My favorite Aliens

[SpaceTrekky]

My favorite alien speicies?
well the lsit is exceptioally long, but i will just name a few.
1. Ferangi -because they are insane and always are trying to make deals

2. Betazoid - becuase they are telepathic

3. Klingons - They have there own languge

4. Q - need i say more?

5. Romulans - becuase of their advanced tecnology

If there's nothing wrong with ME .. maybe there's something wrong with the universe - Beverly Crusher (Remeber me?)

[Glom]

Is this Star Trek specific?

1. The Ferengi- up until they Federationified them.

2. The Klingons- they had character

3. The Jem'Hadar

4. The Borg- up until they were turned crappy later on in Voyager

5. Vulcans- they were great in Classic and a little bit beyond but they're crap in Enterprise

If it's not Trek specific, I would also like to mention the Asgard.

Welcome to the board.

[SpaceTrekky]

No it is not star trek specific i am just a totaly trekky

[informant]

Why not add your vote here (http://www.badastronomy.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=4867&start=0)?

[Glom]

Then perhaps I could invite you express your thoughts on the discussions here (http://www.badastronomy.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=3759), here (http://www.badastronomy.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=4796) and here (http://www.badastronomy.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=5186).

[David Hall]

And while you're at it, you might want to chime in here (http://www.badastronomy.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=4891), here (http://www.badastronomy.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=4453), here (http://www.badastronomy.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=5048), and here (http://www.badastronomy.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=4939) as well. (Especially the last one. ;) )

[Wingnut Ninja]

My favorites are anything from here (http://www.davidbrin.com).

[BlAcKNoVa]

My all-time favourite species from Star Trek was the Hirogen from Voyager.

[Glom]

Marvin the Martian. How could I forget? :oops:

[AstroSmurf]

4) The Knnn (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0886779308/qid=1053415331/sr=2-3/ref=sr_2_3/104-8012151-0859122). Got to love a species that's only barely possible to communicate with, and whose idea of "trade" is very close to others idea of "whole-sale theft"

3) The Mesklins (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006H3BN/qid=1053415441/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-8012151-0859122?v=glance&s=books). Actually, I like their planet as well, and this book has some Good astronomy in it. I won't speak for the biology, but the book is a very fun read.

2) The various species by Larry Niven - the Pak, the Bandersnatchi, the Grogs, the Puppeteers. Niven's writing may sometimes leave something to be desired, but there's nothing wrong with his imagination. Quite a bit of Good astronomy in them too.

1) The Hiivers. (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1556344317/qid=1053415851/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/104-8012151-0859122?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) Two words: Scary pacifists. Possibly the strangest aliens I've ever read about.

Most authors go for rather cliched stereotypes in my experience - "warriors" "traders" "philosophers" and so forth. If properly done, a species should be just as varied as humans are, but be skewed in a way we never would be. Otherwise, I can see the rubber mask...

// The Astro Smurf

[captain swoop]

Don't we already have this thread?

[SpaceTrekky]

Ooops ok i am a little embarresed...i can't read. I meant to hit Post a Reply in the other thread but accidently hit New topic...oh well.

---------------------------
Ha ha ha very funny, Scottie.
Now beam down my clothes.

[informant]

You can delete you posts (http://www.badastronomy.com/phpBB/faq.php#16) for a while after you post them.

[SpaceTrekkie]

Thanks, i figuared that out though but it was to late!

[Archer17]

Anyone mention the Tholians from Star Trek TOS? They looked really "alien" for that era's special effects. Klingons would be my favorite based on their code of honor .. I was going to say "7 of 9" for another reason altogether :lol: but I think she was originally a human

[Chip]

Trivia I know, but oh well, here's my favorite TV/Movie aliens. (The best ones are in books but that could be another thread.)

