"Guy Hoelzer"  wrote in message
news:ck7j35$ep0$1{at}darwin.ediacara.org...
> Hi Tom,
>
> Welcome to sbe.
>
> in article ck4bng$2h53$1{at}darwin.ediacara.org, Country Loon at
> fitlikemin{at}mearns.fairmers.co.uk wrote on 10/7/04 2:16 PM:
>
> > Suppose a spaceship lands in central park and out pops the aliens - what
> > (logically) will they look like. For instance they are unlikely to look
like
> > a green blob of jelly as they would have no mechanism for building tools
and
> > steering a spaceship.Can we therefore assume that such creatures would
have
> > hands similar to us, one head,two eyes and two ears and probably two
legs.
> > Maybe the star-trek idea of alien life is not far from the truth. I am
not
> > saying that green blobs will not exist but that space-travellers must
> > necessarily look similar (though not identical to us). A dolphin cannot
> > pilot a machine however smart it is unless there are 'speech' driven
> > controls and even then there would have to be an evolution in technology
> > from the primitive stage to get there in the first place.Or is this
> > arrogance?
>
> I am afraid that it is arrogance.  Note, for example, the research
published
> a few months ago on the successful development of a device (largely a
> computer) that allowed the thoughts of a chimpanzee to be translated into
> control of mechanical devices (like spaceships).  Once such a technology
is
> available, or speech control, as you mentioned, then it becomes possible
to
> control robots of any kind to build things (e.g., other robots) or mediate
> the kinds of mechanical actions that you have suggested.  IMHO, the kind
of
> argument you described assumes false limitations on potential means of
> control and should not constrain our expectation of what space aliens
might
> look like.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Guy
>
>
Hi there,

of course once a technology is advanced you can hire a pilot or use robots
etc but my point is this: Technology does not just happen overnight - it too
evolves (I am a prof engineer so I know a little bit) and so before robots
more simple tools have to be designed.The PC you use has a direct
technological evolution right back to the stone age.So tell me how these
aliens are going to develop robots over night - assuming the same laws of
physics apply?
I am not saying that starnge aliens may not evolve but that many of them may
well be limited to their own planet - it is the ones that can leave that
interests me!

Tom
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