When you look at the science fiction films and television series have been accustom to believe that aliens would look almost like we just might be bare, not hairy, green skin, blue or blemished skin and eyes are very strange. But the televised cliches can hardly be correct. Therefore, Internet Journal of Popular Mechanics interviewed science fiction writers, academic experts, and extraterrestrial life forms seekers on how they think should actually look like aliens.

Kevin Anderson

Science fiction author

Look at the incredible diversity of strains here on Earth - they all evolved in the same conditions on the planet. I do not believe that an alien species, resulting in a completely different biochemical basis could be with two hands, two legs, two eyes, ears, nostrils ... the two sexes, warm-blooded, and the like. However, the aliens are intelligent, we assume that a large volume of the brain, and the body should be some kind of defense mechanism vital brain - skull exoskeleton or something like that.

In order to make the tools they need some manipulation necessary organs like fingers (not necessarily with the thumb opposite the fingers - which may be the tentacles). Also, the aliens should have the reproductive system, but it can be buds, and sharing, and lay - we do not necessarily characteristic of a living descendant of the birth. They should have some kind of sensor system, the eyes and ears of olfactory organ matches. However, their "eye" would be developed so that the optimal performance of their own in the spectrum of Sun, not necessarily our own solar spectrum.

Do they live in the sea? Gas giant in the cloud? On solid ground? In the desert? In the jungle? They should eat somehow or other ways to get energy, and they need some kind of disposal system. They also need to communicate. How to - maybe a voice? Maybe pheromones? Is flashing skin areas?

Darren Campo

TV producer and author

As for movies and television, it is difficult to create an alien race that is not similar to humans. Aliens have a cast. The aliens look like in reality, very much depends on what they have developed. Aliens, developed interstellar space should completely different needs than strangers, developed a similar planet to Earth.

But we can be almost certain that the extraterrestrial life form is symmetrical. All we know is growing species of creatures more or less symmetrical. Cut across the tree - the branches on one side of the roots of another, but both of these sides will be quite similar to one another. The same can be said about the people and all other creatures. And even inorganic growing derivatives - crystals, galaxies - have symmetry features.

Shape and size of a stranger would gravity, ambient pressure and energy. The plants like intelligent life forms are unlikely because photosynthesis does not encourage the development of complex survival strategies. The need to chase food prefer mobile life forms. If such a life išsivystytų dense atmosphere, it is likely that this sucker is horizontal. Meanwhile, the lower the density of the atmosphere to roam the vertical forms of life. Two legs and two hands is more effective than four feet, so in accordance with the rules of symmetry, not surprising if people do not completely dominant creatures are steep and the two legged and Two-hand.

Assessing the fact that 95 per cent. The Universe and our senses do not keep records of Technology (dark matter and dark energy), then most likely it is that there is hiding aliens. And perhaps it could be argued that the aliens did not look - they are invisible.

Aaron Rosenberg

Science fiction author

Do not think about the touch, almost skeleton-like bodies with long claws and tails like unto scorpions, and a mouthful of sharp teeth. Do not think about the little green men with their heads too big and too small eyes and mouths. Do not think about cats man of reptiles man of a dog man of blue skinned people in the form of creatures, the creatures with pointed ears or strange eyebrows. Why should these strangers like us?

Bilateral symmetry, well think of it, is actually quite poor body architecture. Well, looks nice, but what is the point? Why have two completely equal sides when one side could be something completely different? Even the Daleks [aliens from the TV series "Dr. Who "- Ed.] Instead of one arm had a cup instead of another - the laser. Biped? Nonsense - one good nudge and turns. What other global race to develop our evolutionary shortcomings? What is an unknown race just grow eyes, nose, tongue, and other strange protrusions in our body? They could not.

Living beings evolve By targeting to its environment. We have our thumbs in front of the other four fingers so that we can better snap up items. Monkeys exactly the same purpose, to tacky tails. We have an eye on the fact that we are reaching the electromagnetic spectrum visible stretch.

But if we had, a whole different world, which prevails very different temperature, topography, flora and fauna, and then the same would have evolved very differently. What if another world in a different chemical composition, the chemical composition of our totally dissimilar to the existing one. All life on Earth is carbon based, but are not necessarily so elsewhere. Life forms can be silicon and iron base, and any other. They can should any number of hands and feet - so zero.

