why no space colony - Did we go to the Moon for the wrong reasons??

[Romo Lampkin]

We have animals on our own planet that look nothing like us. Why would you think an alien coming from an unknown biosphere with an unknown evolutionary path would look anything like us???

I guess most biospheres are going to be relatively similar to our own, without earth like environmental conditions you don't get life, or at least not advanced life. And human level intelligence (such as it is) would require a bipedal design, smaller teeth, etc for larger cranial capacity. Not to mention a technological species would need similar limbs/hands etc.

 

[sojourner]

I guess most biospheres are going to be relatively similar to our own, without earth like environmental conditions you don't get life, or at least not advanced life. And human level intelligence (such as it is) would require a bipedal design, smaller teeth, etc for larger cranial capacity. Not to mention a technological species would need similar limbs/hands etc.

Your extrapolating from a sample set of one. Never a good thing.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I'll lay good odds that if life does exist it's got a humanoid shape to it. It would seem the most practical shape and form.

 

[sojourner]

I'll lay good odds that if life does exist it's got a humanoid shape to it. It would seem the most practical shape and form.

It's not even the most practical shape and form on this planet, so, no.

 

[2takesfrakes]

If there's another planet dominated by DNA based life-forms, it's extremely likely we're going to see familiar body plans. A bipedal stance for predatory dinosaurs was highly advantageous and they ruled the Earth for over 200 million years, along with their 4 legged prey. Then we come along, of course and it does seem like being bipedal is extremely advantageous. I would not be surprised to see aliens in a similar, upright stance. At the same time, even if they started out that way, they might not be shy about genetic engineering themselves and their offspring.

Certain species probably have so much variety that it's not at all obvious they're 1 in the same. People talk about how there's just 1 example of life on Earth to go by, but the various possibilities are very few, of other natural substances Life could evolve from. Silicone life is possible, but the conditions are very specific for that to arise and take hold, somewhere, for example. Cellular life and DNA are very stable. But I would doubt that a primate body plan is universal, or even common.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

If there's another planet dominated by DNA based life-forms, it's extremely likely we're going to see familiar body plans. A bipedal stance for predatory dinosaurs was highly advantageous and they ruled the Earth for over 200 million years, along with their 4 legged prey. Then we come along, of course and it does seem like being bipedal is extremely advantageous. I would not be surprised to see aliens in a similar, upright stance. At the same time, even if they started out that way, they might not be shy about genetic engineering themselves and their offspring.

Certain species probably have so much variety that it's not at all obvious they're 1 in the same. People talk about how there's just 1 example of life on Earth to go by, but the various possibilities are very few, of other natural substances Life could evolve from. Silicone life is possible, but the conditions are very specific for that to arise and take hold, somewhere, for example. Cellular life and DNA are very stable. But I would doubt that a primate body plan is universal, or even common.

Silicon based life is possible, but what forms would it take?

Do we have any kind of actual examples of any kind?

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Silicon based life is possible, but what forms would it take?

Do we have any kind of actual examples of any kind?

Did you ever see the movie Short Circuit?

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Did you ever see the movie Short Circuit?

Yeah but that isn't silicon based life but robotic life.

Isn't a silicon based life form where most of its body is based on silicon compounds? If that's possible then again what form might it take?

Shouldn't this discussion of life forms be another thread? It's fascinating and needs more discussion but not here.

 

[{ Emilia }]

Isn't a silicon based life form where most of its body is based on silicon compounds? If that's possible then again what form might it take?

How could we possibly know?

 

[2takesfrakes]

http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/S/siliconlife.html

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

How could we possibly know?

We could speculate. I haven't the foggiest idea about the scientific merrits of such a life form or the practicality of it, but I have imagination.

 

[JoeZhang]

I'll lay good odds that if life does exist it's got a humanoid shape to it. It would seem the most practical shape and form.

To be humanoid similar to us you need the same gravity conditions - there was a great BBC documentary a few years ago (sadly not available online) that modeled the impact even a minor shift in gravity would have on evolution.

Moreover in terms of evolution 'practical' doesn't make much sense outside of environmental context.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

To be humanoid similar to us you need the same gravity conditions - there was a great BBC documentary a few years ago (sadly not available online) that modeled the impact even a minor shift in gravity would have on evolution.

Moreover in terms of evolution 'practical' doesn't make much sense outside of environmental context.

That is true..

I think I know the documentary you speak of. Was it the one that they also talked about the shift in the Sphenoid bone and how as we evolved it pushed further back so we have an upright facing head and face? I remember that being discussed in a documentary and how if we kept evolving under different conditions it would have pushed our faces further upwards.