How do we recognize an alien intelligence ?

[UM-Bot]

A new project is aiming to have us reassess exactly what an intelligent alien life form might be like.

Most people think of an intelligent extraterrestrial as primarily human-like, a bipedal entity with two arms, two legs and a face not dissimilar to our own. The reality however is that our limited knowledge of how life can develop elsewhere in the universe may be blinding us to possible forms of intelligent life that are completely unlike anything we've ever seen before.

Read More: http://www.unexplain...en-intelligence

[krypter3]

Well that's a given isn't it? Then again, we can be a presumptuous when it comes the Universe, and what's out there.

Edited January 31, 2014 by krypter3

[lost_shaman]

Seriously? There are lots of intelegent animals. It is the bi-pedal Hominid body type that allows us to do what we do.

[keithisco]

If an extraterrestrial intelligence is so divergent from us in Form, Function, and thinking then I suspect that no interraction with it would be possible. Come to that how would you be able to recognise intelligence in this context?

[ChrLzs]

Depends on how cute they are - we interact pretty well with dolphins and we have not a lot in common. But if they look like slugs...

[Frank Merton]

How do we recognize an alien intelligence? More than likely we trip over it and it tells us to watch where we are going.

[toast]

Looking at the approx 1,5M species on earth and at the percentage how many of them look extremly odd´n ugly it cannot be excluded that an alien life-form is some kind of hyper-agressive, hyper-intelligent,hyper-ugly, monocrystalline-armored, four-footed, fireproof, low-temperature resistant, plasma-farting omnivore with reflexes 473 times faster than human ones, able to hunt in groups and with the size of an elefant.

[Whisperer]

How does he know Chimps cant understand Quantum Mechanics, isn't that one of the alien intelligence he's alluding to?

[Mr Supertypo]

try to communicate with a jellyfish...good luck

[spacecowboy342]

How does he know Chimps cant understand Quantum Mechanics, isn't that one of the alien intelligence he's alluding to?

Humans don't even understand quantum mechanics

[Rolci]

If you consider the MILLIONS of species on this planet and the observe their astonishing diversity, and consider that this is just one planet, you will realize that an alien life-form could be like ANYTHING. If you propose that an alien life-form on a nearby exo-planet HAS TO be vastly different from ANY life on Earth, how different would you say a life-form on the other side of the galaxy would have to be? The neighbouring galaxy? A galaxy in another local group? Another supergroup? And suppose there are billions, or only "just" millions, or say just thousands of planets in the entire Universe? Just how diverse do you expect life can be? And if you find something exotic beyond your wildest imagination, you have to consider: How would you define "life" in a UNIVERSAL sense. Not life on Earth.

And as for how you would recognize an alien life-form TO Earth, I think what you're looking for is something unique. Knowing how evolution works, if an evolutionary line is not viable, a mutation being a disadvantage rather than an advantage, the longer it's around the more probable it'll be pushed off the scene by more successful, more adaptive species. If a trait is an advantage it'll be the basis for all future branches of further development from the species. So what you want is a trait that is unique to ONE species. Something like psilocybin. As ethnobotanist Terence McKenna explains:

"Psilocybin is O-phosphoryl-4-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine. What this means is that there is a phosphorous group substituted at the 4 position (you know, where the carbon should be) of the molecule. Now here’s the headline folks: This is the ONLY 4-phosphorylated indole on this planet. On this planet! This is not how nature works folks!"

So he proposes, rightly in my opinion, that psilocybin is a good candidate, although he goes on to theorize as to its origin and purpose, which is roughly outlined here:

http://karmajello.com/mind-spirit/psychedelics/terence-mckenna-shrooms-space-probes-aliens.html

There is a logic to it I must admit, I mean you can't expect one species to monitor the entire universe.

[Calibeliever]

Depends on how cute they are - we interact pretty well with dolphins and we have not a lot in common. But if they look like slugs...

[Ashyne]

That mysterious rock on Mars is actually an intelligent life form which camouflages itself as the terrain, but the NASA scientists are too dumb to recognize it.

[Sweetpumper]

That mysterious rock on Mars is actually an intelligent life form which camouflages itself as the terrain, but the NASA scientists are too dumb to recognize it.

Amen!

[Frank Merton]

That mysterious rock on Mars is actually an intelligent life form which camouflages itself as the terrain, but the NASA scientists are too dumb to recognize it.

What is it hiding from?

[Dark_Grey]

I love redundant headlines like this lol

[scowl]

Sounds like some science fiction authors are looking for new ideas.

[Mac E]

What is it hiding from?

Probably hiding from the detection of a destructive species.

[MJNYC]

Mac E, I totally agree. What alien life form would want to know us? We like to argue and war. They are smart to stay away.

[Ashyne]

Mac E, I totally agree. What alien life form would want to know us? We like to argue and war. They are smart to stay away.

That is if they even know we exist. Click on the below image to see the full scale and comprehend how tiny our existence is. That blue dot is the furthest any human influence has reached in our galaxy.

Edited January 31, 2014 by Ashyne

[toast]

That is if they even know we exist. Click on the below image to see the full scale and comprehend how tiny our existence is. That blue dot is the furthest any human influence has reached in our galaxy.

That´s an excellent example!

I had M31 as screensaver and asked a workmate how he whould think large that object is in diameter. He

looked at it, scratched his chin : "Uhh, I think it´s large isn`t ? Mhhmm, I think, no wait. Mhhmm, I would say

it`s at least 100km in diameter".

Edited January 31, 2014 by toast

[dazdillinjah]

Its gonna be pretty difficult - When we (Humans) cant communicate with Dolphins

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

Its gonna be pretty difficult - When we (Humans) cant communicate with Dolphins

Actually, it's the dolphins who are too intelligent to communicate with us.

They know that if they wave their flippers they get fed, humans are to dolphins like McDonalds is to us, fast food.

[spud the mackem]

I don't think that I would like to be an Alien coming here, too much war, and if humans can't agree with each other how would they agree ,or be friendly with an E.T.

Or maybe they have been and gone , around 2000 yrs ago.

[Rlyeh]

That mysterious rock on Mars is actually an intelligent life form which camouflages itself as the terrain, but the NASA scientists are too dumb to recognize it.

It's a hyrax