If there are aliens, what will they look like?

[bcp]

Are we on a disc or a rectangle? Maps suggest the latter.

Now you're scaring me. I always thought that I was safe, the sun and stars are obviously rotating around me so I must be in the center with the edge equidistance from me. Yet what if I think I'm headed toward a corner, whereas my destination is actually toward a side? That obviously is much closer and I may accidently step off the edge of the earth into-
whatever is after the point of know return.

Isaiah 11:12 - The Root of Jesse

He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will collect the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

biblehub.com

Bruce

 

[MossRoad]

 

[tradosaurus]

Isaiah 11:12 - The Root of Jesse

He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will collect the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

biblehub.com

Bruce

4 Corners on a round flat disc?

 

[MossRoad]

It's a steering wheel!

 

[tradosaurus]

It's a steering wheel!

View attachment 738494

 

[CalG]

snip

btw, if the center of the Earth isn't underground where on the flat surface is the geographic center? Are we on a disc or a rectangle? Maps suggest the latter.

Now you are projecting ;-)

 

[Reddogs]

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

Personally, I'm inclined to to think that if they evolved on a planet similar to Earth, they would look somewhat like us, bi-laterally symmetrical, Heads with two eyes for binocular vision, one or more limbs with hands and fingers to be able to manipulate objects, and two or maybe four legs. While there may be intelligent races that have evolved in seas on other planets that look like fish, whales or big jellyfish, they aren't going to be able to develop or build interplanetary space ships or propulsion systems.
Evolution on this planet over a few hundred millions years has seemed to have settled on this body format for a great number of species, so it must have inherent advantages for survival.
While there are species like whales, Orcas and Dolphins that may be intelligent and live in social groups, their bodies have not allowed them to develop any technology that they can manipulate. Other species like ants live in large social groups and can cooperate to use objects and materials as tools and raw materials, but aren't individually intelligent.

What are your thoughts on this?
And PLEASE, keep your religious views on this subject out of the conversation.

Ford Edsel....

 

[Bill Guenthner]

To create a technological society capable of space travel, a species needs certain baseline attributes. Bipedal, freeing at least two arms with hands with opposable thumbs and fine motor skills for manipulating objects and tools. Stereoscopic vision so two eyes. Language is a must and can't impede vision or dexterity, so probably a spoken language. Fire is an absolute precursor to metallurgy so lives in an oxygen and carbon rich environment on a rocky planet and probably breathes oxygen. Bottom line if we meet them they will be a lot like us. More like us than a dolphin or an elephant is.

 

[bcp]

Bipedal? No, Hands or similar-yes. Two "hands" and two or more feet.

Same with eyes. Not two, but at least two.

Couple of examples from SF:



Bruce

 

[Cougsfan]

To create a technological society capable of space travel, a species needs certain baseline attributes. Bipedal, freeing at least two arms with hands with opposable thumbs and fine motor skills for manipulating objects and tools. Stereoscopic vision so two eyes. Language is a must and can't impede vision or dexterity, so probably a spoken language. Fire is an absolute precursor to metallurgy so lives in an oxygen and carbon rich environment on a rocky planet and probably breathes oxygen. Bottom line if we meet them they will be a lot like us. More like us than a dolphin or an elephant is.

That seems a bit over-limiting. You seem to be saying that if it doesn't parallel mankind's development, they wouldn't have a chance of doing the things that we can imagine. That may be true, but I would also propose that there are probably ways of getting things done that we are incapable of even imagining.