Posted on 01/25/2010 8:12:17 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Professor Simon Conway Morris at Cambridge University will tell a conference on alien life that extraterrestrials will most likely have evolved just like "earthlings" and so resemble us to a degree with heads, limbs and bodies.
Unfortunately they will have also evolved our foibles and faults which could make them dangerous if they ever did visit us on Earth.
The evolutionary paleobiologist's beliefs mean that science fiction films such as Star Wars and Star Trek could be more accurate than they ever imagined in depicting alien life.
Prof Conway Morris believes that extraterrestrial life is most likely to occur on a planet similar to our own, with organisms made from the same biochemicals. The process of evolution will even shape alien life in a similar way, he added.
“It is difficult to imagine evolution in alien planets operating in any manner other than Darwinian," he said.
"In the end the number of options is remarkably restrictive. I don't think an alien will be a blob. If aliens are out there they should have evolved just like us. They should have eyes and be walking on two legs.
"In short if there is any life out there then it is likely to be very similar to us."
Extra-terrestrials might not only resemble us but have our foibles, such as greed, violence and a tendency to exploit others' resources, claims Professor Conway Morris.
They could come in peace but also be searching for somewhere to live, and to help themselves to water, minerals and fuel he is due to tell a conference at the Royal Society, in London.
However he also thinks that because much of the Universe is older than us they would have evolved further down the line and we should have heard from them by now.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
ping
In other news.... authorities at Cambridge University still have no leads on the theft of high grade hydroponic wacky weed being cultivated at the Nature Sciences Center.
Where are the birthers on this? Could Obama be an alien and that’s why there is no birth certificate? /s
More here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8478033.stm
Astronomers hopeful of detecting extra-terrestrial life
By Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent, BBC News
The chance of discovering life on other worlds is greater than ever, according to Britain’s leading astronomer.
Lord Rees, the president of the Royal Society and Astronomer Royal, said such a discovery would be a moment which would change humanity.
It would change our view of ourselves and our place in the cosmos, he said.
His comments come as scientists gather in London for an international conference to discuss the prospect of discovering extra-terrestrial life.
Scientists have been scanning the skies for radio broadcasts from intelligent life for 50 years, and so far they have only heard static.
But the chances of discovering life now were better than ever, Lord Rees said.
CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR MORE
Think James Carvile.
MORE HERE FROM THE NEW SCIENTIST:
TITLE : The face of first contact: What aliens look like
What nonsense. Even the very vast majority of life that we know exists on earth doesn't have eyes or walk on two legs.
Close minded fools.
Even our aliens from foreign lands don’t look like us
and they sure don’t act like us.
Maybe they’re more evolved? Nah.
Can you imagine the reaction of these “scientists” if theologians or historians were to flip out in unsubstantiated imagination like this? This is really nothing but Darwinism, with all its concoctions like “convergent evolution,” projected into space. They call it “science-in-waiting.”
Uh, right.
They all have two arms, two legs, a head with two eyes(sensitive to the wavelengths between infrared and ultraviolet)...and they breath oxygen, metabolize glycogen, and communicate with sound.
Got it.
And this is the only possible configuration because darwin says. Makes perfect sense.
NOT!
IDIOTS!
We’re more likely to find the Horta than a Klingon.
Exactly. What about a planet that doesn’t have land?
Bar scene from Star Wars? This crowd has more in common with the second string from the Upper Class Twit of the Year competition.
I keep hoping for a planet of 90% hot looking females that wish to import some men to procreate. I also hope that they are looking for mature middle 50’s aged men for that endeavor. Ya, I don’t hope for much...hope and change....
You know, I do believe you're right. This DOES look a bit more like them and the way they run Congress....
One telltale sign is they don’t have birth certificates.
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