Would Aliens Look Like Humans? | Unveiled
Transcript
00:00 Imagine, for a moment, that you are face-to-face with a genuine extraterrestrial.
00:05 A not-of-this-world creature, at a time when the search for alien life is over because
00:10 humankind has finally discovered it.
00:12 After years, decades, and perhaps even centuries of searching in earnest, we've finally proven
00:18 that we are not alone.
00:20 In your mind's eye, what do you see?
00:23 How do you picture this meeting that's taking place?
00:26 And actually, are you really face-to-face with whatever it is you envision?
00:31 Does its face bear any resemblance to your own?
00:34 Or ultimately, would alien life take on an altogether different form?
00:40 This is Unveiled, and today we're answering the extraordinary question; would aliens look
00:45 like humans?
00:47 Do you need the big questions answered?
00:49 Are you constantly curious?
00:51 Then why not subscribe to Unveiled for more clips like this one?
00:54 And ring the bell for more thought-provoking content!
00:57 For centuries, humans have been captivated, perhaps even obsessed, by the idea of extraterrestrial
01:02 life.
01:03 From ancient civilizations gazing at the stars, to modern space exploration, the question
01:08 of whether aliens exist, and what they might look like if they do, has continually spurred
01:13 us.
01:14 As such, the global cultural image of an alien has evolved significantly over the years,
01:20 and in general, what we imagine has moved away from the traditional humanoid figures
01:24 of classic science fiction, towards a more diverse and scientifically informed expectation.
01:30 In this video, we'll look at the historical fascination with alien life, explore the shift
01:35 in our perceptions, and discuss various theories and studies that challenge the notion that
01:40 extraterrestrials would ever resemble human beings.
01:44 For some, the seeming possibility of life beyond our planet is deeply rooted in ancient
01:49 times, and arguably in our development of stories based on gods, unknown forces of nature,
01:55 and apparently spiritual events.
01:58 From ancient myths and religious texts to early astronomy, humans have pondered the
02:02 existence of beings from other worlds, largely in a bid to make sense of the unknown.
02:07 But of course, in later years, and especially in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries,
02:12 the concept of an alien morphed from a hazy unknowableness into something that the overwhelming
02:17 majority of scientists believe could, even should, exist.
02:22 Now, the search for alien life has little to do with answering the unknown, and everything
02:26 to do with satisfying statistical probability.
02:30 To modern minds, in a universe of perhaps infinite variation, it would seem as though
02:35 something else must be out there.
02:38 Nevertheless, our first representations of what an alien might look like were somewhat
02:42 primitive, and the picture of generally humanoid extraterrestrials gained traction with the
02:47 rise of science fiction, again in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
02:51 Early pioneering writers served to shape our mental image of what aliens might look like…
02:56 but almost all of the examples available in the eighteen and nineteen hundreds weren't
03:00 that far removed from the form that our own species takes.
03:04 Eyes, sometimes more than two, and often enlarged, but eyes all the same.
03:09 A mouth, or some kind of opening through which to communicate, usually front and centre of
03:14 the face.
03:15 Limbs, again sometimes more than two arms and two legs that we're used to, but still
03:19 carrying out effectively the same functions as our own do.
03:23 Most of the earliest visualisations took on an invariably similar look.
03:27 Today, that's changed, and any depiction of little green men, or lanky greys with oversized
03:33 heads now feels pretty dated.
03:36 The fact is that as scientific understanding has improved, so too have the representations
03:41 of what an alien might really be like.
03:44 Coming from a greater-than-ever knowledge of the conditions required for life to exist,
03:49 scientists increasingly challenge the traditional, somewhat tired, anthropocentric ideas… and
03:55 sometimes even the very fundamentals are called into question.
03:58 For example, an increasing number propose that life elsewhere could exist based on elements
04:03 other than carbon.
04:04 While carbon is the undisputed building block for life on Earth, silicon has been considered
04:09 in particular as a potential alternative.
04:11 On Earth, and in humans, carbon is so crucial and prevalent because it's an extremely
04:16 versatile element.
04:17 It is a defining feature of all of the most important things that make us, from DNA to
04:22 sugar, protein to muscle.
04:24 However, we know that although it's dominant here, it isn't necessarily the same everywhere
04:29 else, and silicon is usually touted as a comparably effective base material that could be just
04:35 as crucial to other, alien instances of life.