Maybe life on other planets evolved without physical shape or no fixed shape - perhaps there is an alien who is smart as clouds or bodies that may have to mutate, which varies depending on the needs of the moment. Maybe they could fly in space without any special tools, and cosmic radiation for use as food and as a source of information in response to cosmic rays as well as bats respond to ultrasound. Why do we need the eyes and ears of all the resonance of your body? Why should concentrate on the brain when the consciousness may be spread over the entire body like nerves? Why have the skin of the body shape supports electrostatic shock and mental control, when the body can on request expand or contract?

Earth is a multitude of creatures who are different from us so much "that we will explore the barely comprehend. See how the octopus passing by through the eyelet jar, consider the tobacco worm (Lat. Manduca sexta), a close look at the insect pilgrims. And then think about how tiny our planet is compared with the universe - it's like finding a strange form of M & M candy, and under it to draw conclusions about all the candies, but then suddenly understand that you are in a giant candy store, where flavors, shapes and colors is almost limitless - and almost none of them has so far not tasted. Real aliens are so far away from anything you imagine that we we could hardly realize that this is life. And we have them to make yourself exactly the same lack of understanding of peace.

Harry E. Keller

Northeastern University (USA), Professor of Chemistry

Somewhere in the universe to be, or has been, or will be other intelligent civilizations. The probability that someone alive today will see them, or at least communicate with them is low. However, such problems should not deter us from trying to imagine what they might be.

In particular, the aliens are on both sides of symmetrical, endothermic creatures with excellent opportunities for manipulation and hard protective box for the brain.

Eyes? There's no doubt about it. To create a civilization to be seen. Squid eyes are better than ours, it seems that the Earth is a visual organs evolved independently several times. Alien eyes can recall our own-only externally. The lens and the iris is a necessary requirement. Protein not have to be white. And the color of the iris should not be in any way similar to ours. As far as the eye? One will not be sufficient. Failure to recognize the distance would be very rapid disappearance. And if there is no good reason, then a lot of eyes to just unnecessary evolutionary baggage not survive in it as well, although this is the exception to the spiders. Since the eyes are important, they are in some kind of hollow body, and, if need be "covered" and hide. We will not necessarily aliens with insect eyes, but such a possibility can not be excluded.

Nose? The aliens need a way to breathe. It has to be symmetrical. The nose should not be in the middle of the face, but some reasons it is convenient - for example, it can be the same air intake channel to put into your mouth, especially in moments of great need. You would prigalvoti and other than the formation of the human body.

Mouth? Well, somehow the food should be included in the body. All large animals must have some means to take food and swallow it. Some chew food, others do not. Teeth on Earth is quite common, but there are many other feeding systems. The point is that plants and animals are already millions of years of evolutionary waging war. We inherit the results of the war. Teeth were required to chew on plants, because the plants become stronger - it was an evolutionary response to the attempt to gobble up. There are other ways to tear the food from the plant - for example, as do birds. They have food, "chew" in the stomach.

Legs? Almost certainly. Other forms of movement are relatively slow for armored or animals that live in caves. None of these ways of life in the natural way is not favorable for the occurrence of a higher intelligence. How many legs? In our case, by evolution of four-legged animals have adapted the front limbs to manipulate objects. No land animals with skeletons has more limbs. Thus, the probability that the two legged aliens is more than the four-legged aliens.

Coat? Hair? Feathers? Scale? Something completely different? The skin should take any to be adapted to the environmental conditions. True blades are unlikely. Because the feathers used for flight, in which case the brain is small. Scale is also unlikely, as they are particularly well suited for Cold-blooded, though intelligent alien scaly skin is also possible. Hair coat and for me personally it is difficult to compare. Be worth fur-creature who is not smart intelligence. But if we are aliens and the fur, hair is likely to be short.

The head? If the head of the bony box nusakytume brain and how to place the eyes, nose and mouth, then it is likely. The nose can be above the mouth and below. When the nose is higher, easier to fly, but this is not a strict evolutionary requirement.

The neck? Completely unnecessary. Useful head wiggle, but one can imagine other possibilities to look around. Large cats, it is a weak point that may be grasped and strangled with powerful jaws.

Hands? Need someone to help manipulate objects. The tentacles are unlikely limb type, because they are poorly adapted to manipulation. Usually the tentacles with suction cups, and their function is quite different than the tools. Joints may be more than we have, we also can be different bending directions.

Toes? It is necessary to have something that can be firmly grasped and lift small objects, flip and rotate them. Two fingers are likely to be small. Five - already too much. Three or four (as is often depicted with cartoon characters) are more likely. Our three joints of the fingers, it also seems like the right number. One would suffice. Two, as our thumbs are unlikely.

