Seasons

There really is no reason to suppose another species, on another world, would have the same wanderlust that humans do. What if they lived at the bottom of great seas and chose to devote all their vast mental resources to developing the perfect song?

Exactly! Something like whales on this planet.

Or even something that is not bilaterally symmetrical. Intelligent coral reefs, or anemone like creatures. Suppose a sentient life form that doesn't look at the stars, one that is just devoted to communication or the contemplation of math.

I agree. Intelligent, sentient life elsewhere in the Universe could have had evolved into as many different forms, modes, ways of expression as one can think of, and more. Look at life itself, just life, nevermind the intelligence, on this planet alone - almost infinite diversity of forms. There is no reason to think that intelligence and sentience should always, or even as a rule, evolve into any one particular mold.

Having said that, humans are perhaps not the only ones who developed wanderlust

True, others migrate. I just think we have a mammalian bias. Look how long reptiles ran the show. I wonder if the "aliens" were not descended from mammals would they share any of the drives and aspirations that we do.

I think Star Trek et al tried to play with those ideas, but it is easier to have human actors playing humanoids. Now that Japan has acting robots and animation software is cheap, maybe we'll see other types of aliens on screen.

As for the billions and billions of stars and what may be around them, who knows? Maybe the stars are sentient after all.

The thing about Star Trek was all the humanoids acted very human. They may have been rough and barbaric like Klingons or stoic like Vulcans, but they were still filled with human emotions and desires. I know people that could be Vulcan or Klingon. I wonder if all sentient life forms would have the same psychology as Earth inhabitants. What if we are not alone, it's just no one else cares?

"What if we are not alone, it's just no one else cares?


That's pretty much always been my bet Prob123.

There have been a few one time creative lifeforms on start trek, but no regulars (and mostly cheesy).However, this gives me an excuse to post a slightly related Youtube video link, Voltaire's best Star Trek song, " USS Make S*** Up" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2v6rXs5J9M (bcause I don't reference enough Voltaire songs here).

That is just too funny. I love it. I have never heard that before.

Further to our recent discussions touching on the mysteries of deep-fried poutine and the Cult of Cholesterol, my Caledonian spies tell me that those dark Satanic mills, the chip shops of Sauchiehall Street, in their relentless quest to reduce the life expectancy of the local community to single figures, have devised a new abomination - the deep-fried Christmas dinner.

The format is apparently to take one roast turkey, stuff it with all the trimmings (roast potatoes, parsnips, chips, sprouts, stuffing, bread sauce, more chips, cranberries, gravy, a few more chips, etc.,) dunk it in batter, and - yes - deep fry it whole!

Presumably they serve it in a wheelbarrow, and follow it up with a deep-fried Christmas pudding basted in burning, molten suet.

I don't think you could congeal your arteries much faster if you mainlined warm lard!

I think I clogged and artery just by reading the menu!
I think the deep fried turkey is enough. I do hear they blow up if they aren't totally defrosted.

Various of you might be interested in these:

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/artificial_intelligence/index.html