Meh, they will be bipods with opposable thumbs at the least.
[img]http://chud.com/articles/content_images/5/xenomorph.jpg[/img]
Something like this
[QUOTE=Piggah;23248314]Meh, they will be bipods with opposable thumbs at the least.[/QUOTE]
Opposable thumbs are indeed an important aspect for any tool-using race. Bipedalism isn't so necessary in some circumstances, though. If the species had six limbs, two for manipulation and four for transportation (two arms, four legs, the term's usually "centauroid"), then they'd probably be more able to traverse uneven terrain, since only the less legs one has, the better their sense of balance has to be, whilst the more legs one has, the easier it is to maintain balance. Am I right?
[QUOTE=ironman17;23248447]Opposable thumbs are indeed an important aspect for any tool-using race. Bipedalism isn't so necessary in some circumstances, though. If the species had six limbs, two for manipulation and four for transportation (two arms, four legs, the term's usually "centauroid"), then they'd probably be more able to traverse uneven terrain, since only the less legs one has, the better their sense of balance has to be, whilst the more legs one has, the easier it is to maintain balance. Am I right?[/QUOTE]
They could even have four legs and four arms. Six legs and four arms. Three legs and two arms. Who knows. It all depends on how many limbs their oldest ancestor had.
[QUOTE=ironman17;23248447]Opposable thumbs are indeed an important aspect for any tool-using race. Bipedalism isn't so necessary in some circumstances, though. If the species had six limbs, two for manipulation and four for transportation (two arms, four legs, the term's usually "centauroid"), then they'd probably be more able to traverse uneven terrain, since only the less legs one has, the better their sense of balance has to be, whilst the more legs one has, the easier it is to maintain balance. Am I right?[/QUOTE]
Nope.
Tool-using races have opposable thumbs not because they use tools but because it was the way they evolved. Our tools need opposable thumbs because that's the way we use it.
If aliens had for example... tentacles, let's say. They would have tools adapted for tentacles.
[QUOTE=kayOkay;23248562]Nope.
Tool-using races have opposable thumbs not because they use tools but because it was the way they evolved. Our tools need opposable thumbs because that's the way we use it.
If aliens had for example... tentacles, let's say. They would have tools adapted for tentacles.[/QUOTE]
Opposable thumbs are needed for COMPLEX tools. Crows can use hooks to pick things up, but that's the extend to which they can use a tool manually.
You need dexterity to be able to fashion proper, usable tools. Tentacles are too thick and clumsy compared to thumbs and fingers.
They would probably be bacteria rather than great big complex beings. So sort of like a scaled-down version of this:
.
[QUOTE=.Cheezy.;23247606]Like this:
[url]http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj78/kingeva/milk-alien-wtf.jpg[/url][/QUOTE]
Damn it. I wanted to never see that image again.
Single celled amoebas.
Probably not giant spiky things.
[QUOTE=Elgar;23248648]They would probably be bacteria rather than great big complex beings. So sort of like a scaled-down version of this[/QUOTE]
Nah, if they actually came here, it's because they are more evolved than us, that's sure.
And no, again precision tools basically need accurate "fingers" and strong grasp. All that is possible with pretty much any manipulation organ, provided that you have the intelligence required to do so.
If dolphins had hands and fingers, for example, am pretty sure that they would use harpoons to fish, right now.
[QUOTE=dale_uk_scout;23248750][url]http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=967646[/url][/QUOTE]
Looks like someone didn't bother reading the rules :v:
Dark, large, spiky with lots of sharp bits sticking out of them
[QUOTE=Lambadvanced;23248386][img_thumb]http://chud.com/articles/content_images/5/xenomorph.jpg[/img_thumb]
Something like this[/QUOTE]
Yeah
Giant, savage creatues with no intelligence.
[QUOTE=Hazardous Melon;23247188]I don't care what one will look like, because I will never see one.[/QUOTE]
That's not milk.
[QUOTE=kayOkay;23248726]Nah, if they actually came here, it's because they are more evolved than us, that's sure.
And no, again precision tools basically need accurate "fingers" and strong grasp. All that is possible with pretty much any manipulation organ, provided that you have the intelligence required to do so.
If dolphins had hands and fingers, for example, am pretty sure that they would use harpoons to fish, right now.[/QUOTE]
Tape your thumbs to your palms and see if you can get by using tools (hell, try it for an extended period of time so you get used to it). You NEED an opposable digit, one that works AGAINST the other digits, to firmly grasp and use things, otherwise all you can do is force it into your palm.
Precision tools require that opposable digit to be used effectively. Otherwise all you can really do is squeeze on something and maybe use it to bash something open (like grasp a long, narrow, dagger shaped rock to smash open a coconut for example). There's no way in HELL we could have got to this point without thumbs. That's just the way things are.
Stephen Hawking voiced his opinion on this before, I think.
Nothing like they are portrayed in movies.
Like this.
[IMG]http://i28.tinypic.com/ap8spj.jpg[/IMG]
I really doubt they will look like us. And who's to say the same rules apply about tools and stuff? For example, if there is really low gravity they could more easily move it around and shit. Also, you guys are kinda assuming they have cells or cells similar to us. I doubt they would look like anything we have encountered. Doesn't a squirrel have like 90% similar DNA as humans? So do you really think aliens will look like us?
What no one posted Thor yet?
[img]http://www.newanimal.org/alien_asgard_stargate.jpg[/img]
They could look like and function like anything in a universe this vast.
[QUOTE=TheGuru;23247204]I wouldn't be surprised if they were quite similar in appearance to humans. We evolved this way for a reason.[/QUOTE]
Except that the aliens evolved on an entirely different planet with different conditions and a different evolutional history.
Self replicating nanobots.
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