Thought on Aliens' physical looks

[ambelamba]

One thing that most people ignore is the cultural aspect and influence on physical shapes of extraterrestrials. Sounds weird?

It is often argued that most sentient lifeforms might be of predatory origin and such nature hardly goes away easily. If aliens have sufficient technology they can maintain and change their looks to suit their own cultural norm. And this is why I believe that many aliens, if humanoid, will look nothing like those Greys with large craniums.

The scary possibility is that real aliens, if humanoid, they would look more like Jem'Hadar troopers than that naked old pervert in that Spielberg movie. The point is that advanced aliens with experience with other races simply will not let themselves look weak and scrawny.

Edited September 18, 2013 by ambelamba

[The Id3al Experience]

One thing that most people ignore is the cultural aspect and influence on physical shapes of extraterrestrials. Sounds weird?

It is often argued that most sentient lifeforms might be of predatory origin and such nature hardly goes away easily. If aliens have sufficient technology they can maintain and change their looks to suit their own cultural norm. And this is why I believe that many aliens, if humanoid, will look nothing like those Greys with large craniums.

The scary possibility is that real aliens, if humanoid, they would look more like Jem'Hadar troopers than that naked old pervert in that Spielberg movie. The point is that advanced aliens with experience with other races simply will not let themselves look weak and scrawny.

Looks can be decieving. Possiably they may look like the greys, yet have mind powers because their big head - no matter how scary we look, one though and we blow up - of course this is extreme, but all im saying is that the smallest things isnt nessararly the weakest - our nature on earth shows us that.

Regards,

[psyche101]

Seems legit?

Good looking aliens? Bring em on. Not enough of it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but any beholder that finds beauty in that form needs glasses.

[DecoNoir]

Seems legit?

Good looking aliens? Bring em on. Not enough of it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but any beholder that finds beauty in that form needs glasses.

Or get absorbed by the alien from John Carpenters "The Thing"

God help us if that b****** is actually out there.

[Asadora]

Hmmm.

I would take an educated guess that aliens (in this context) would be humanoid. As Humans, we know that a humanoid figure works really well for us, so perhaps it is a universal norm, maybe?

Why change it if it has already proven to work successfully? (As far as we know and we can only use our own Human-ness to base this on. It's not really much to go on, but given what we do know and what we can only guess as to what is actually out there. I'd say it's a good basis... so far)

If looks can be deceiving, think about comparing a Jem'Hadar and Nibbler from Futurama. Who would be the most dangerous? I say Nibbler would, cause he is so cute,cuddly, little, yet quite intelligent and has a very big mouth that can eat anything. I would say it would be harder to outsmart Nibbler, but easier to outsmart the Jem'Hadar because they don't have that 'surprise' factor? You see a Jem'Hadar coming your way and you are gonna run. You see a Nibbler coming and you're gonna coo and awe.

(I use the word 'you' in a general sense).

Just a thought!

Thanks for the thread, OP!

Edited to add: Oh! Wait, crap. I forgot what I wanted to add. Nevermind.

Edited September 18, 2013 by Asadora

[dr no]

I think it would be highly unlikely any alien race would resemble us.The humanoid shape that works here on earth maybe useless on other worlds.

[Asadora]

I think it would be highly unlikely any alien race would resemble us.The humanoid shape that works here on earth maybe useless on other worlds.

That is something to consider for sure. But until we discover something, all we can base our science on is what is already known or what we can assume or what we can guess at or what we can design, etc,.

Maybe an alien shape would be like the Blobfish

His body type works well for deep sea. Ours wouldn't unless we adapt our bodies with tech. He sure does remind me a lot of Ziggy!

[synchronomy]

I expect many of them will be as good looking as me.

[Gomar]

Isaac Asimov believed that intelligent aliens will look humanoid; like primates with 2 legs and hands, 1 head, no tail.

Why? Because that is the best and most efficient body for intelligence, and no other species as fish, birds, ants, insects, dolphins, penguins, rabbits, wolfs, kangaroos can even start a fire.