Star Trek:
Not much into Star Trek aliens, though the Tholians with their crystal-like structure, voice like 1000 angry hornets and apparently 500 F degree heat inside their ships were "cool." The Thesians were kinda cool too - just a foggy floating human head. (Not uncommon for powerful alien types later. Probably originated with the Wizard of Oz projection.) Many Star Trek aliens are just humans with bits of clay on their noses. The Medusans, who drive anyone crazy who gets a glimpse of them were the best "low budget" alien you could hope for. The Borg are not what they could have been. (There is no need for them to appear humanoid at all based on their mode of existence, yet they always look like pale Goth-rock skateboarders with built in plumbing to their heads.)
There were a couple of Star Trek aliens that were way out: The Crystalline Entity, The Melitas (not seen, just described by Kirk,) and the cloud-like creature he fought in the same episode. Also the cloud-like female creature that had the hots for Zef Cochran in an older Star Trek. And also the ones that called Picard and company "ugly bags of mostly water."

Babylon 5:
Along the humanoid Star Trek line in most cases, but often prettier or slicker in appearance. More insect-like creatures too. I like the reptilian Narn, and the Mimbari with their bone crests.

The older black & white Outer Limits:
These aliens made by Daystar Productions were among the wildest aliens in TV history. My favorites include the Zetan (played by Robert Culp). So weird and creepy that many TV station at the time ran the episode later than normal, to avoid scaring the kiddies. (His angry looking eyes blinked only upward and his nitrogen breathing tube appeared to be a biological part of his face, a subtlety that always freaked me out as a kid.) The Zanty Misfits were wild, basically giant ants with beards and human like eyes. Their language was the coolest alien lingo I've ever heard.

The Thing:
I like both the old and newer versions. In John Carpenter's later version, its really weird and closer to the original story. (It has no definite manifestation, just what it mimics or adapts too.)

Forbidden Planet:
The creature from the ID (created by Disney) was cool as it shorted out the force field and was temporarily visible. The "Preditor" did that later too.

ET and Alien should be mentioned. In liked Alien 1 & 2. ET - how could you not like the little guy? Classic films.

However, aliens in books tend to be much more "alien" than the human-like types naturally played by human actors. Fred Hoyle's "The Black Cloud" was an alien entity that was a dark nebula.

[daver]

ET - how could you not like the little guy?

I managed fairly well. Telescoping neck? Think of the skeletal, muscular, neural, vascular complications.

And a tummy light that apparently unconsciously comes on when it's scared? Now, there's a survival mechanism.

Big eyes. Not too much room left in that skull after you subtract out the eye orbits. Clumsy. Stupid.

Glowing fingers?

It was annoyingly, blatantly, sickeningly child-like and cute. Overtly manipulative. Like the Close Encounters aliens, its actions (and those of its fellows) made no sense.

[Chip]

ET - how could you not like the little guy?

I managed fairly well. Telescoping neck? Think of the skeletal, muscular, neural, vascular complications. And a tummy light that apparently unconsciously comes on when it's scared? Now, there's a survival mechanism. Big eyes. Not too much room left in that skull after you subtract out the eye orbits. Clumsy. Stupid. Glowing fingers?...made no sense.

Ah but your assertion begs a hypothetical science and/or philosophy question. Suppose we finally met a real alien that resembled ET. What would we do? Stand by your original assertion that it is somehow inferior to us? Or do we ask ourselves: What kind of alien environment allows for this being to be so highly successful? :wink:

[daver]

ET - how could you not like the little guy?

I managed fairly well. Telescoping neck? Think of the skeletal, muscular, neural, vascular complications. And a tummy light that apparently unconsciously comes on when it's scared? Now, there's a survival mechanism. Big eyes. Not too much room left in that skull after you subtract out the eye orbits. Clumsy. Stupid. Glowing fingers?...made no sense.