04:38 It then follows that lifeforms with a silicon-based biochemistry might have - probably would have
04:43 - entirely different physical structures and properties.
04:47 Humanoid, they almost certainly are not.
04:50 Elsewhere, and research on extremophiles - organisms that can thrive in the most extreme conditions
04:56 on Earth - has further expanded our understanding of the potential for aliens.
05:00 Increasingly, we must seriously consider that despite all we've come to expect of earthly
05:06 life, living organisms could well exist in any number of environments that were previously
05:10 thought inhospitable.
05:12 These might include places with high radiation levels, extreme temperatures, or intense pressure.
05:17 This line of thinking is in part supported by our growing understanding of what's possible
05:21 within a star's habitable zone.
05:24 We know that this is the region within which conditions might allow for liquid water, but
05:28 we also know, thanks to growing research, that the surface conditions of worlds in a
05:32 habitable zone are often very different to our own.
05:36 It would appear, then, again, that Earth's way is not the only way.
05:40 Finally, and perhaps from a slightly more speculative point of view, could it be possible
05:44 that alien life is simply coded differently at the base level, whatever that base level
05:49 is?
05:50 We know that life on Earth is based on DNA and RNA, but alternative biochemistries might
05:55 exist.
05:56 And some research, therefore, explores the possibility of extraterrestrial life using
06:01 different genetic codes, which could - again, probably should - lead to organisms with wholly
06:07 different features distinct from anything found on Earth.
06:10 Indeed, any and all of the above could combine in any number of ways to produce something
06:15 that's entirely different from anything we might expect or recognise.
06:19 And while we know that humans, as we are, have at least managed to eke out a living
06:23 on this particular planet, and have at least managed to progress to this particular time
06:27 and level, many have suggested that it's pure arrogance or ignorance to assume that
06:32 anything else would take the same route.
06:34 So, let's head back to your imaginary meeting at the top of this video.
06:38 True alien life stands before you, if it stands at all.
06:42 And you have to try to make sense of what you see, if in fact you can see it.
06:47 If it were silicon-based, then there's really no telling what it would look like, exactly.
06:51 Although popular depictions tend toward it having an intricate, geometric form… or
06:56 else being a transparent, jewel-like entity.
06:59 If it were an extreme environments dweller, then it'll have to have adapted to survive
07:04 whatever extremities it faces, such as the conditions inside a star, for example, which
07:09 means it may have further evolved unique, heat-resistant or pressure-tolerant features.
07:14 And all of that before we've even considered the discrepancies that would occur on any
07:18 creature from another planet, simply due to changes in gravity or disparities in sunlight.
07:24 Of course, given all that we've considered, it's also possible that what you'd be
07:27 looking at from your perspective could also be nothing much at all.
07:32 Life forms existing as gaseous entities, lacking a traditional solid or liquid make-up, may
07:37 challenge our understanding of biology, but also might be common.
07:41 On the face of it, these beings could exist inside the atmospheres of gas giants or nebulae,
07:47 with their appearance defined by ever-changing patterns and colours.
07:51 Whether or not a human could even truly grasp that such an alien were alive is another matter.
07:56 It could be a similar case with alien colonies.
07:59 As human beings, and although we do have societies and civilisations, we consider ourselves to
08:05 be individual life forms.
08:07 There is some argument that this wouldn't be the case with an advanced enough alien,
08:11 which would more likely (and efficiently) function as a collective intelligence.
08:16 Such colonies could naturally display intricate patterns, morphing shapes and unique communication
08:21 methods, but again, would a plain old human being ever really understand what it was that
08:26 they were looking at?
08:27 Add the potential for energy-based life into the equation - that is, life that transcends
08:32 a physical body entirely - and the picture gets even more difficult to discern.
08:37 Of course, until such time as alien life is discovered, predictions as to its appearance
08:41 remain entirely speculative.
08:44 But for now, what's clear is that while we might expect it to demonstrate at least some
08:48 recognisable characteristics, it could also be entirely non-humanoid, and perhaps fundamentally
08:54 different to any other life form we know of.
08:57 The human form, far from being the pinnacle of evolution, may just be one of countless
09:02 potential configurations in the vast tapestry of the cosmos.
09:06 It might not even be a particularly good configuration.
09:10 And ultimately, that's why aliens may look nothing like us at all.
09:14 What do you think?
09:15 Is there anything we missed?
09:17 Let us know in the comments, check out these other clips from Unveiled, and make sure you
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