If there are aliens, what will they look like?

[tradosaurus]

They'd die of smallpox.

I remember seeing the movie "War of the Worlds" where the Aliens finally died of bacterial infection so I would believe you.

 

[stuckmotor]

Hey, at least I didn't say Clorox!!!

A little bit of Clorox should lighten things up.

 

[rademamj1]

Considering the evolutionary requirements for development of an intelligent species, I think species longevity is important to brain development, and would possibly find intelligent aliens as similar to:

1. small bipedal dinosaurs
2. The Octopus
3. Some form of large insect.

Which of the above uses tools the best, is the best candidate.

 

[RoyJackson]

I remember seeing the movie "War of the Worlds" where the Aliens finally died of bacterial infection so I would believe you.

The 1953 version, or the newer Tom Cruise version, both of which are pretty good

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Maybe like this guy...

View attachment 735562

Here he is later in life, after his reformation:

 

[MossRoad]

Since the UFO thread got closed, I'm interested in what others think intelligent aliens might look like.

...

How intelligent are we looking for?

Similar to today's humans?
Similar to dolphins and chimps? Octopus? Some birds? A good border collie?

I am convinced that there's other life on other planets/moons in our galaxy. There's estimated to be 100 billion+ stars out there just in our galaxy. And then there's estimated to be trillions of galaxies.

So I'm good with the thought that there's probably life, and even intelligent life out there somewhere.

Not on topic of the original question; is any of it capable of interstellar travel?
I'd guess they'd have to have thumbs, or similar appendages capable of fine manipulation of small objects. You have to be dexterous in order to build contraptions. So that would affect how they look.

I still can't get past the requirements to travel great distances and stay alive. Cellular based organisms, here at least, and that's the only example we have, have limited lifespans. They can only reproduce/repair so many cells in their lifetime before they wear out.

As someone else mentioned, I'd agree that first contact would probably be with machinery, not living organisms. The distances are just too great for my little brain to comprehend.

 

[MossRoad]

The 1953 version, or the newer Tom Cruise version, both of which are pretty good

OK, that brings up a vivid childhood memory.

We were watching the 1953 version of War of the Worlds in my aunt and uncle's walkout basement in Silver Spring, MA. This was in the late 60s, and I was probably 8 years old. My cousin and older siblings and I were all sitting on the couches in the dark room intensely watching a scene where one of those 'eyes' is roaming around. We're all on edge and

WOOF!

We all jumped up and screamed and started running around the room and hugging each other in terror!

The neighbor's basset hound named Happy had nosed his way into the room through the basement door, walked up behind us and barked!

Scared the poop out of us!

 

[scaredychicken]

this is what they look like ... verified back when i was a kid

 

[tradosaurus]

How intelligent are we looking for?

Similar to today's humans?
Similar to dolphins and chimps? Octopus? Some birds? A good border collie?

I am convinced that there's other life on other planets/moons in our galaxy. There's estimated to be 100 billion+ stars out there just in our galaxy. And then there's estimated to be trillions of galaxies.

So I'm good with the thought that there's probably life, and even intelligent life out there somewhere.

Not on topic of the original question; is any of it capable of interstellar travel?
I'd guess they'd have to have thumbs, or similar appendages capable of fine manipulation of small objects. You have to be dexterous in order to build contraptions. So that would affect how they look.

I still can't get past the requirements to travel great distances and stay alive. Cellular based organisms, here at least, and that's the only example we have, have limited lifespans. They can only reproduce/repair so many cells in their lifetime before they wear out.

As someone else mentioned, I'd agree that first contact would probably be with machinery, not living organisms. The distances are just too great for my little brain to comprehend.

I'm genuinely curious what evidence has convinced you of that statement?

 

[RoyJackson]

How intelligent are we looking for?

Similar to today's humans?
Similar to dolphins and chimps? Octopus? Some birds? A good border collie?

I am convinced that there's other life on other planets/moons in our galaxy. There's estimated to be 100 billion+ stars out there just in our galaxy. And then there's estimated to be trillions of galaxies.

