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Scientists say: Aliens more like T2 than ET
New.Com.AU ^
| July 24, 2003
| The Australian
Posted on 07/25/2003 11:54:44 AM PDT by 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
TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: allyouraliens; arebelongtous; resistanceisfutile; youwillbeassimilated
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To: PatrickHenry; balrog666; VadeRetro
It's my contention that the average poster on these threads either has no imagination, or will never give reign to whatever imagination he might have. Hence the immediate pooh-poohing of what was basically a puff piece generated on a slow news day. No one ever seems to enjoy a little mental stimulation any more...
41
posted on
07/25/2003 1:29:58 PM PDT
by
Junior
(Killed a six pack ... just to watch it die.)
To: Poohbah
Thanks. Couldn't remember their famous line.
To: yankeedame
"It's an idea I've been pushing for 10 years, Dr Shostak said.Aw, c'mon -- Captain Kirk did battle with brains-in-bottles almost forty years ago.
...or is that he WILL do battle with them three centuries from now?
Dang time anomalies.
To: yankeedame
Puny humans! Red Robot will stimulate the economy with his fists!
Crush all humans!
*Shameless and tasteless reference to "Diesel Sweeties" homicidal Red Robot.*
44
posted on
07/25/2003 1:43:54 PM PDT
by
Darksheare
("I didn't say it wouldn't burn, I said it wouldn't hurt.")
To: Junior
It's my contention that the average poster on these threads either has no imagination, or will never give reign to whatever imagination he might have. Hence the immediate pooh-poohing of what was basically a puff piece generated on a slow news day. No one ever seems to enjoy a little mental stimulation any more...Sorry, but this article was not written in a way that would generate respect for the scientists' ideas. It almost looks like a parody of the National Enquirer.
To: Cicero
You can't do science without any evidence.No, but you can do philosophy.
To: Zavien Doombringer
What you say!!
To: Constitutionalist Conservative
It's not a scientific paper, for cryin' out loud. No tax money was spent. Some journalist got a wild hair to interview some college professor on his opinion of what ET might look like. The professor told him. Even I can see this is simply a puff piece made out of one man's opinion. It plants the seeds of imagination from whence interesting stuff may eventually spring. For instance, I rather enjoy Fred Saberhagen's Berserker series, which takes this professor's opinion and runs with it. Of course, one could also bring up Laumer's Bolos. Instead, the quality of the comments on this thread indicates most folks think it's beneath them to even consider such possiblities. I've never understood such attitudes.
48
posted on
07/25/2003 1:56:10 PM PDT
by
Junior
(Killed a six pack ... just to watch it die.)
To: yankeedame
Hey kids today are glued to computer screens. Just extrapolate from there. They'll probably lose their limbs in a few million years.
Comment #50 Removed by Moderator
To: yankeedame
51
posted on
07/25/2003 2:42:42 PM PDT
by
dr_who_2
To: Junior
... the average poster on these threads either has no imagination, or will never give reign to whatever imagination he might have. All is well, agent x-96. These squishy, pink humans will never figure it out. It is my belief that we can freely communicate in clear, on a public forum, and even then they won't have a clue. Mrrruuuhahahahahahah!
52
posted on
07/25/2003 2:44:09 PM PDT
by
PatrickHenry
(When rationality is outlawed, only outlaws will be rational.)
To: Poohbah
We are smart. We are strong.
53
posted on
07/25/2003 2:46:11 PM PDT
by
ffusco
(Maecilius Fuscus,Governor of Longovicium , Manchester, England. 238-244 AD)
To: lilylangtree
How about the Ferengi? A race of short, ugly merchents with big ears. It seemed a bit Anti-semitic -like the Arab looking Junk Dealer or Jar Jar's dreadlocks in Phantom Menace.
54
posted on
07/25/2003 2:51:52 PM PDT
by
ffusco
(Maecilius Fuscus,Governor of Longovicium , Manchester, England. 238-244 AD)
To: dr_who_2
YOU'RE NEXT!
55
posted on
07/25/2003 2:52:34 PM PDT
by
ffusco
(Maecilius Fuscus,Governor of Longovicium , Manchester, England. 238-244 AD)
To: Zavien Doombringer
"We get Signal!" You have no chance to survive. Make your time.
To: yankeedame
We are here to protect you
Shoving is the answer
Humans must be shoved
They must go down the stairs
57
posted on
07/25/2003 2:59:48 PM PDT
by
GETMAIN
To: Naspino
If we are to assume that these aliens are indeed mechanical, then they have no 'muscle' to lose. To be sure, even some of the simplest machines and robots on earth are far, far stronger than people, never tire, and are imperious to most harsh environments and hazardous materials... Why would any super-intelligent mechanical being settle for a weak, feeble body when he could just as easily be housed in a nigh-invulnerable, bone-crushingly strong frame.
58
posted on
07/25/2003 3:00:37 PM PDT
by
.577 Tyrannosaur
(In fuda foeda mors est; in victoria, glorosia. -Cicero-)
To: dr_who_2
It should be obvious to anyone that the aliens will come to kill people before they can collect on their winning hand from the poker game coffee cups. It's a vending machine conspiracy.
59
posted on
07/25/2003 3:04:01 PM PDT
by
Hillarys Gate Cult
("Read Hillary's hips. I never had sex with that woman.")
To: Poohbah
"He's smart."
60
posted on
07/25/2003 3:09:42 PM PDT
by
Redcloak
(All work and no FReep makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no FReep make s Jack a dul boy. Allwork an)
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