Why when we talk about life in other planets/systems/galaxies we always say that they're probably very smart and advanced compared to us?
Why not to think that there's life out there, but they're dumb as fuck and weak? Like animals with no reasoning or something. I know is like cringy to think that we (the humans) are the most advanced beings in all the universe, but it can be possible.
![0e2bd6bb451bd5674b08aa81b1942cde[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/axTjLQv.jpg "0e2bd6bb451bd5674b08aa81b1942cde[1].jpg")
You'll regret those words tonight earth worm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsjhdoWKtXM
That's what sci-fi movies and books say, scientists usually look for water and microscopic lifeforms.
However if the contact was made the other way around (the aliens find us first) then it would make sense to assume they're more advanced.
>>8004728
>we always say that they're probably very smart and advanced compared to us?
You mean popular culture does. The reality is that we don't know what life will be like in other star systems. We portray the aliens as smarter and advanced because it makes for a more interesting setting when creating art (movies, books etc.).
>>8004728
It is hard enough to quantify human intelligence and intelligence of the animals around us, let alone an alien intelligence. They may be uber smart, but to our understanding of intelligence they can seem as dumb as a sack of potatoes.
>>8004728
You think all animals other than humans are dumb as fuck and weak?
>>8004728
It's because of the age of the universe, there could very easily be not only other intelligent life, but intelligent life that is thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions, even billions of years more advanced than us.
The truth is though that we can only speculate. Life developed independently on Earth, and so did intelligent life, so it stands to reason it can develop independently in other areas as well, but just how common it is is anyone's guess.
This doesn't even get into the problem of trying to define "intelligence", or if we'll even be able to recognize them as being alive.
>>8004792
>This doesn't even get into the problem of trying to define "intelligence", or if we'll even be able to recognize them as being alive.
>for untold millennia, the rock people of the solar system have been trying to communicate with Earthlings in the only way they know how
>meteor showers
For all we know, pulsars are communication devices (with terrible lag times).
>>8004807
Communicating rocks you say?
>>8004728
I'll eat my own asshole after consuming moldy sushi if there isn't other life in our solar system.
That being said, that life will almost assuredly not qualify for the "intelligent" aspect that we have bestowed upon ourselves.
And here we come to the conclusion that this "life" is simply not interesting. Yes, it will teach us about extraterrestrial biology, no, that life will not be made out of anything we are not also made out of.
So, we are more interested in something we can actually have a conversation with, which follows from the social aspect of human psychology. If we sprinkle some pop-science on this, named H.G. Welles', it really only makes sense that the majority of interest will lie within intelligent life, rather than little bacteria and microbes. Since we have absolutely zero evidence pointing towards other intelligent life existing, speculation and pop-science can only bring about other intelligent life having evidence of us first, which directly implies that they are more advanced.
>>8004728
The stereotypical image of grey aliens with big heads who are super smart is like turn of the century steam engine sci fi crap.
An image that continues to be propagated through popular culture.
>>8004850
>I'll eat my own asshole after consuming moldy sushi if there isn't other life in our solar system.
I wouldn't jump to conclusion. We have no idea about the chances of birth of life actually happening, it might be very rare actually.
If however there is life in our solar system, aside from Earth, it's pretty safe to assume that life is very widespread in the universe.
>>8004857
any idea where it originated?
>>8004878
to me it looks like a further extrapolation of humans
from homo habilis to humans and beyond, that kind of thing
>>8004888
Life aims for more efficient forms, and intelligent life will aim for the most efficient form for intelligence. Smart aliens will look like us.
>>8004894
they were insectoid
>>8004893
>retarded circular reasoning
>>8004893
i heard people say this, it's an interesting idea, everything converging to a form
like a self writing program
>>8004897
Denial is a river in Egypt
>>8004894
>yes an alien race evolving independently from humans thousands of lightyears away end up looking exactly like humans.
Why not? It's an efficient body plan for a social, tool using organism. The assumption that aliens would be humanoid in appearance is no more unlikely then assuming all species with intelligence are social animals. In fact, if complex life really is common, I wouldn't be surprised if somewhere out there at some point in time, there is a species that looks eerily similar to humans.
>>8005266
>t's an efficient body plan for a social, tool using organism
ants?
>>8005266
>Why not?
Because that didn't even happen on Earth.
Still, this is better than the more retarded argument: Dude you have no idea what other planets are like, they could have people made from bricks!
>>8004893
I disagree. Darwin's bird study about the variance of beaks shows that physical form is determined by environment. Our form was practical for dominating the earth, but other said places could require different criteria.
Also, if humans ever begin spacial manifest destiny, will colonies independent of each other developed genetic diversity gross enough to warrant a change in species?
>>8005394
>Also, if humans ever begin spacial manifest destiny, will colonies independent of each other developed genetic diversity gross enough to warrant a change in species?
Only after hundreds of thousands or millions of years.
Genetic engineering would branch us out into a bunch of new species a lot faster.
>>8005394
Humans born offworld wont be the same as earth-based humans
unless the conditions for their growth and maturation are identical to earths conditions they will become a divergent species "spacenoids" or some other gay nametag
>>8005402
Differences in phenotype aren't the same as differences in genotype.
>>8005402
>not being a based Heavyworlder
>>8005401
>>8005402
>>8005404
I was more romanticizing than actually asking. But would these independent colonies.. Would they display slow changes suited to their environment? How do physiological structures evolve? More pointed, like how did dolphins get echolocation? Pre porpoise thing doesn't have that structure or function. One baby just did one day? They had useless body parts until they weren't completely formed?
I know for a fact I butchered that, and did not convey my thoughts well. All those years of ap English to waste.
>>8004728
If they come to Earth they are gonna be more advanced because they figured out interstellar travel.
>>8004867
Well considering:
>there is water on literally every planet
>there are amino acids literally every where we look
>life on Earth began in the Hadean era (when we were still getting bombarded with debris)
>the oldest photosynthetic stromalites are so old, it is proposed that either evolution had to have taken place extremely fast, or they are too complex to have started on Earth
>extremophiles have made biologists bite their tounges countless times on the topic of where life can/can't survive.
I stand by the humble opinion that we will find other life in our solar system in our lifetimes without a doubt in my mind. Does this translate to intelligent aliens? No, absolutely not, but it would be absolutely baffling for life in general to be exclusive to Earth. Put a shovel in the ground on Mars, bring it back to Earth, and I will be absolutely shocked if we don't find extraterrestrial bacteria in the sample.
>>8005594
You are deluded if you think martian topsoil is full of bacteria
We've already found evidence of the dumb life on comets and planets in our own solar system. The dumb life doesn't help us as much as a smart life could.
>>8005829
Like what? Examples of such life?
>>8005829
Seems like we found a good example of dumb life here
>>8004728
>we talk about life
>we always say
What do you mean by "we", Peasant?
>>8005883
You are referring to the Allen Hills meteorite which had "fossilized martian bacteria" which was all bullshit anyway
