Many science fiction themes focus on what humanity can gain or lose from a relationship with an extraterrestrial civilization. It tends to be wholly wonderful or quite horrible and no matter what the result it seems that humans have very little say in it all.
I propose that the most important gains from First Contact would be a startling new perspective and an opportunity to re-work our society. It’s not a matter of acquiring alien technology or tapping into a vast, new body of knowledge. It’s a matter of finally realizing our place in the universe and preparing ourselves for the great challenges ahead. These are things that we can control and tasks we can undertake.
We cannot let technology determine who and what we become. Our technology is growing in power exponentially. It may soon grow out of our control. We must create a road map for our future growth in science and technology and stay true to what we believe.
In the spirit of that challenge I propose that we re-commit ourselves to the principles that most humans consider important and take action:
-Strive for substance in thought and action
-Struggle against selfish behavior
-Nurture creativity
-Promote honesty and transparency
-Streamline our bureaucracies
-Promote individual freedoms
-Foster a better understanding of our local, global and universal neighbors
-Help others to pursue their dreams as we pursue ours
-Use technology to achieve these goals and not let it undermine what we hold dear
-Make our world a better one for future generations
-Become good citizens of the universe
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