Ah but your assertion begs a hypothetical science and/or philosophy question. Suppose we finally met a real alien that resembled ET. What would we do? Stand by your original assertion that it is somehow inferior to us? Or do we ask ourselves: What kind of alien environment allows for this being to be so highly successful? :wink:

Well, we could make some guesses. I'm going to assume that ET was a juvenile. Maybe the juvenile forms are born relatively independent--they don't need much care from the adults. Maybe the adults are comparatively slow. Juveniles are born a bunch at a time, they wander about investigating, and report back to the adults periodically for shelter Maybe one juvenile in a hundred grows to adulthood. In this case, if a predator comes across a juvenile, the juvenile lights up and extends its neck so that the predator can see it better as it flees, giving the adults and the other juveniles time to escape. The ETs are possibly nocturnal. You can imagine the confusion a predator would encounter chasing a bunch of glowing lights around a dark woods while being pelted with that annoying bleating whine. This would explain the peculiar panic response, as well as the callous way the juvenile was abandoned and the careless way one obviously untrained and unequipped indiviidual was allowed to wander on an inhabited, alien, dangerous planet. To the adults, the juveniles are almost beneath notice--Elliott probably cared more for the ET than its parents ever did.

It still doesn't explain the neck stretch--some sort of inflatable crest would seem to be cheaper, but evolution works with what's available.

[Roy Batty]

The Vicious Vermicious Knids :-)

[g99]

The neck stretch could be used to give E.T. an added size advantage. If the predator thinks E.T. is alot bigger than origonally planned it might think twice about eating it. Also you could have a prarie dog effect to get a hight advantage to see predators coming in the first place.

The large eyes are obviously nocturnal. That and the fact that all important outside activities in the movie (including the Alien landing) were done at night. During the day he was always inside or under covers. Most likely to protect from the bright sun.

The bio-lumanesence of E.T. in his chest and finger could be an adaptation as a mating device. Instead of croaking like a frog or showing off his feathers like a bird, he flashed lights in a certain pattern (like a firefly).

The flashing lights could also bewilder and blind a predator (if bright enougth) if the predator is night adapted. Imaghine a flashlight being instantly shone in your face in the dark.

Personally i think the whole Finger touch is therte form of kissing. :-)

[informant]

I'm going to assume that ET was a juvenile.

In the novelization, he was an elderly botanist, which I thought was a nice twist. :)

[Jocke]

The Kadeshi (http://screens.relicnews.com/homeworld/Kadeshi_Index.shtml) from Homeworld.
They rock.

[daver]

The neck stretch could be used to give E.T. an added size advantage. If the predator thinks E.T. is alot bigger than origonally planned it might think twice about eating it. Also you could have a prarie dog effect to get a hight advantage to see predators coming in the first place.

I agree that it would give an advantage. Lots of terrestrial animals puff themselves up to make themselves look more intimidating. The problem is the mechanism--imagine a flexible spine (not hard, right?). Now imagine a flexible spine that telescopes.

The large eyes are obviously nocturnal. That and the fact that all important outside activities in the movie (including the Alien landing) were done at night. During the day he was always inside or under covers. Most likely to protect from the bright sun.

Well, i suspect the large eyes were to make it cute and child-like, but let's go with this.

The bio-lumanesence of E.T. in his chest and finger could be an adaptation as a mating device. Instead of croaking like a frog or showing off his feathers like a bird, he flashed lights in a certain pattern (like a firefly).

The first time we see the chest light is in a panic flight. It doesn't seem a very good time to initiate a mating ritual, unless they have a really peculiar biology (females are predators? They chase the males; if they catch them they eat them. If they get so winded they can't move, the males turn around and impregnate them?)

The flashing lights could also bewilder and blind a predator (if bright enougth) if the predator is night adapted. Imaghine a flashlight being instantly shone in your face in the dark.

It didn't seem to be as bright as a flashlight. I'd imagine nocturnal predators would evolve mechanisms to filter out the biolight if it was supposed to be blinding--a tinted nictating membrane seems a lot easier to evolve than a flashlight.

Personally i think the whole Finger touch is therte form of kissing. :-)

Could be; once you have bioluminescence you may as well flaunt it.

