Clips
SOCIAL:
- Twitter: / lexfridman
- LinkedIn: / lexfridman
- Facebook: / lexfridman
- Instagram: / lexfridman
- Medium: / lexfridman
- Reddit: / lexfridman
- Support on Patreon: / lexfridman

[@pebs1070]

Yesss lex keep up the alien discussions!

[@erichvonmolder9310]

@Kleos , Honestly, I don't know what I will be clicking in. So, even though it appears interesting, I say no.

[@crowbar9566]

Yeah he's fully fallen in after being pretty reticent to engage with the subject at first.

[@ticcusagram]

I would literally make it 100% alien and uap related guests

[@crowbar9566]

How do we talk to aliens? Same as we talk to foreigners - by speaking loudly and a lot of pointing.

[@raymondwise]

That really wasn't that funny

[@bad-bunnyblogger8171]

I often wonder. When I've stood in line at the grocery store. Hearing a completely different foreign language behind me. It's completely non-sensical. Yet those noises are painting images in their minds. I then listened to birds sing, while walking home. I think it's very similar.

[@keenanlarsen1639]

We are able to convey emotions through music, which is arranged patterns of different pitched tones. So yeah, I think the birds definitely communicate.

[@ponytrekker9315]

Of course

[@tylerzane4494]

I remember the first time I smoked a joint.

[@maxcell1601]

He posted!!! Were blessed yet again folks

[@austinlyons2558]

All I want to know is, where he got that shirt.

[@RighteousBrother]

So much great content recently, I'm having trouble keeping up!!

[@TheLyricsGuy]

Now THIS is the content that I’m looking for.

[@keenanlarsen1639]

Interesting thought: say Robin is right and that eventually we "max out" technology. What exactly do we do at that point? What endeavors are left? Obviously it's hard to speculate on such a thing from today's standpoint. But cool to think about.

[@rootyroot]

Life would become very boring, so we create a simulation and put our consciousness into it and start all over again :)

[@cshi6864]

Yes - when tech is all maxed out… they will get bored. And fallback to trivial memories. Like us humans, their ancestors. In which they would create simulation … to relive. We are the simulation. Is this crazy ? What you think.

[@dinkogreen4175]

Our current comprehension of reality is so minimalistic, that we would go insane if the curtain was drawn back just a milimeter or two. Reaching any kind of max is nothing more than an illusion.

[@ponytrekker9315]

That’s beyond the realm of imagination.

[@colbertbd]

We are able to communicate with ants in their "language" to some degree (pheromones being the example). It's more about what kind of way we can relate. Ants aren't able to understand the concepts we might be able to discuss but we can "discuss" or interact and somewhat understand what they understand.

[@robertpaterson3229]

When we discuss aliens we always assume that an alien species' first instinct would be to colonize other Planets. This instinct has a lot to do with our own human history, in which colonization has played a big role. However, if an alien species became so advanced would they not view colonization as a primitive and generally outdated thing to do? Sort of like the way we have begun to look at our human history of colonization.

[@cletusjones9411]

I think you are probably right.

[@Nexusforce1]

I would say that you are most likely correct from a logical perspective. Especially if you consider that technological advancement requires levels of cooperation between members of a species. For instance, a modern nation-state involves degrees of self-organization and cooperation (educational, political, & legal systems) to produce the level of technology that they have. So to be a nation-state we can't be rival tribes fighting each other for resources. Now if you take that and combine it with something like the Kardashev scale, the higher you go in such a scale the more geographic cooperation is required. We're not a type 1 civilization yet on the Kardashev scale, because to be a type 1 would require cooperation (in terms of a unified global political & economic system) among all the various nation-states on Earth, since all the resources and energy needed are geographically unevenly distributed. So I think any alien species that is able to muster the resources to be a type 1-3 civilization and explore deep space by logical necessity must have also resolved or overcome most of their internal divisions (religion, money, nationality, race etc.) similar to the United Federation of Planets in Star Trek. Otherwise, a species is most likely to kill itself off by global war and/or destruction of its planetary resources before being able to advance.

