02393cam a22003493u 4500 30683 UtSlPG 20260610133711.0 m cr n 260607r2009||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d UtSlPG en iso639-1 PS Phillips, Rog, 1909-1965 The Unthinking Destroyer Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2009 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Produced from Amazing Stories December 1948. Release date is 2009-12-15 Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net "The Unthinking Destroyer" by Rog Phillips is a philosophical science fiction short story published in the late 1940s. The narrative explores the complexities of intelligence, both human and extraterrestrial, through the dialogues of two characters, Gordon Marlow and Harold Harper, as they contemplate potential life on Mars. The story raises critical questions about how intelligence might manifest in forms that are radically different from human understanding. The plot centers around a dialogue between Gordon, a philosopher, and Harold, an undergraduate student, as they discuss the nature of intelligence and the dangers of assuming that extraterrestrial beings would recognize or manifest intelligence in recognizable forms. They speculate on the possibility of intelligent life on Mars that may think and reason in ways incomprehensible to humans, warning of the risks humanity could pose by unwittingly destroying advanced beings due to their inability to recognize them as intelligent. The story culminates in a poignant reflection on the arrogance of human assumptions when encountering the unknown, ultimately prompting readers to consider the broader implications of intelligence beyond human experience. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Original publication data not identified Science fiction Short stories Terry, W. E., 1921-1992 Produced from Amazing Stories December 1948. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/30683 71529 71529