Scientists say: Aliens more like T2 than ET

New.Com.AU ^ | July 24, 2003 | The Australian

[yankeedame]

Aliens more like Arnie than ET

By Leigh Dayton, Science writer

July 24, 2003

IF extraterrestrials exist they look more like the steely Terminator than cuddly ET, say scientists on a cosmic quest for smart aliens.

"The rise of the machines? There's a lot of Hollywood in there, a lot of crashing and smashing about, but it's possible," astronomer and science historian Steve Dick said of the Terminator movies.

According to his new view of ET, intelligent aliens long ago dispensed with weak flesh-and-blood bodies in favour of steel-hard sinews and silicon brains.

Dr Dick, of the US Naval Observatory in Washington, based his argument on the "intelligence principle" - when a species can improve its intelligence it will do so.

"If you don't get smarter you get left behind," Dr Dick said yesterday at the International Union of Astronomy conference, meeting in Sydney.

He said the earliest that "post-biologicals" could have evolved in the oldest and most distant galaxies was 7.5 billion years ago.

That's a mere 6 billion years after the big bang that created the universe 13.7 billion years ago.

According to Dr Dick, such superior beings would have begun existence as dim-witted primordial life, evolved into intelligent but biological lifeforms, and then made the evolutionary leap to brainy machine life.

Seth Shostak, an astronomer with the SETI Institute in California, yesterday agreed with Dr Dick, who will publish his ideas in an upcoming edition of the International Journal of Astrobiology.

"It's an idea I've been pushing for 10 years, Dr Shostak said.

"It's fairly obvious that the assumption the aliens would be soft and squishy little grey guys ... is clearly provincial. They might be grey, but they won't have big almond eyes."

Instead, Dr Shostak speculates that machine life would have a utilitarian appearance because "they don't have to appeal to mates".

As well, he predicted the machines would be compact, because their intelligence would be limited only by internal connections, running at the speed of light.

And if and when we find the new ET, will he, she or it be dangerous?

"Well, I have some goldfish, and I'm a lot smarter than they are, but I don't wake up thinking I've got to kill those guys," Dr Shostak said.

"I don't think we need to worry about the machines."

The Australian

[Timesink]

He said the earliest that "post-biologicals" could have evolved in the oldest and most distant galaxies was 7.5 billion years ago.

Until they ran out of gas and died.

[Zavien Doombringer]

<

How are you Gentlemen?!!!

[ffusco]

Alien sightings fill the place vacated by Leprechauns, Giants, Centaurs and other mythical creatures in our collective imagination.

Your typical Alien Abduction is a retelling of Hansel and Gretel.....

[ffusco]

Talk about a bad Driver's License photo!

[Only1choice____Freedom]

Somebody knows all the answers to 2001.

[Timesink]

Why should we believe an astronomer knows anything more about evolutionary biology than any of us?

[Drew68]

What about the "greys" They are not musclebound, but the most reported version of an alien worldwide.

What are "greys"? Do you mean the type of alien depicted in post #15? If so, these creatures stand upright, have opposable thumbs and bi-focal vision.

[djf]

They come here "To Serve Man"!

[Frohickey]

Hasta La Vista, ET?

[Thorondir]

According to Dr Dick(brain)...

[ffusco]

Scene Mathew's apartment.
Mathew and his friends are distraught. Trying to make sense of the events of the past 2 days. Mathew listens to hs friends with growing apprehension

"That flower, where did you get that?" Elizabeth Driscoll

"Just stuck in the vase with the others." Jack Belicec

"I've seen these growing all over town. They're growing like parasites on other plants." Elizabeth Driscoll

"Put it down Jack!" Nancy Bellicec

"It's just a pod with a pink flower." Jack Belicec

"It could be toxic." Elizabeth Driscoll

"Why do we always expect metal ships?"- Nancy Belicec

[MrConfettiMan]

Dr. Dick. Enough said.

[Consort]

[Prof Engineer]

Hey, another seti@home user!

[Toidylop]

If you dare to do a real scientific experiment on this thing...

you may find the evident of ET from it!!!

[Clock King]

[Poohbah]

According to Dr Dick, such superior beings would have begun existence as dim-witted primordial life,

Democrat voters?

evolved into intelligent but biological lifeforms,

Conservatives before Free Republic.

and then made the evolutionary leap to brainy machine life.

Conservatives AFTER Free Republic.

[Williams]

Killer Clowns From Outer Space were the best.

[lilylangtree]

"If you don't get smarter you get left behind," Dr Dick said"

Guess the good Dr. didn't see any episodes of Star Trek, TNG, especially the one about a species of beings going about the galaxy stealing everybody else's technology since everyone took them as low beings in the gene pool. Didn't matter that they looked, acted and thought like Neanderthals. They spent the whole time zapping poor Geordi to fix their warp drive so they could turnaround and zap the Enterprise.

[Poohbah]

"We look for things. Things that make us go."