Science fiction often illustrates ET as being humanoid in form: average human height, bipedal, two arms and two legs, and even the head, eyes, and brain in the very same location. As the search for ET continues at a breakneck rate, what could the species of an advanced extraterrestrial technological civilization appearance like?
Dr. Ramses Ramirez, who is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Central Florida, tells Universe Today. If the former, then they might look rather humanoid, with only small differences (kind of like the culturally prevalent greys). It is also possible that an extremely technological types might become advanced sufficient to transcend evolution itself, willingly ending up being synthetic intelligence or robotics.”
It is this tail end that has triggered the interest of Dr. Seth Shostak, who is a Senior Astronomer at the SETI Institute and released a 2010 paper in Acta Astronautica talking about how SETI must expand their search for ET beyond exoplanets within the stars habitable zone. In this research study, he keeps in mind how biological species have actually restricted timescales and a smart types who are purely consisted of synthetic intelligence could provide even more avenues in terms of their presence, consisting of being capable or possibly immortal of limitless repair work, along with most likely not depending on biological environments for survival. In regards to where we should search for such types of smart life, Dr. Shostak stated in a 2016 interview that such types might be populating places in the Universe with great deals of energy, such as the center of galaxies of where other numerous minerals are available that are needed for the types to both endure and prosper.
Science fiction often illustrates ET as being humanoid in form: average human height, bipedal, 2 arms and 2 legs, and even the head, eyes, and brain in the very same location. As the search for ET continues at a breakneck pace, what could the types of an advanced extraterrestrial technological civilization look like? What might ET look like, and would they resemble human beings, or something else?
Dr. Shostak informs Universe Today that “any types advanced than our own will have refined synthetic intelligence. Its much better for venturing into area anyways. Many of the sophisticated aliens will be synthetic intelligence.”
Could some ET be land-dwellers like us, or maybe even sea-dwellers? While life in the world began in the oceans and ultimately made its method to land, what if life on other worlds began in the oceans and remained there? What if there are worlds that are nearly totally missing of the enormous continents we see here on Earth? Could a marine environment, specifically with the lack of gravitational pull, have an impact on ETs appearance?
Dr. Ramirez tells Universe Today, “Marine animals are (on average) able to get larger and larger than terrestrial animals partly due to the fact that the buoyancy of water helps free them from the gravitational restraints, however also due to the fact that the cold sea makes heat loss more effective. Larger animals generate more heat, so it is much better to be big in the cold ocean.” The concept of differing species types depending on sea, land, or air is likewise echoed by Dr. Lingam, as he notes his 2023 research study exploring (sub) surface area ocean worlds.
One possibility could be convergent evolution, which is when comparable features appear in various species at different geologic periods or dates. One example is how different species seem to be progressing crablike bodies over time, referred to as carcinization. What if intelligent ETs have developed in such a method, either from their marine-only environment, or a mix of both land and sea life?
Despite our finest efforts, we have yet to validate the existence of ET outside of the Earth. Here, we provide a general assessment and conversation with astrobiologists pertaining to what ET might look like and what environmental specifications (e.g., gravity, climatic makeup, outstanding activity) might cause them to develop in a different way than humans.
Despite our best efforts, we have yet to validate the presence of ET outside of the Earth. Here, we provide a basic assessment and conversation with astrobiologists relating to what ET might look like and what environmental specifications (e.g., gravity, climatic makeup, outstanding activity) might trigger them to develop in a different way than people.
Another factor that could add to ETs look is the star type, with stars transferring light throughout whats understood as the electromagnetic spectrum, which includes gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet, noticeable, microwave, infrared, and radio. Our Sun releases light primarily in visible wavelengths largely due to its temperature level, and as such, the human eye has evolved to see things in noticeable light. What if ET evolved on a world orbiting a star that produces light in other wavelengths?
Dr. Ramirez informs Universe Today, “Different stars put out energy at different wavelengths, which may affect the types of plants that might photosynthesize on an alien planet (if photosynthesis is still possible under those conditions!). So, possibly differences in the nature of starlight a world receives could possibly change how development continues on a planet.”.
Dr. Lingam echoes these sentiments as he informs Universe Today that “the worlds star could affect the wavelengths at which they see (e.g., types on planets around M-dwarfs might see mainly in the infrared).” Known as red dwarf stars, M-dwarfs are smaller sized than our Sun and the smallest known star type, capable of being as little as 0.08 the mass of our own Sun. As an outcome, they are much cooler and produce much redder light, as kept in mind by their name, that makes them more difficult to spot.
As the search for ET continues, we will likewise continue to question how they may have progressed in appearance, particularly if the environmental specifications are different than our own. What might ET look like, and would they resemble humans, or something else? Just time will inform, and this is why we science!
As constantly, keep doing science & & keep looking up!
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Example of possible carcinization, which is a type of convergent evolution, on another world. (Credit: Midjourney Illustration).
If we are to discover intelligence on habitable worlds, how could the climatic structures of such planets affect their look? On Earth, currently the only known planet with intelligent life, our environment is consisted of around 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, and 1 percent argon, in addition to trace gases of approximately 0.04 percent consisted of ozone, laughing gas, methane, and carbon dioxide. Regardless of oxygen consisting of just 21 percent of our environment, the majority of life in the world needs oxygen to endure, from humans to animals to plants. Therefore, could differing climatic compositions also contribute in the advancement of smart life on other worlds, and could it contribute in terms of their look?
” Yes, climatic composition could definitely do that,” Dr. Ramirez tells Universe Today. “For instance, the major transition from small lifeforms and large animals took place around 540 Myr earlier, in an event called the Cambrian explosion. This was when O2 levels increased high enough to support large animals, like us. So, one would expect lifeforms on a world with extremely low O2 levels to be rather small.”.
Humans on Earth have developed to a typical height of 5 feet 9 inches (175 centimeters), could intelligent beings evolve in a different way on worlds with different levels of gravity? Would this indicate if smart beings ever lived on Mars, they might have progressed to be taller than people on Earth?
Dr. Ramirez tells Universe Today that “on an alien world that is more massive than Earth, with a stronger acceleration due to gravity, one might anticipate the native life to be much shorter and stockier (which thicker muscles, skeletal structure) than what we have on our world. They d need to be that method to manage the more powerful gravity. Likewise, on a terrestrial planet with a weaker gravitational pull, the native life would develop to be taller and lankier usually.”.
” Some body strategies might be more ideal than others, in the sense that they may be more streamlined, appropriate for locomotion, etc,” Dr. Manasvi Lingam, who is an astrobiologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Aerospace, Physics, and Space Sciences at the Florida Institute of Technology, informs Universe Today. “However, if extraterrestrial technological types do exist, they might take a number of types. We can not rule out humanoid types, but I believe that one could conceive of other body strategies. They might have decentralized brains akin to octopuses.”