[@nickduplaga507]

They manipulate time, and temporarily see the future. They can easily deescalate an attack. Aliens don’t want to appear hostile against other alien species. There are so many galaxies that it’s not difficult finding a planet that can be terraformed, and inhabited until life evolves enough that it has potential of inventing time manipulation space vehicles in the future, and then they likely terraform another, or maybe destroy the planet like Mars if maybe life has not yet reached that state as aliens likely don’t care about hostile, or non intelligent life.

[@MrDaddynomates]

There's nothing special on this planet that they would want. Everything they need is available for free out in space. On moons, planets and asteroids. All the resources they need without the hassle of fighting for it. I think any species capable of reaching us from lightyears away would be peaceful explorers.

[@Nexusforce1]

@@MrDaddynomates Agreed. Most sci-fi that pictures different alien species fighting for resources make no logical sense given the almost infinite resources available within any region of a galaxy and within a whole galaxy for an Interstellar species.

[@JACKnJESUS]

If they aren't like us... we are in trouble. If they are like us...we're in really big trouble.

[@michaelbarry8373]

either way sounds like a good time.

[@JACKnJESUS]

@@michaelbarry8373 For...them.

[@crowbar9566]

You're right. we should just shoot on sight

[@lunaga5714]

Will you interview with Dr Kaku again?

[@jamesdonaldmorris2318]

I was born in 1977 and i have always had a idea ever since i can remember that alien civilizations must exist in the billions of stars that my young eyes could see in the night sky. And i have a feeling that we'll definitely find alien life in the next 10 years. And then it will just become common knowledge and excepted by science!

[@pugglezrook5532]

Yespleasekeep up the extraterrestrial convos

[@dragonrider4339]

This was explained well in the movie “Arrival” incredible movie too..

[@tashriquekarriem8865]

Our lives are too short to comprehend these things playing out.

[@scottmoroschan4729]

I would like to believe our lives/spirits are infinite. I hope our energy will continue radiate thru out the cosmos for eternity.

[@jcmn02]

Why don't aliens have hair? If they are 1000 years old..did their hair fall out?

[@tabansteintv]

We first need to understand what life is and how it evolves. Life wants to survive and thrive. It would seem that it is its main objective. With that in mind, it is natural that life would over time, eventually evolve the means to spread to other planets. How does life survive and thrive then? it invades galactic eco systems, first its own local system and then over a longer period of time, others. Just like life terraformed earth over time, there has to be others out there competing for survival and attempting to spread. The kicker here is evolve enough to be able to find a way to survive the harsh environment of space. Which what I think has not allowed life to expand yet. But it will. Because. Life, Finds a way.

[@michaeljvdh]

They are here already, aren’t they?

[@mrsugar2352]

Lex, isn’t it possible for an ET civilisation to have been grabby and discovered issues with it and turned non grabby? This professor is excellent all the same, absolutely excellent.

[@comfortablynumb9342]

Maybe there's nothing they want or need to grab here.

[@crimsoncola]

Dude that is a RAD shirt

[@knowwon3658]

If these alien are millions of years advanced, which he says would be the peak of technology development, What then would be the point of an expanding civilization or interacting with other life?

[@jesseterrell2109]

I think we are putting cart in front of the horse here a little bit.

[@BackwoodsBeastTV]

How would could we even fathom what their intentions are and how do you know they haven’t expanded already? Perhaps we are just a small project within their empire.

[@Brand00d]

Exactly

[@michaelbarry8373]

"project" Who knows, An alien species may have started and or manipulated forms of life here. And perhaps some type of terraforming. People see these so called UFO's. Evidence of an ET?

[@StoicChav]

Ive definatly talked to something on shrooms

[@SourGirl-jc3cr]

Nice video. Makes you think.

[@bad-bunnyblogger8171]

2:10 you need that in order to create the technology they seem to have.

[@raymondwise]

Bad bunny 😂😂😂😂

[@keenfire8151]

I like to look at it this way. There's only 1% difference between us and apes, and we keep apes in cages. Imagine something thats a few % on the higher side instead of lower like apes.

[@scottmoroschan4729]

The real question should be, “Would aliens even be interested in communicating with us?“

[@gabrieldoctrine]

We are one of the hops already.

