Would Intelligent Life Outside Earth be Similar to Us?
In movies and such intelligent aliens are depicted as being similar to humans except with minor changes like pointy ears, a different skin color or a third eye. Some have suggested that through evolution on any planet, environment etc, that intelligent beings would have to evolve to be similar to us because this is the only logical form that could be so mobile, create tools etc...
Yet on our own planet, the most intelligent other than us live in the oceans... Dolphins and whales may be mammals but that's where their similarities with us stop. Could there be intelligent life on other planets that live under water and build cities? If so, how would they ever be able to achieve space travel if they needed to live in water to survive?
Okay... now I'm just rambling... what say you?
Most Likley, Yes!
Side Score: 5
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No, Not Necessarily
Side Score: 8
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Depends on your understanding of "Similar". Morphologically they would most likely look very different, but they would probably still be carbon-based life-forms. They would probably still require water to survive. They would probably still be subject to many of the same "rules" that life on earth is subject to. Side: Most Likley, Yes!
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but they would probably still be carbon-based life-forms. Actually although carbon would be slightly favoured silicon is also a very likely base element for complex life. The fact is they are both tetravalent atoms, and the pravelence of silicon in the universe is only one behind carbon coming in at 7th most prevalent atom in the universe. They would probably still require water to survive I hope you meant this in the sense that statistical sense as statisitically without water it would be very difficult for any life to emerge. They would probably still be subject to many of the same "rules" that life on earth is subject to. No shit sherlock. Side: No, Not Necessarily
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I would say that it doesn't have to be that way. Our brains are the most complex things ever. The idea that other intelligent life would have the same kind of functioning brains is a little farfetch'd. I mean, who knows, maybe they are like us, but considering that I don't even believe in aliens, I find it unlikely that there are aliens out there that think similar to us. Side: No, Not Necessarily
Logic is man made. Cuz it belongs to Man. What lies beyond our perception and in fact our ability of understanding is yet more Bizzare. It might be possible to have something like us. Or something that's completely unnatural to us or our understanding. Side: No, Not Necessarily
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Humans are actually a very poor species. Life outside of the Earth would evolve to meet specific conditions, if just one small thing is different on another planet than it is on Earth (for example the acidity of the oceans by a difference in ph of just 0.4) then species would evolve to adapt to that and the other evolved species (interconnected network) so it is highly likely that they look very different from us and I must refute the comment about our structure being the optimum structure, life would be easier with 4 hands not 2. Side: No, Not Necessarily
I presume that there would be a large number of genetic factors that would or could contribute to "intelligence", and I think we could expect to see huge variety depending on the environmental factors the species evolved into, as well as the "random chance" involved in mutation. Most of the arguments for similar life forms tend to be based on our own environment and understanding of the world, and we have no reason to believe that these factors are limiting agents universally. Side: No, Not Necessarily
By similar I am not sure what you mean. However i can say that physiological differences would be significant (they wouldnt look like us). How they relate to the world might be similar to us (you should learn about the concept of Dasein - a potentially universal manner of relation that people have) ie the Technologicality of "intelligent" species could be a shared characteristic as could Ethicality. It is likely that these and other faculties/ manners of relation would be universal Side: No, Not Necessarily
There is probably life outside of Earth. Human like us? With legs, arms, pirvate parts in all? No, the chances of another planet to have creatures like us evolve is highly unlikely. We adapt to things, on a world where everything is different we would adapt differently. Side: No, Not Necessarily
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