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00:00The famous Drake Equation can be used to suggest up to 10,000 potential alien civilizations in the Milky Way,
00:07or thousands more, or even millions more.
00:10But while the presence of aliens now seems like a statistical certainty,
00:14predicting what they'll look like is extremely difficult.
00:19Do you think they'd bear any resemblance to us?
00:23For centuries, humans have been captivated, perhaps even obsessed, by the idea of extraterrestrial life.
00:32From ancient civilizations gazing at the stars to modern space exploration,
00:37the question of whether aliens exist and what they might look like if they do has continually spurred us.
00:43As such, the global cultural image of an alien has evolved significantly over the years,
00:49and in general, what we imagine has moved away from the traditional humanoid figures of classic science fiction
00:56towards a more diverse and scientifically informed expectation.
01:00In this video, we'll look at the historical fascination with alien life,
01:04explore the shift in our perceptions, and discuss various theories and studies
01:09that challenge the notion that extraterrestrials would ever resemble human beings.
01:14For some, the seeming possibility of life beyond our planet is deeply rooted in ancient times,
01:20and arguably in our development of stories based on gods, unknown forces of nature, and apparently spiritual events.
01:27From ancient myths and religious texts to early astronomy, humans have pondered the existence of beings from other worlds,
01:34largely in a bid to make sense of the unknown.
01:37But, of course, in later years, and especially in the 19th and 20th centuries,
01:42the concept of an alien morphed from a hazy unknowableness
01:46into something that the overwhelming majority of scientists believe could, even should, exist.
01:52Now, the search for alien life has little to do with answering the unknown
01:56and everything to do with satisfying statistical probability.
02:00To modern minds, in a universe of perhaps infinite variation,
02:04it would seem as though something else must be out there.
02:08Nevertheless, our first representations of what an alien might look like were somewhat primitive,
02:13and the picture of generally humanoid extraterrestrials gained traction with the rise of science fiction,
02:18again in the 19th and 20th centuries.
02:21Early pioneering writers served to shape our mental image of what aliens might look like.
02:26But almost all of the examples available in the 18 and 1900s weren't that far removed from the form that our own species takes.
02:34Eyes, sometimes more than two, and often enlarged, but eyes all the same.
02:39A mouth, or some kind of opening through which to communicate, usually front and centre of the face.
02:45Limbs, again sometimes more than two arms and two legs that we're used to,
02:49but still carrying out effectively the same functions as our own do.
02:53Most of the earliest visualisations took on an invariably similar look.
02:57Today, that's changed, and any depiction of little green men or lanky greys with oversized heads now feels pretty dated.
03:05The fact is that as scientific understanding has improved, so too have the representations of what an alien might really be like.
03:13Working from a greater-than-ever knowledge of the conditions required for life to exist,
03:18scientists increasingly challenge the traditional, somewhat tired, anthropocentric ideas,
03:24and sometimes even the very fundamentals are called into question.
03:28For example, an increasing number propose that life elsewhere could exist based on elements other than carbon.
03:34While carbon is the undisputed building block for life on Earth, silicon has been considered in particular as a potential alternative.
03:41On Earth, and in humans, carbon is so crucial and prevalent because it's an extremely versatile element.
03:47It is a defining feature of all of the most important things that make us, from DNA to sugar, protein to muscle.
03:54However, we know that although it's dominant here, it isn't necessarily the same everywhere else.
04:00And silicon is usually touted as a comparably effective base material that could be just as crucial to other alien instances of life.
04:08It then follows that lifeforms with a silicon-based biochemistry might have, probably would have, entirely different physical structures and properties.
04:17Humanoid, they almost certainly are not.
04:20Elsewhere, and research on extremophiles, organisms that can thrive in the most extreme conditions on Earth,
04:26has further expanded our understanding of the potential for aliens.
04:30Increasingly, we must seriously consider that despite all we've come to expect of earthly life,
04:36living organisms could well exist in any number of environments that were previously thought inhospitable.
04:41These might include places with high radiation levels, extreme temperatures, or intense pressure.
04:47This line of thinking is in part supported by our growing understanding of what's possible within a star's habitable zone.
04:53We know that this is the region within which conditions might allow for liquid water,
04:58but we also know, thanks to growing research, that the surface conditions of worlds in a habitable zone are often very different to our own.
05:05It would appear, then, again, that Earth's way is not the only way.
05:09Finally, and perhaps from a slightly more speculative point of view,
05:13could it be possible that alien life is simply coded differently at the base level, whatever that base level is?
05:19We know that life on Earth is based on DNA and RNA, but alternative biochemistries might exist.
05:26And some research, therefore, explores the possibility of extraterrestrial life using different genetic codes,
05:32which could, again probably should, lead to organisms with wholly different features distinct from anything found on Earth.
05:40Indeed, any and all of the above could combine in any number of ways
05:44to produce something that's entirely different from anything we might expect or recognise.
05:48And while we know that humans, as we are, have at least managed to eke out a living on this particular planet,
05:54and have at least managed to progress to this particular time and level,
05:58many have suggested that it's pure arrogance or ignorance to assume that anything else would take the same route.
06:04So, let's head back to your imaginary meeting at the top of this video.
06:08True alien life stands before you, if it stands at all.
06:12And you have to try to make sense of what you see, if in fact you can see it.
06:16If it were silicon-based, then there's really no telling what it would look like, exactly.
06:21Although popular depictions tend toward it having an intricate geometric form,
06:25or else being a transparent, jewel-like entity.
06:28If it were an extreme environments dweller, then it'll have to have adapted to survive whatever extremities it faces,
06:35such as the conditions inside a star, for example,
06:38which means it may have further evolved unique, heat-resistant or pressure-tolerant features.
06:43And all of that before we've even considered the discrepancies that would occur on any creature from another planet,
06:49simply due to changes in gravity or disparities in sunlight.
06:53Of course, given all that we've considered,
06:55it's also possible that what you'd be looking at from your perspective could also be nothing much at all.
07:01Lifeforms existing as gaseous entities, lacking a traditional solid or liquid makeup,
07:07may challenge our understanding of biology, but also might be common.
07:11On the face of it, these beings could exist inside the atmospheres of gas giants or nebulae,
07:17with their appearance defined by ever-changing patterns and colours.
07:21Whether or not a human could even truly grasp that such an alien were alive is another matter.
07:26It could be a similar case with alien colonies.
07:29As human beings, and although we do have societies and civilizations,
07:33we consider ourselves to be individual lifeforms.
07:36There is some argument that this wouldn't be the case with an advanced enough alien,
07:41which would more likely, and efficiently, function as a collective intelligence.
07:45Such colonies could naturally display intricate patterns, morphing shapes and unique communication methods,
07:51but again, would a plain old human being ever really understand what it was that they were looking at?
07:57Add the potential for energy-based life into the equation,
08:00that is, life that transcends a physical body entirely, and the picture gets even more difficult to discern.
08:06Of course, until such time as alien life is discovered, predictions as to its appearance remain entirely speculative.
08:13But, for now, what's clear is that while we might expect it to demonstrate at least some recognisable characteristics,
08:19it could also be entirely non-humanoid, and perhaps fundamentally different to any other lifeform we know of.
08:26The human form, far from being the pinnacle of evolution,
08:30may just be one of countless potential configurations in the vast tapestry of the cosmos.
08:36It might not even be a particularly good configuration.
08:39And, ultimately, that's why aliens may look nothing like us at all.
08:44What do you think? Is there anything we missed? Let us know in the comments.
08:48Check out these other clips from Unveiled, and make sure you subscribe and ring the bell for our latest content.