[@jossa942]

Okay i like that shirt bro man 😎

[@nickduplaga507]

I had close encounters. They barely spoke English. They could telepathically communicate emotions. They flew in metallic UFO, and wore camouflage that made them appear like ghosts. I saw “ghosts near a UFO.”

[@sydneyhunter2807]

They definitely won't let us find them, but maybe they'll come out and show themselves

[@HerbertDuckshort]

What’s this guy’s other job? The Tooth Fairy’s analyst? I don’t know how Lex keeps a straight face.

[@simonkinley5619]

Most of them are telepathic. Thats universal communication with pictures and feelings

[@Dan.50]

pure speculation is cool..

[@jessemccord1878]

What if the Milky Way is just an alien nature park that they're intentionally keeping uncolonized for educational purposes? I doubt the bears in Yellowstone are aware of the scope of human civilization. They just catch a glimpse of a tourist every now and again and occasionally eat one.

[@gatflyoz]

Or… Probe one 😂

[@tommygun6559]

Joe Rogan?

[@ponytrekker9315]

What would you think the life expectancy of an alien would be.

[@oystla]

Humans are the relatives of grabby Aliens. Places here on Earth by grabby Aliens a long time ago. They Will soon come back and say «Hallo Cousins»

[@relativerust]

This is all assuming that time is a relevant factor. What if it's not

[@JohnnyBlaze5680]

he keeps discussing travel of advanced beings in our primitive understanding of travel. because we can’t travel space in any other way as how we currently do it’s impossible for any other species to do anything better. i can’t understand why “scientists” and or philosophers would think that

[@dannyjones7806]

warp drives, wormholes, and time travel may be possible within a super advance civilization like that. duh.

[@gatflyoz]

Appreciate the discussion but his whole perspective is based on one Scenario. His own Grabee Alien 👽 Theory. There are countless other perspectives: Inter dimensional, “Time Traveling” Us sending drones from the future to learn about ourselves, “Spiritual” Fallen Angelic Beings, And on and on.

[@benjaminwagner4702]

I think about ants A LOT Lex.

[@dsamh]

This question stems from such crazy arrogance. We can't even "talk" to the thousands of animals we live alongside.

[@hughesfarris6009]

We can communicate to them, but there isn’t a perfect 1:1 transfer of information so the question is how efficient are we able to get it I guess…

[@lostgeometry]

LEX NEEDS JACQUES VALLEE ON THE PODCAST

[@simonmarelis5722]

6:39 "yeeeeeah", seems bored

[@Daggercrossover]

That ridiculous. We aren’t even sure if aliens exist yet.

[@Brand00d]

*You* aren’t sure

[@Daggercrossover]

@@Brand00d show proof

[@Daggercrossover]

@@Brand00d I believe that there is life elsewhere but we don't have proof

[@Brand00d]

Tens of thousands of people report alien abductions. They are all very similar experiences and are described in great detail. John Mack and David Jacobs are people to look into. Mack was the head of the Harvard psychiatry department. He met with hundreds of experiencers and concluded these people have nothing wrong with them but we’re actually abducted. Many ancient texts describe encounters with beings from the sky. I’m 90% certain they recovered a body from the Roswell crash. We see them flying around everyday. They have demonstrated their abilities to every government around the world. According to Luis Elizondo and others, there are high definition videos of the crafts with bodies in them. And if you want to disregard all of that and say that we still aren’t sure if they’re here, if you look at the size of the universe, then of course there is life elsewhere.

[@DJPacoRamirez]

Many of species of alien came and left earth.

[@bad-bunnyblogger8171]

Let's say an alien species wanted to communicate anonymously what would be the best way to do it in today's technology? KZbin comment section...

[@Dehangus]

Lol you're an alien 👽

[@bad-bunnyblogger8171]

@@Dehangus 👽🤫😂

[@crowbar9566]

Reddit

[@dances4980]

until the day we can effectively communicate with an ant hive, we are no better off attempting to communicate with life that originated from off world.

[@PadishahEmperor1]

His view of Aliens are very niave in my opinion. Just read The 3 Body Problem by Liu Cixin

[@ThatUFOShowUFOBustersAustralia]

Ants my dog stepped on a ant 🐜✌️🙈

[@lukasbaumgartner2240]

I find it scary, that if humans ever go colonize galaxy, evolution will make them seperate in the end.