So I'm good with the thought that there's probably life, and even intelligent life out there somewhere.

Not on topic of the original question; is any of it capable of interstellar travel?
I'd guess they'd have to have thumbs, or similar appendages capable of fine manipulation of small objects. You have to be dexterous in order to build contraptions. So that would affect how they look.

I still can't get past the requirements to travel great distances and stay alive. Cellular based organisms, here at least, and that's the only example we have, have limited lifespans. They can only reproduce/repair so many cells in their lifetime before they wear out.

As someone else mentioned, I'd agree that first contact would probably be with machinery, not living organisms. The distances are just too great for my little brain to comprehend.

I'm also convinced there is intelligent life....maybe a lot and we may not recognize it.
As far as interstellar travel...well, if intelligent life is will to put the time and resources into it, yes...Heck, our little Voyager spacecraft is now on an interstellar mission...it'll take tens of thousands of years, but it is interstellar travel
And, remember, 70 years ago speed faster then sound was impossible...look at it today...

 

[MossRoad]

I'm also convinced there is intelligent life....maybe a lot and we may not recognize it.
As far as interstellar travel...well, if intelligent life is will to put the time and resources into it, yes...Heck, our little Voyager spacecraft is now on an interstellar mission...it'll take tens of thousands of years, but it is interstellar travel
And, remember, 70 years ago speed faster then sound was impossible...look at it today...

Yeah, I know. My grandma saw the rise of indoor plumbing, interior lighting, telephones, automobiles and air travel in her short 98 year life. All amazing advances. However, I gotta wonder if anything, anywhere, will ever see that Voyager. The distances are mind boggling. And, again, that's a machine. Who knows. Maybe in a few hundred years someone/thing will return it with a nasty note to keep our junk off their lawn.

 

[Cougsfan]

How intelligent are we looking for?

Similar to today's humans?
Similar to dolphins and chimps? Octopus? Some birds? A good border collie?

I am convinced that there's other life on other planets/moons in our galaxy.

I'm genuinely curious what evidence has convinced you of that statement?

Even if there isn't definite proof of something, when the odds of that 'something' are overwhelming, most people would believe it rather than deny it. In this case when there are trillions upon trillions of stars, planets and the like, and life started on this little remote spot out of nothingness for reasons we can't pinpoint, it seems far fetched and self promoting to believe that the some form of life couldn't happen elsewhere, even in our own little galaxy which has somewhat more than a mere 100 billion stars. Just remember that "convinced" is usually a statement of opinion rather than an of absolute truth.

Moss Road brings up another good point. We judge "intelligence" as compared to our own point of view. Many animals have intelligences that we don't fully recognize, appreciate, or understand. Aliens might judge us to be intellectually lacking, while we judge them to be rather dim witted too, when neither is truly the case. We would likely have a failure to communicate.

 

[MossRoad]

...We would likely have a failure to communicate.

 

[MossRoad]

 

[MossRoad]

 

[MossRoad]

 

[MossRoad]

Last one for now...

 

[JasperFrank]

I know what I WANT them to look like.

 

[ruffdog]

I've got to see the movie "Arrival" again. It shows the difficulties with communicating with aliens.

 

[tradosaurus]

Even if there isn't definite proof of something, when the odds of that 'something' are overwhelming, most people would believe it rather than deny it. In this case when there are trillions upon trillions of stars, planets and the like, and life started on this little remote spot out of nothingness for reasons we can't pinpoint, it seems far fetched and self promoting to believe that the some form of life couldn't happen elsewhere, even in our own little galaxy which has somewhat more than a mere 100 billion stars. Just remember that "convinced" is usually a statement of opinion rather than an of absolute truth.

Moss Road brings up another good point. We judge "intelligence" as compared to our own point of view. Many animals have intelligences that we don't fully recognize, appreciate, or understand. Aliens might judge us to be intellectually lacking, while we judge them to be rather dim witted too, when neither is truly the case. We would likely have a failure to communicate.

I understand your beliefs but what actual proof convinced you of "trillions of stars, planet" and "life started on this little remote spot out of nothingness"?