Another poster mentioned that in the novelization that ET was actually an adult. I suppose taking along a klutzy adult scientist who carries no instruments or communicators and doesn't worry about food allergies and is apt to panic under little or no provocation would make sense to Captain Archer.

[g99]

Another poster mentioned that in the novelization that ET was actually an adult. I suppose taking along a klutzy adult scientist who carries no instruments or communicators and doesn't worry about food allergies and is apt to panic under little or no provocation would make sense to Captain Archer.

:-) He might of been an adult in the movie. He did have a beer. ;-)

Speaking of heim being a scientists, why was he on earth in the first place? i don't remember why.

[Chip]

I think g99 and daver should be among the group of experts who study-observe-perhaps meet & greet -- if & when the real ETs, (which probably won't look anything like the movie ET,) ever show up. Nice insights. :wink:

[g99]

:-)


Now dont get me going on the xenomorph race. well maybe later....tomorrow.

[g99]

The neck stretch could be used to give E.T. an added size advantage. If the predator thinks E.T. is alot bigger than origonally planned it might think twice about eating it. Also you could have a prarie dog effect to get a hight advantage to see predators coming in the first place.

I agree that it would give an advantage. Lots of terrestrial animals puff themselves up to make themselves look more intimidating. The problem is the mechanism--imagine a flexible spine (not hard, right?). Now imagine a flexible spine that telescopes.
.


You could telescope a neck, it is just that at length, it would not be very stable in any reasonable way.

Inbetween the disks in the spine you could have sacks that will inflate with spinal fluid (or blood) when needed. This could give the added hight advantage. Then flexable tendons and specialized muscles could keep the spine intact and a correct shape.

The only problem you would have, would be that this would stretch all of the blood vessels and arteries in the neck too. So maybe have more of these than normally needed (meaning extra length).


----------------

So do you think the rest of E.T.'s body can bioluminte or only the finger and chest?

----------------------------

To go further with the kissing fingers idea: I think this makes alot of sense. E.T. shared a special bond with the boy (Elliot?) When E.T. was dieing, the boy felt it. This is a very strong bond and most likely not limited to interactions with humans.

I imagine this bond is not really a friendship thing. A bond that strong in a freindship bond is not evolutionarily adaptive. But a bond that strong in a pairbond (mating) would be adaptive. It would keep the parents together for long periods of time. Long enought to let the children grow up to be able to live on their own.

So in short, E.T. was trying to mate with the boy, not become frinds with him. The raunchy little thing. :-)

[informant]

You are all assuming that E. T. was a vertebrate.

[daver]

Speaking of heim being a scientists, why was he on earth in the first place? i don't remember why.

The movie of course didn't go into it. If I had an interplanetary spacecraft i'd be curious about just about everything about another life-bearing planet. But it's pretty obvious that i and the ET don't think alike.

[daver]

You are all assuming that E. T. was a vertebrate.

Pretty sure it had an internal skeleton. I suppose that doesn't make it a vertebrate.

[daver]

The neck stretch could be used to give E.T. an added size advantage. If the predator thinks E.T. is alot bigger than origonally planned it might think twice about eating it. Also you could have a prarie dog effect to get a hight advantage to see predators coming in the first place.

I agree that it would give an advantage. Lots of terrestrial animals puff themselves up to make themselves look more intimidating. The problem is the mechanism--imagine a flexible spine (not hard, right?). Now imagine a flexible spine that telescopes.
.


You could telescope a neck, it is just that at length, it would not be very stable in any reasonable way.

Inbetween the disks in the spine you could have sacks that will inflate with spinal fluid (or blood) when needed. This could give the added hight advantage. Then flexable tendons and specialized muscles could keep the spine intact and a correct shape.

The only problem you would have, would be that this would stretch all of the blood vessels and arteries in the neck too. So maybe have more of these than normally needed (meaning extra length).



