Possible Interview Question?? Need Help

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Mattgray

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Once again I'm going to try to get an answer for this question so please do not move it!!! It is a legit Pre-Med question. So if life does exist somewhere else in the universe and you had to pick one thing to send to them to represent the human race what would it be and why would you choose it?? I know they want original answers and I've already thought of all the obvious water, air, and fire but they all seem to common so what do you all think?? Thanks for your time!!!

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Once again I'm going to try to get an answer for this question so please do not move it!!! It is a legit Pre-Med question. So if life does exist somewhere else in the universe and you had to pick one thing to send to them to represent the human race what would it be and why would you choose it?? I know they want original answers and I've already thought of all the obvious water, air, and fire but they all seem to common so what do you all think?? Thanks for your time!!!

Okay, I'll bite. Basically there isn't any "right" answer to this question. If you're asked this on the interview or some other crazy, off the wall question, it's likely that the interviewer is simply trying to see how you think on your feet and how you react to stress. There is no way to rehearse these kinds of things without a great deal of difficulty/wasted time. My advice to you would be to pause, think about it for a little while and give a cool, calm, collected response. That's all they're looking for.
 
Once again I'm going to try to get an answer for this question so please do not move it!!! It is a legit Pre-Med question. So if life does exist somewhere else in the universe and you had to pick one thing to send to them to represent the human race what would it be and why would you choose it?? I know they want original answers and I've already thought of all the obvious water, air, and fire but they all seem to common so what do you all think?? Thanks for your time!!!

lol why would you send water, air, or fire? Completely useless and boring...either those things already exist or cannot exist on their planet, both ways make them useless. Imagine if an alien sent you a jar of air lol... uuuhhh thanks alien. Maybe if you knew what resource they valued you could send them some, assuming it was plentiful/accessible on Earth... then you could become a pioneer in space trading OH YEAH

I'd want to convince these aliens that we are intelligent beings... assuming they are also. I read this thing once that recommended sending a picture of a right triangle with its leg/leg/hypotenuse lengths marked with III/IIII/IIIII tally marks, so they'd see we understand math. This is assuming they can see, and see within a certain visible spectrum. Maybe I'd get around that by engraving the picture rather than marking... so they could feel the message if necessary.
 
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OP, I highly doubt you will be asked this question....

but if you are, you shouldn't get the answer from an online forum.


They aren't looking for a grand answer. The fire/water stuff will be fine. Even better, pick something really important to you and send that -- maybe something in your extra curricular (like a football) that you can discuss why it represents the human race and why it is important. Hell, I would be able to argue that sending a dog would be important symbol of the human race.
 
If I were an interviewer and someone said a football I'd be like whaaaaaaaat
 
I'd send a sociology textbook. If they can't translate written forms of communication I'm sure they wouldn't be able to figure out wtf a football is :laugh:
 
I would send the blueprints of an interstellar transportation device encoded in a video recording of Adolf Hitler. In order to decode the message, they would have to display higher mathematical and conceptual understanding.

Either that or a bomb. Better blow those aliens up before they come and lay eggs in our chests.
 
I think football would work -- if you like football. Send a few football tapes and the football. It shows humanity for what it is -- people who think violence is fun to watch. We are a messed up world that shouldn't be visited. Ta da. The alien race stays away.

(I'm not into aliens.)

But honestly, I stress the football because I doubt the answer really matters. So what if your interviewer gives you a "whaaa" reaction... you are most likely to be remembered for the answer.
 
Do we assume it is intelligent life? What if life there has advanced to the point of fungi or something like that?

I think you have to assume that, bc why else would you be sending something representative of the human race
 
I would send them a gold record filled with the songs and sounds and languages of Earth.
 
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Send them an episode of the Jersey Shore.
 
I would send them a gold record filled with the songs and sounds and languages of Earth.

What makes you think they could hear?

Or for the people suggesting electromagnetic messages, what makes you think they could sense that?
 
What makes you think they could hear?

Or for the people suggesting electromagnetic messages, what makes you think they could sense that?
If these are intelligent beings, then perhaps they have devised ways of sensing electromagnetic messages through their own technology. You don't necessarily need to hear music to know it's music; you can also look at patterns in the waveform and spectrogram. That's assuming an anthropocentric view of aliens. Since we're the only space-faring organisms on Earth, who knows what forms aliens might take? Let's stick to building something we're familiar with and hope that extraterrestrial intelligent beings can decipher it.
 
(that was the joke).

haha i was thinking your post sounded too specific

What makes you think they could hear?

Or for the people suggesting electromagnetic messages, what makes you think they could sense that?

apparently, the logic for some scientists goes like this:

-the elements found on earth are present throughout the universe.

