Subject: Hive aliens

If you consider a civilization built on a hive organizational structure, it
would contain many advantages and survival traits that human society just
doesnt have.
     A hive is extremely organized. Though human civilization is 
       organized to an extent in local areas, we lack the global organization
       that would allow us to coordinate the worlds resources, and lower the
       the chance of self destruction. Aspects of our civilization such as
       crime, poverty, and war (just to name a few ugly ones) would be non-
       existent in a hive.
     Whether technology would increase at a greater or lesser rate then
       humans have shown is up to debate. In a hive, every being has its
       place, therefore a certain amount of the hives energy would be
       allocated toward technological growth. Scientific advancement
       (generally linked to technology) would be determined at a priority
       level in the hive. This could be a high priority or low one depending
       on the hives current status.   ie. At war with another hive, food,
        etc....  Human civilization has free enterprise in operation in a
       good percentage of the world which is an excellent catalyst for 
       technological advancement (Ive got a color TV! Ha! Ha!). 
       
       A functional society is something that man has had to work for
       for thousands of years, while it would come instinctively for a hive
       race, leaving its energies to other activities, including space travel.
       
       An intellingent hive race could conceivable develop at a much faster
       rate then one composed of social groups. If ever a dominant hive
       emerged on a planet with no competition, then it could conceivably
       reach a high level of technology in a relative short period of time
       (Assuming around human intelligence.) If you consider how much of the
       worlds resources have gone towards war, this becomes clear. You could
       say that many technologies have been created as a result of war, but
       it still pales in comparrison to the amount of technology that could
       have been developed without having to worry about becoming extinct.
       (Vast amount of the planets resources used in other areas)

       A hive however has a very few number of thinking individuals.
       The workers of the hive may be just as intelligent (if not more)
       as a human, but if their eneriges are being used for hive activities
       that are determined by another intelligence, then the worker is nothing
       more than an extension of the 'boss'. Similar to computers here. Sure
       they can do alot of things that humans cant, but without the human,
       they can do nothing.  So if the primary intelligence of the hive stops
       growing, so does the hive. 

       This is just a few possible features that could be possessed by an
       intelligent hive race. The hive race would possess many valuble 
       survival traits instinctivley that humans have to work at.

       But in the long run, would a hive society be better off than a
       civilization that had free thinking individuals? Certainly in the
       short term it would. But a free thinking society would almost certainly
       advance faster in the long run because of the shear number of minds
       that contribute to society,  compared to the relatively small number
       that contribute in a hive.  What the hive gives up in free thinking,
       it gains in organization.  What humans give up in organization, they
       gain in free thinking individuals.
   
       Once a civilization has conquered its organizational challenges, it
       is free to pursue other goals. The Hive gets a head start here. But 
       when the free thinking individuals finally get together (It hasnt
       happened on Earth yet) the power of billions of minds at work would
       really start to take off.

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