Starfleet Jedi

Remember Contact? The movie, not the book, with Jodie Foster.
One of my faves.

If there was A first question you had to ask to whatever alien you'd meet, holding firm to this question, no matter what you see on the other end, knowing it may be your unique question and unique chance to learn something, before any other stuff you may have never a chance to ask, what would it be?

Think clearfully (unless you're returning from the pub or else).

Good Luck! :)

Does God play dice?

:)

There was an old sci-fi anthology series that had a guy who invented a machine capable of transgalactic videoconferencing. If I remember correctly, when he asked the alien about their views on God and the alien said "what's that?" the guy blew up the machine.

(Now that I've looked that up (an episode of the Outer Limits called "Galaxy Being"), it turns out I misremembered it But then that was like 15 years ago that I saw it.)

That sort of thing would be a nice coup sort of question. "Nope, sorry, no Abrahamic religions here." It'd piss in so many Cheerios.

In the original black and white 1963 episode from "The Galaxy Being" the answer from the alien was "Infinity is God. God, infinity, all the same.". At the end of the episode, when he alien has been transmitted accidentally to Earth and is cornered by a mob intent on killing it, the alien defends itself and then gives the following Dr. Manhattan-esque warning:

"There are powers in the universe beyond anything you know. … There is much you have to learn. … Go to your homes. Go and give thought to the mysteries of the universe. I will leave you now, in peace."

I don't recall if the 1990's version of "The Outer Limits" did a remake of the original "The Galaxy Being", but if they did, I dread to see it, since the new series tended to be heavy on the politically correct side of things.
-Mike

Why should I ask a question, that has no relevance to me and no practical relevance to mankind?

What use has it, if the aliens believe in a god?

I would try to ask a question, that has a practical value.

E.g.:

• What does the Theory of everything say?
  
  How to build an energy generator, that does not need (rare matter as) fuel, is inherently safe and does not pollute the environment (e.g. a remnant matter energy converter)?
  
  How to build an FTL drive?

How is it that we are communicating in the first place, in the same language? Is it a gizmo like Trek's universal translator or organic like the so called translator parasites in Farscape?

After having travelled in a specially built sphere via a series of wormhole conduits. The end of the movie is seen here on YouTube.
-Mike