-earth's orbit around the sun exists in what is called a "goldilock's region:" perfect distance from the sun - not too far to be too cold to sustain life, and not too close to be too hot to sustain life

-there are over a billion stars with orbiting planets and chances are one of those planets will fall in a similar golidlock region

-with similar elements found throughout the universe, there is a possibility similar intelligent life forms, such as humans, have developed
 
Awesome question! My first thought was a bomb, but im sure that answer wouldnt go over well. Assuming they can see and read, Id send a copy of the book "Alive", to show them the power of the human spirit.
 
Is it completely terrible that my first reaction was to say porn?

No, seriously. It sounds terrible, but assuming this intelligent life could see and hear, it would be an impressive display of human physiology, reproductive methods, vocal capacity, and endurance. Throw in a few other things, sure (classical music? Mathematical and scientific formulas? Hooked on Phonics and a few children's books detailing differences in culture and history?) but as far as something representative of all humans...yeah.

If I'm asked the question, though, I'm totally saying BILL NYE THE SCIENCE GUY VIDEOS. I'll come up with an explanation later.
 
-the elements found on earth are present throughout the universe.

-earth's orbit around the sun exists in what is called a "goldilock's region:" perfect distance from the sun - not too far to be too cold to sustain life, and not too close to be too hot to sustain life

-there are over a billion stars with orbiting planets and chances are one of those planets will fall in a similar golidlock region

-with similar elements found throughout the universe, there is a possibility similar intelligent life forms, such as humans, have developed

They found a Goldilocks planet last month, actually. No word on if there's life there - just that they proved they exist.

Article is here.
 
Is it completely terrible that my first reaction was to say porn?

No, seriously. It sounds terrible, but assuming this intelligent life could see and hear, it would be an impressive display of human physiology, reproductive methods, vocal capacity, and endurance. Throw in a few other things, sure (classical music? Mathematical and scientific formulas? Hooked on Phonics and a few children's books detailing differences in culture and history?) but as far as something representative of all humans...yeah.

If I'm asked the question, though, I'm totally saying BILL NYE THE SCIENCE GUY VIDEOS. I'll come up with an explanation later.

Umm... would you want to watch videos of apes and baboons copulating?
 
Awesome question! My first thought was a bomb, but im sure that answer wouldnt go over well. Assuming they can see and read, Id send a copy of the book "Alive", to show them the power of the human spirit.

uuuuuuuuhhhh lol
 
Umm... would you want to watch videos of apes and baboons copulating?

Anthropology major here, man. I've had to watch that sort of video before. Ever hear of Bonobos? Yeah. Not the most comfortable moment of my life, but very educational regardless.
 
The Bible.

jesus.aliens.gif
 
There is an award winning sci-fi novel called "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell that examines what happens when an expedition from Earth arrives in an inhabited planet elsewhere in the universe. IIRC, the author is an anthropologist by training.
 
There is an award winning sci-fi novel called "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell that examines what happens when an expedition from Earth arrives in an inhabited planet elsewhere in the universe. IIRC, the author is an anthropologist by training.

I might have to read that! My school library doesn't have it, but maybe the city one does. Thanks for the recommendation!
 
Anthropology major here, man. I've had to watch that sort of video before. Ever hear of Bonobos? Yeah. Not the most comfortable moment of my life, but very educational regardless.
Bonobos are awesome. They solve everything through sex.
 
Bonobos are awesome. They solve everything through sex.

Yup. And it's not even limited to heterosexual sex, either. They're the swinging-est swingers and bisexual-est bisexuals of the primate world.

Also: our closest genetic relatives.

.........I can see the resemblance.
 
Yup. And it's not even limited to heterosexual sex, either. They're the swinging-est swingers and bisexual-est bisexuals of the primate world.

Also: our closest genetic relatives.

.........I can see the resemblance.

And don't forget a little incest for good measure!
 
haha, for some reason when i first read the question, i imagined the aliens opening a treasure chest containing this token, complete with sound effects à la Link in the Legend of Zelda.

[YOUTUBE]SvODpHnV9o4[/YOUTUBE]
 
Thanks for all the help guys. I was looking more along the lines of what they wanted or was looking for than a specific item. I think a suitable answer to such an question would be a family photo album because it represents that human behavior and how we, for the most part, enjoy and love our family. It also shows that humans are social creatures and unlike some other species form families and groups that are together, once agin for the most part, for life. If I received a scrapbook or photo album from life on another planet I believe that it would show us a lot about these creatures and what they are truly like in there natural day to day life. When i say a photo album I mean on that has pictures of family vacations and gatherings. I don't know maybe thats to old fashioned or to lame but thats the best I can think of.
 
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