Aliens

[Dalton]

I really wasn't trying to go anywhere serious with my first post. At all. But since you decided to take the serious route, at least you've made it interesting.

First of all the alien teenagers bit was just me being stupid. I don't honestly expect any other species to exhibit the traits of American humans.

When thinking about the ways creatures can move around it really just comes down to the simple fact that something must, in some way, push or pull at physical matter. Even if it's something extreme like a creature that sucks in water and then shoots it out its rear end like a jet. However we're not just looking at what kind of creature could survive, but what kind of creature could possess the traits necessary for a sapient being to develop powerful technology.

I would think hands or tentacles would be all but necessary. I can't really imagine a creature being able to develop the technology required for interstellar travel if it cannot physically manipulate tools with a dexterous appendage. I would also assume that the creature would be land-based or only partially amphibious, as the development of sea creatures is hampered by the difficulty in manipulating fire and electricity.

As for space travel, that has its own extended list of issues. If generation after generation must live on the ship living out their daily lives until they die, I can't imagine the species using distant space travel at all unless there's some extreme disaster and they're escaping a dying planet or something. Just sending people out to explore, would the fiftieth generation down the line even have a clue why the space ship was sent out in the first place? Even assuming a successful mission and return the home planet would not receive word for maybe thousands (or millions?) of generations. So yeah, I don't think this method would be used except as a complete exodus.

There's cryogenic freezing. Currently it's beyond human technology but it's obviously possible somehow. Some species of frogs become trapped in ice every winter, only to thaw in the spring unharmed, so I am sure even humans will be able to do it some day. Though this could possibly mean that the original crew would reach their destination instead of cycling through endless generations, it still has the problem of the long time it would take to travel. Again I could see this method used for exodus but not for general travel and exploration.

I conclude that unless they can warp faster-than-light a la science fiction, or somehow find wormholes/other breaks in space/time, we won't be visited by aliens unless they're exiled and looking for a place to land for good.

[Bane]

I like the idea of a permanently migratory species. It also represents another step in survival ability, being able to forage and exist independantly and/or self-sufficiently.

The comment on technolgoy and appendages--biological features in general--is interesting to note too. I remember watching Predator and wondering how they developed such technology when their vision is so imprecise.
But I wonder about alien physics too. Not that they even have to conflict with what we know of science; just that the species knows some other way to interact with and approach reality. It'd allow slack in things like specific dexterity and sensory organs.

I agree with the use of space travel being nonpreferable, but only up to the point where it's uncomfortable and unaccomodatng. Once an environment they find acceptable can be created and maintained, the only things left to really tie them down that I can think of offhand are relations. Long flight; going to be separated for a while.

I wonder about other options besides freezing. Creatures like water bears enter a sort of zero-metabolic stasis when their bodies are dehydrated and can last that way for quite a long time, at least as far as such small organisms go. Technologies besides freezing that effect the metabolism and general activity. Utilizing time-space correlation to slow down one's own time in contrast to 'normal' time.

On that business, I'm partial to the thought that spatial manipulation will prove to be the main form of interstellar travel. Once space can be altered by technological means (I think this will happen first through discovering how to use the attractive forces responsible for gravity.) it means again that time is also within reach, speeding travel up or slowing consequences down.

On a more unrelated note, I'm of the opinion that unless/until humans can learn to control their population on earth, they aren't ready to spread out much further than the planet. Maybe scinetific difficulties, like attaining this sort of travel in the first place, will become the limiting factor for the population in place of natural predators.

//fixed wordpad-thread tranfer fuckups.

[Ytts]

You can freeze several species of nematodes quite efficiently using liquid nitrogen, glycerol and a few other trace chemicals in the proper amounts and they will keep for a very long time. There's no reason why more complex aliens can't be frozen, though lots of reasons why humans can't be.

[XDoggStrafe]

Kinda pulling a necro-post here...but I felt like discussing this since I actually like this thread so far (I'm also kinda new to the forums...didn't even know they existed here on the site, despite being here on and off for about 5 to 6 years). Anyways, I was thinking over something on the whole Aliens traveling to earth and methods they could use, and two ideas keep jumping in my brain here. One is slip space travel, basically artificially created worm holes that could be designed to where they'll open and lead to, and how long they'd be open etc. The second idea is something along the lines of polarization of the molecules that make up their ship (assuming it's a ship and not just like...a floating cube or a blob of semi-viscous goo), charging an atom to be negatively attracted to the very atoms and molecules around it, with a powerful enough magnetic force would in theory allow their mode of transport to move at much faster speeds and more efficient means than our own on earth. Just and idea there, figured I'd see if anyone would answer it though. Another idea on their general structure that I thought about a few times was who says they'd have to be bipedal, they could have 6 legs, I mean, 6 is better than 2 when it comes to running and such right? They could very well be savage monsters here to generally feed on us as some source of food or fuel or something for themselves...and those people who get abducted and released, they just failed the tests required to become said source of nourishment, Either way, thought I'd throw my two cents in and introduce myself at the same time.

[KitDreamer]

HOLY FUCK NECROMORPH POST! SHOOT OFF ITS LIMBS!!

[XDoggStrafe]

o.O Well, look at this way Kit, I could've necro-posted a different much deader topic (1 month isn't really dead to me...1 year though...that's dead.)

[Dalton]

"You fiend! You ... you killed my son!!"
"Well look at it this way lady. I could have burned down the orphanage and eaten the charred remains of thirty kids, so aren't you glad I decided to go on a diet?"

[Bane]

It's terrifying that I've held that viewpoint and also used murder as an example.

But yeah. Using contrast to try and make something look better doesn't change the fact that the thing is question was some sort of lame.

(conversely, that same lameness is actually subjective anyway.)

Also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstellar_travel#Proposed_methods_of_interstellar_travel

[Kill Boy]

http://www.reptoids.com/

[Lugh]

http://www.reptoids.com/

"The main thing that I learned about conspiracy theory is that conspiracy theorists actually believe in a conspiracy because that is more comforting. The truth of the world is that it is chaotic. The truth is, that it is not the Jewish banking conspiracy or the grey aliens or the 12 foot reptiloids from another dimension that are in control. The truth is more frightening, nobody is in control. The world is rudderless." - Alan Moore

[Kill Boy]

I just think shape shifting Reptiles that control the world banks is awesome. It'd be a great comic book villain.

[Ross]

It's no different than a couple of kids getting hammered, stealing their parents' car, and driving down to the old farm to fool around with McGuffin's sheep.

This is why nobody likes the South.

[Kill Boy]

LEAVE MCGUFFIN'S SHEEP OUT OF THIS!