[@flyboy008]

We often over hyped about these aliens topics, but we all also think aliens has super power (allegedly). So they traveling mad far with unlimited fuels and stocked with energies bar for however many years with a team of 2 🤣🤣🤣 ??? I still skeptical about Bob Lazar’s drawing of the UFO with no bathroom 🤣🤣🤣 That’s how fiction stories created. Smh

[@songokulul]

they use their transporters to beam the poop and pee directly from their bodies out into space which is also how I assume it works on star trek because there seem to be no bathrooms there either

[@flyboy008]

Hahahahaha right!? 🤣

[@scooterallen1834]

100% subjective

[@RJZII]

I TALK TO ALIENS EVERY DAY

[@Brand00d]

The question is - do they talk back?

[@TheSmallmouthAngler]

Time is relevant only to the one's experiencing it. Experience is driven by perception and perception varies by perspective. We are living in a world without time but cannot see it from our view point..... Your imprint on the fabric of spacetime is like a stamp on a piece of paper, it will always be there.

[@jasonblack4729]

So basically if we can see them given what it would take for them to get here they would be like old gods simple

[@IamCartaphilus]

He keeps using ants as his main point of reference. We are much capable as a species and far better suited to communicate.

[@morgankey2361]

our galaxy is being bet right now in a game of galactic poker and we don't even know it. Tomorrow our new owner will come do a brief check on the goods

[@Jon3sy1990]

We can’t understand any species on this planet other than ourselves, and we know other animals use language to communicate but we haven’t the foggiest idea what they’re saying! Why would we know what an alien race is saying? I don’t think we’re that clever

[@AdrenalineVideos1337]

Sound logic but it’s all so presumptuous

[@john-martin]

Smh 🤦

[@johnpaulzagami52]

… sigh … why do these alien discussions always fail to take into consideration the Ruwa Zimbabwe case at the Ariel school?… you literally have a group of then children who claimed, and maintain, that a ufo landed, aliens approached them, communicated with some and left…

[@michaelbarry8373]

And just he children.

[@ThatUFOShowUFOBustersAustralia]

We are multi Dimensional beings all of us you my friend . maybe you are 2 D. i am at lease 3-D 🙈

[@randykrus9562]

What's missing here is the possibility of wormhole or some other transdimensional or other spiritual means of travel.

[@justin4360]

Hell no if they can communicate with us they will but the way I look at it is you won’t see me trying to talk to a gorilla or lion they to us are wild animals. So I assume us to them we would be the wild animals. I always had a funny thought about humans going on safari trips seeing the wild animals. We’ll what if them ufos are the safaris of the future… that would be hilarious lol.

[@raulanaya1643]

Aliens are Mexicans!

[@gregorybrewer3619]

Dude watch Hunter vs Hunter season 3 check out the ants then think what if

[@samnero387]

It's not about the ability to talk to a fish let's say, it's that there is nothing to talk ABOUT. From single celled organisms to humans and almost everything in between we have it all right here. Why would relationships galactic and or intergalactic be any different? What an interesting question!

[@ThatUFOShowUFOBustersAustralia]

P-S they made us !. are we all that thick ? 🙈💕✌️🇦🇺

[@jay19701]

He seems overly optimistic that we're going to be around for awhile. We're going to nuke each other well before we get off the planet.

[@johnsnow3662]

he presents his assumptions as almost facts. They are not facts at all. The exact opposite of his assumptions might as well be true. It is more likely they look completely different, behave completely, move completely different. Planets are all different, hence the chemistry on their planet, gravity etc, would have shaped completely different beings, that would perhaps have completely different agendas. We have no idea and everything imaginable is possible - that is the right answer here.

[@ThatUFOShowUFOBustersAustralia]

Yes Morse Code is Universal I have proof

[@nickduplaga507]

They fly their UFO drones into a classroom, study language, then incorporate it into their nervous system chip that translates it for them. Occasionally they try pronouncing words if they can vocalize similarly. I had close encounters.

[@laurenteking1796]

A Higher Intelligence would Never Want to Engage with Humans

[@Brand00d]

We are their creation

[@mr.sandman1177]

The guest on this episode isn't particularly bright.