Current Events > do you think most sapient aliens would look humanoid?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I dunno, most fiction just mostly portrays them as "humans but. . ."

I think they would lool actually aliens with recognizable human features. Most common thing is proabably limbs with opposable thumb that allows fine motorics skill.

They probably have to be a land dweller, because electricity dont do well in water and it is probably impossible to have a civilization beyond the early infustrial era without electricity.
---

Most of them are probably sentient blobs of goo that communicate through telekinesis.
---

Most of them look like Mayor McCheese
---

Most of them are real life lesbian anime girls, the leaders or said race transcensing dimensions and being legitimate 2d life forms
---

realistically no they wouldn't be. I think you just find that "human but not" trope is just mostly for the reader/viewers own comfort, and for simplicity.
---

Have you thought about the formula people use when describing life, "as we know it"? It means life could take lots of forms we cannot even fathom.

Just because earth had conditions where intelligent life needed opposable thumbs to thrive, doesn't mean it'll be nearly the same in other places.

Intelligent life could take shapes we can't even imagine right now.
---

YoungMutual posted...

Have you thought about the formula people use when describing life, "as we know it"? It means life could take lots of forms we cannot even fathom.

Just because earth had conditions where intelligent life needed opposable thumbs to thrive, doesn't mean it'll be nearly the same in other places.

Intelligent life could take shapes we can't even imagine right now.

I don't think so. There's not a whole lot of difference to be had. A wheel on Earth works just as fine as a wheel on Mars.
---

Almost certainly not. There would have to be a planet with pretty much the same conditions as ours and a similar evolutionary history that favored humanoid traits in that environment.

weapon_d00d816 posted...

YoungMutual posted...

Have you thought about the formula people use when describing life, "as we know it"? It means life could take lots of forms we cannot even fathom.

Just because earth had conditions where intelligent life needed opposable thumbs to thrive, doesn't mean it'll be nearly the same in other places.

Intelligent life could take shapes we can't even imagine right now.

I don't think so. There's not a whole lot of difference to be had. A wheel on Earth works just as fine as a wheel on Mars.

What about a low gravity environment where you dont really need limbs to float from place to place? Or high gravity where limbs would be unsuitable or the creature would be absolutely ripped. Stop thinking of literal exact earth copies
---

I'd bet that most would be bipedal reptilians but it's tough to say.

There are probably things, "necessary" prerequisites to intelligent life and probably deal breakers. Coldblooded or slow metabolisms aren't going to be great for brain power.

Things like hands or other body parts that can manipulate objects are probably a necessary first step. I doubt ocean planets would produce technologically capable life, certain chemistry and technologies just aren't going to work or develop on that type of planet. Of course, we've seen certain octopi use tools so who knows what the limit would be.
---

YoungMutual posted...

Have you thought about the formula people use when describing life, "as we know it"? It means life could take lots of forms we cannot even fathom.

Just because earth had conditions where intelligent life needed opposable thumbs to thrive, doesn't mean it'll be nearly the same in other places.

Intelligent life could take shapes we can't even imagine right now.

Yeah it could. We keep finding life in places we do not expect on earth. Intelligent life that has civilization however is more predictable i think. They need to communicate, build and transfer knowledge in a permanent way.

You need fine motorics skill to build, a limb that can grab and move freely is a must. It doesnt have to be a hand might be a tentacle with ultra accurate suction and such, or maybe a factory robot like limb, etc. But the ability to build is a must.

What i find interesting is method of communication. It can evolve in such different way and wouldnt affect anything. An intelligent creature can communicate with sound like human do, chemicals and smell, electricity even. That will vary.

Thy have to be a social creature. Humans, ants, bees, all the planet's great builder live in groups of individual with a caste of some sort. I dont think solitary creatures could build as much as we can.

That is what i think at least. The universe is vast and the question might have an impossible answer.
---