The Evolution of Outer Space Aliens

[FrostyBoy]

Why do peaceful aliens look like advanced humans and tyrant aliens look like insects in the media? (With the exception of Signs).

If life requires a very narrow passage to succeed on a planet, then shouldn't the path of evolution be somewhat similar to what happened and is happening on Earth?

My argument is that insect-like advanced aliens seems mistaken, something we would look back on and laugh and wonder what people were thinking back then.

I am not implying the impossibility that insects can be advanced, just the probability of it happening via natural selection is so extremely small.

Assuming there are no humans; on Earth:
Can an ant-sized speices be as advanced as we are today?
Can an elephant sized speices be as advanced as we are today?
Can we advance only under water?
What if gravity were 10x stronger, or 10x weaker?
What if humans were able to fly? (with wings)

Would we have advanced?

[Kuciwalker]

Re: The Evolution of Outer Space Aliens

Originally posted by Sn00py
Why do peaceful aliens look like advanced humans and tyrant aliens look like insects in the media? (With the exception of Signs).

Isn't the answer obvious?

[GePap]

Human-looking aliens keeps the special effects and make-up bugets under control.

Non-human looking bad guys make them easier to hate for the audience.

[DRoseDARs]

Humans have an instinctual fear of non-Human looking creatures. SciFi writers merely tap into that base fear. There are always exceptions: Star Trek has done it, Farscape is a great example, Star Wars is crap also allows non-Human looking creatures to be benevolent.

[GePap]

Re: The Evolution of Outer Space Aliens

Originally posted by Sn00py

Assuming there are no humans; on Earth:
Can an ant-sized speices be as advanced as we are today?

As individuals, most likely not, since there is not enough space for the computing power needed. Perhaps the colony of such beings could achieve some levelof sentience (I forget which Sci fi authors have writen about that)

Can an elephant sized speices be as advanced as we are today?

Why couldn't they? They are big enough to be able to have the brains for it. What limit does that size place on them?

Can we advance only under water?

Wha? I don't even know what that question means.

What if gravity were 10x stronger, or 10x weaker?

It would be nice for the biologists to come and discuss whether complex life is possible on an astronomical body that would have a gravitational pull 1/10 that of Earth or 10 times that of Earth.

What if humans were able to fly? (with wings)Would we have advanced?

Why would flight limit the ability to reach sentience? Also, what kind of flight? I have never heard of any animal the size of a human being being able to carry out powered flight. The heaviest flying birds are what? Max 70 pounds?

[FrostyBoy]

Originally posted by GePap
Human-looking aliens keeps the special effects and make-up bugets under control.

Non-human looking bad guys make them easier to hate for the audience.

It's fun answering the easy questions first isn't it?

In actual fact, it was so easy, I wasn't expecting anyone to actualy answer it.

[Geronimo]

Re: Re: The Evolution of Outer Space Aliens

Originally posted by GePap


As individuals, most likely not, since there is not enough space for the computing power needed. Perhaps the colony of such beings could achieve some levelof sentience (I forget which Sci fi authors have writen about that)

That's only true if their brains make as inefficient use of space as our own.

The human brain is several orders of magnitudes below brushing against the Bremermann limit of computational density.

If the aliens were the size of ants with an entirely more compact brain architecture than is observed in animals on earth I don't see why they couldn't be vastly more intelligent than humans.

[MarkG]

Re: Re: The Evolution of Outer Space Aliens

Originally posted by GePap

Can an elephant sized speices be as advanced as we are today?

Why couldn't they? They are big enough to be able to have the brains for it. What limit does that size place on them?

can you imagine an elephant trying to light a fire?

[DRoseDARs]

Their trunks are remarkably prehensile so yes, given appropriately-sized matches or lighters, they could be easily taught to start fires ... though I doubt they'd like it very much once they do. With enough training, perhaps the older method of knocking rocks together over dry leaves and wood could also be taught.

[Dr Strangelove]

Insects "breathe" through tiny pores in their exoskeleton. The largest insect ever was a type of dragonfly that was less than a foot long. The insect repiratory system simply can't deliver enough oxygen to sustain a brain big enough to be intelligent. Likewise I don't think that an ant-sized critter could be inteligent. Their brains wouldn't have enough neurons.

[General Ludd]

Re: The Evolution of Outer Space Aliens

You first have to define "advanced" Worms are able to self-manage their population, hatching only when there is room in the environment for more worms, and shrinking in size in order to adapt to food scarcity or other stress. Humans on the other hand compulsively devour their environment untill all resources are depleted or it is no longer inhabitable Given the worms ability to work in perfect synchronization with the environment they inhabit, I would argue that worms are for more "advanced" than humans, if any life form can be called more advanced than another.

[Berzerker]

If life requires a very narrow passage to succeed on a planet, then shouldn't the path of evolution be somewhat similar to what happened and is happening on Earth?

Yup, I'd venture to say life everywhere will turn out much like what we see here.

Opposable thumbs

It would be interesting to see how relatively small differences in gravity effect life

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
Insects "breathe" through tiny pores in their exoskeleton. The largest insect ever was a type of dragonfly that was less than a foot long. The insect repiratory system simply can't deliver enough oxygen to sustain a brain big enough to be intelligent. Likewise I don't think that an ant-sized critter could be inteligent. Their brains wouldn't have enough neurons.

Ants could form a collective intelligence, but it's response time would be significantly slower than any single intelligence.

[C0ckney]

damn, i thought this might be a discussion of the psy-trance album of the same name.

[Geronimo]

Re: Re: The Evolution of Outer Space Aliens

Originally posted by General Ludd
You first have to define "advanced" Worms are able to self-manage their population, hatching only when there is room in the environment for more worms, and shrinking in size in order to adapt to food scarcity or other stress. Humans on the other hand compulsively devour their environment untill all resources are depleted or it is no longer inhabitable Given the worms ability to work in perfect synchronization with the environment they inhabit, I would argue that worms are for more "advanced" than humans, if any life form can be called more advanced than another.

I believe the use of the term "advanced" as used in this thread automatically pre-supposes acceptance of the classical concept of "progress". You know, the trend where capabilities increase over time through cultural changes. "Advanced" lifeforms will have or have in the past demonstrated such "progress" or clearly demonstrated it's potential.

I don't think "advanced" in this context simply means "good".