However, super-intelligent aliens wont even have a physical body; they'll exist as energy and thought. That is why '2001' works, and E.T. is just a silly comedy.

[psyche101]

Hmmm.

I would take an educated guess that aliens (in this context) would be humanoid. As Humans, we know that a humanoid figure works really well for us, so perhaps it is a universal norm, maybe?

Why change it if it has already proven to work successfully? (As far as we know and we can only use our own Human-ness to base this on. It's not really much to go on, but given what we do know and what we can only guess as to what is actually out there. I'd say it's a good basis... so far)

If looks can be deceiving, think about comparing a Jem'Hadar and Nibbler from Futurama. Who would be the most dangerous? I say Nibbler would, cause he is so cute,cuddly, little, yet quite intelligent and has a very big mouth that can eat anything. I would say it would be harder to outsmart Nibbler, but easier to outsmart the Jem'Hadar because they don't have that 'surprise' factor? You see a Jem'Hadar coming your way and you are gonna run. You see a Nibbler coming and you're gonna coo and awe.

(I use the word 'you' in a general sense).

Just a thought!

Thanks for the thread, OP!

Edited to add: Oh! Wait, crap. I forgot what I wanted to add. Nevermind.

I would say intelligent life is very likely to be quite familiar. We do have a pool of one, and out of 50 billion species that have existed, and some now gone, only one shape resulted in intelligence. As you say, a common model is also prevalent in our pool of one, many examples exist, I find the most striking to be the canine - Tasmanian Tiger resemblance. Convergent evolution is rife amongst earth's species. Then you consider how flexible carbon is with 4 valence electrons, and how it will combine with most elements, and it seems unlikely that anything else is going to be more likely (Like silicone based life) and then we have the other important advantages such as opposable thumbs and a bipedal gait.

I would be surprised to find intelligent life to look drastically different.

[Star Man]

That is something to consider for sure. But until we discover something, all we can base our science on is what is already known or what we can assume or what we can guess at or what we can design, etc,.

Maybe an alien shape would be like the Blobfish

His body type works well for deep sea. Ours wouldn't unless we adapt our bodies with tech. He sure does remind me a lot of Ziggy!

indeed, many our "neighbors" alien in the sky just look similar to this. you are qualify for aerobiology study. no joking.

Edited September 19, 2013 by Star Man

[psyche101]

indeed, many our "neighbors" alien in the sky just look similar to this. you are qualify for aerobiology study. no joking.

Are you suggesting an intelligent species might turn out looking like this?

Or get absorbed by the alien from John Carpenters "The Thing"

God help us if that b****** is actually out there.

Hrmzzz...... not to scare you, but microbes might be just as nasty.......

[DecoNoir]

Are you suggesting an intelligent species might turn out looking like this?

Hrmzzz...... not to scare you, but microbes might be just as nasty.......

So yeah, pretty much the Thing.

[Star Man]

Are you suggesting an intelligent species might turn out looking like this?

I do not know are they the"intelligent species" or not? but they came often than another.........

http://ufo-spacelife.blogspot.com/2010/05/178-gas-giant-life-2.

........7 different types. Some are primitive and some are a bit advanced than others.[

The primitives look just like a piece meat with flesh or beige color. they do not even have eyes or anything else. The ordinary type: one have two large eyes on each side of the face( or body) with no hand leg or wing, but some of their eyes are protruding liked the gold fish; And another ordinary type may just have one eye on the centre of the head or body ( I cannot identify if this is an eye or mouth)........

Edited September 19, 2013 by Star Man

[DecoNoir]

^^^ Someone is sure desperate for blog views.

[The Id3al Experience]

I live in NZ - Can I come see your dots in the sky?

[Star Man]

I live in NZ - Can I come see your dots in the sky?

Hi, what dots are you talk about, I only see them 10 times. I was invite many ufologists & scientists come for photo taking.

now I think if they really come, the ufo may not pass my place. ufo know every thing from 3 miles away.

aien photos? you have to pay for it.

send me an email privately. I got the adress in my blog.