I think you're wise to want people to hear about the good. First impressions are important, aren't they? And for something this massive, even more so! I'm not from another planet, but if I had to introduce myself to humans or humanity at large, I'd hope I could control the circumstances of that introduction. I've had some practice, having talked to quite a few people from worlds other than the one I came from. I can't say it gets easier to explain certain things, no matter how many times I've done it.
Re-purposing something that's no longer being used doesn't sound like a terribly dangerous idea. You make a good point about the perils of a close relationship between science and government. I'm not totally unfamiliar with the general idea.
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I think you're wise to want people to hear about the good. First impressions are important, aren't they? And for something this massive, even more so! I'm not from another planet, but if I had to introduce myself to humans or humanity at large, I'd hope I could control the circumstances of that introduction. I've had some practice, having talked to quite a few people from worlds other than the one I came from. I can't say it gets easier to explain certain things, no matter how many times I've done it.
Re-purposing something that's no longer being used doesn't sound like a terribly dangerous idea. You make a good point about the perils of a close relationship between science and government. I'm not totally unfamiliar with the general idea.