Bernard Bateson

Puget Sound, a physics professor at the University of

Octopus is a good example of intelligent life on Earth. Octopuses are highly intelligent, probably not for stupid people, and live in a completely different environment (compared to ours). Evolution had to find other solutions to pressure, which affects them - all other than land animals that suffer.

Dolphins and chimps are very close to us - we are all mammals. The last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees lived before about 10 million. years. The last common ancestor of humans and dolphins - before about 100 million. years. Most of the evolutionary changes that allowed us intelligence, which probably occurred before the separation of types. The last common ancestor of mammals and octopus lived much, much earlier - perhaps before 800 million. years.

Aliens with advanced technology should be land creatures - to develop technologies required for the fire. What should be expected in order to develop technologies similar to ours? Hand with a finger (well, fine manipulation) having very important. At least two feet of movement required. If a four-legged creatures - imagine Kentaurus - they will still be the hands of a thing to build and produce.

Deuce vision required in order to estimate the distance (to prey). Equipped with high head for predators to see in advance. Eyes close to the brain in order to minimize the visual signal propagation time. Sound and smell sensors (nose and ears). Survival rates depend on how well you can find food, mating partners and observe the predators. Life in the atmosphere mean that before attacking predator, he would hear is, or nose can detect.

Nnedi Okorafor

Science fiction author

People characterized by three features: 1 We believe that we know everything; 2 We believe that everything that happens is for most of us; 3 To give us something to care about, it is necessary that it should be associated with us. Therefore, most of our stories about aliens arrives on us (to destroy, enslave or analysis) or to take away our precious things. In addition, it is usually the stories we are the ones who establish the first contact with the aliens, and they almost always look like us, or at least reminds us.

I am convinced that aliens exist. However, little green men mythology not pay too much attention. I do not think that the aliens should be humanoid, and their internal processes and chemical compounds - carbon-based. People who didst not survive in space. If aliens come here to Earth, would mean that they survived in space and has the ability to adapt to our atmosphere. I think it is very likely that they will be a far dissimilar to us.

My novel "lagoon" aliens appearing in Lagos (Nigeria) are available on request to change their appearance and self-management at the molecular level, and the molecule no resemblance to simulate the Earth in living organisms. They use environmental material, regardless of its type or source, and adapts to their location. And their wishes, needs, and methods to carry out their activities is completely alien to the people.

I see no reason why the aliens could be microscopic, visible only in those wavelengths at which people can not discern is why he would not be so difficult to comprehend for people that just by looking at them apalptume. I do not think that the aliens have been, are or will be the same as what we expect.

Tobias Buckellis

Science fiction author

Aliens projections forehead or pointed ears, Hollywood loves to portray - it saves in this way, just have to make-up for the average person, and you can turn your script. I find it strange to think that some aliens would be at least as much like us. Although the nature and existence of such parallel evolution - such as the octopus and human eyes are identical. Some experts consider that if aliens civilizations similar to our own, then they themselves are similar in shape.

And here on Earth, we have examples of which can take some insights on how to look like aliens. Octopus and squid exhibit remarkably intelligent reactions and the ability to learn, and their body shape is perfectly adapted to the environment, which is foreign to us. Tentacles and big brain, it seems, is a fantastic form of a liquid or low-gravity environment. Beings who can communicate their flesh raibuliuojančiomis colors. Science fiction has long explores difficult to understand a freak, with tentacles.

A lot of attention was on the spur gears and, in the legs of grasshoppers. Biology and evolution of the idea of use of spur gears thought-provoking - and wonders what else could it be? Maybe the thought of natural selection has created a silicon-based? Maybe the radiation energy-driven forms of life to which we could not even come near? Thought experiments can lead very far. Nature is always surprising.

To communicate with the aliens, and to respond to their behavior will be difficult. We always lack the patience to understand other cultures, smoothing the differences between our cultures people. Dolphins, octopuses, elephants - it is likely that these animals are of a higher order thinkers, but we are unable to effectively they not only communicate, but to share the beautiful planet. What will be the encounter with the aliens? How do we evaluate their actions?

In short, I think that would be a lot of confusion, because we all have plenty of prejudices about the contact. And their actions strongly depend on the environment in which they evolved, the nature of their groups. Are they loners? Or maybe you like to gather in small groups? How to work smart the predator, which usually live alone, the mind? If you discover other life forms, I think that this would mean that there is a large variety of life. We deal with many aliens. Aliens similar to us, but at the same time as our differences, that they barely understand. Mind and body types of diversity can be overwhelming, just as our Earth, and there is a huge diversity of life.