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292 Would we be willing to absorb all of forms of alien knowledge, all of their ways of doing things? There might be cultural resistance, particularly outside science and technology. “When scientific revolutions impinge upon metaphysics or social theory,” argued astronomer Richard Berendzen, “they are likely to become unusually polemical and _ possibly unacceptable.” Consider a human case: the impact of the West on other societies. West- ernization, which often has provoked social and political instability, has been deeply resented by non-Western cultures. As Huntington put it, what is universalism to the West is imperialism to the rest. Judging by our own history, religion could provide a rallying point for opposition to alien ideas. The intensified role of non-Western religions is the most powerful manifestation of anti-Westernism in non-Western soci- eties, argued Huntington; it is a declaration of cultural independence. Some analysts see the hostility of Islamic jihadists toward the United States as only the most recent manifestation of a long-running, worldwide reac- tion to the rise of Western modernity.” The radio of the future—the central tree of our consciousness—will . . . unite all mankind. A remote detection might have a temporary unifying effect, suggested a group of scholars, if political leaders capitalized on the new mood and moved toward greater international cooperation, conciliation, and resolu- tion of differences. However, in the absence of an imminent threat or prospect of immediate gain for humanity, there is little reason to expect that any new sense of shared human destiny would last long enough to cause enduring political change.“ Regis, questioning the argument that contact would inspire unity among humans, pointed to an historical parallel. The discovery of the Americas did not have anything like the effect on Europeans that SETI advocates insist that discovery of extraterrestrials will have on us. It did not make differences between Europeans more trivial; it did not serve as an integrat- ing influence among them; it did not make them more tolerant and peace-loving. What if we find no others? Consistently negative results of SETI pro- grams might reinforce a belief that Humankind is unique. Some believe that this will convince humans of the importance of ending conflict among themselves to preserve their species. Assumptions: After Contact We Will Be Willing to Adopt Their Ideas Contact Will Unify Humankind —Russian futurist poet Velimir Khlebnikov, 1921%°