I agree--it could be done, it is just awfully costly. I could imagine something like elevated blood pressure engorging disks in the neck, spreading out the vertebrae. So perhaps the neck extends during fight or flight situations, or during mating. It's a pretty expensive trick, biologically speaking. Maybe it has some relationship to reproduction (animals do a lot of stupid things for sex).



----------------

So do you think the rest of E.T.'s body can bioluminte or only the finger and chest?



I wouldn't be surprised if the sexual organs could bioluminesce. Possibly areas on the head as well (along the "if you got it, flaunt it" scenario. If the neck stretch turned out to be a factor in mate selection (similar to a peacock tail, or deer antlers) presumably it would help to advertise).


----------------------------

To go further with the kissing fingers idea: I think this makes alot of sense. E.T. shared a special bond with the boy (Elliot?) When E.T. was dieing, the boy felt it. This is a very strong bond and most likely not limited to interactions with humans.

I imagine this bond is not really a friendship thing. A bond that strong in a freindship bond is not evolutionarily adaptive. But a bond that strong in a pairbond (mating) would be adaptive. It would keep the parents together for long periods of time. Long enought to let the children grow up to be able to live on their own.

So in short, E.T. was trying to mate with the boy, not become frinds with him. The raunchy little thing. :-)

The randy little dickens. So that was why they came to earth. :o

[daver]

I think g99 and daver should be among the group of experts who study-observe-perhaps meet & greet -- if & when the real ETs, (which probably won't look anything like the movie ET,) ever show up. Nice insights. :wink:

I don't think it'd be a very good idea for me to be a meeter and greeter.

There's a Far Side cartoon where a flying saucer lands in a farmer's field and an alien whose head looks like a hand gets out. The farmer grabs the alien by the head to shake hands and inadvertently starts an interplanetary war. That would probably be me.

Obviously i have the wrong instincts to be an alien greeter. In Close Ecounters, the synthesizer player played back the alien's welcome tune, but in a different key. After a while they start improvising. If it had been me, i would have hypothesized that the aliens were trying to communicate in musical tones, and that playing the tune a fifth higher (i don't remember the actual interval and have no intention of watching the movie again to note it) might have been tantamount to a declaration of war. It would have taken me several minutes to start wondering why they happened to pick the western scale (with a 440 A even) and to realize that they had done so so that we could play along and the only reason they wanted to make contact was to initiate a jam session.

[Chip]

...to start wondering why they happened to pick the western scale (with a 440 A even) and to realize that they had done so so that we could play along and the only reason they wanted to make contact was to initiate a jam session.

Yeah. I imagine a scene where they finally speak to us, (language being a secondary communication for them,) and they say: "Nice jam...OK, now take us to the one you call Stravinsky...or Miles Davis." :wink:

[informant]

Speaking of heim being a scientists, why was he on earth in the first place? i don't remember why.

The film doesn’t say anything. In the novelization, E.T. and his mates were botanists. They were gathering samples of Earth plants to take to their planet and study. They did this every few thousand years.

You are all assuming that E. T. was a vertebrate.
Pretty sure it had an internal skeleton. I suppose that doesn't make it a vertebrate.

If I remember correctly, that’s the definition of “vertebrate”, at least for Earth critters. So if they say he had an internal skeleton you have a point.

[David Hall]

Vertebrae are very specialized bones. They are perfect for most Earth species, flexible yet strong along the major axis.

But there's no reason to think that an alien species would necessarily have the same kind of spinal column system. Other forms of skeletal support could evolve instead. What about a set of short internal bones and muscles designed to hold up the head and extend it in the same way our arms do? Perhaps there are two paired supports, one on each side of a flexible cartilage spinal column. A seperate set of joints at the top could allow the head to rotate side to side.

Personally, I imagine the species evolved from a creature that elongated it's neck to grab food or graze on tall plant life. Their current extendable neck is a vestigal ability left over from a time when it was actually useful.

[daver]

Vertebrae are very specialized bones. They are perfect for most Earth species, flexible yet strong along the major axis.

But there's no reason to think that an alien species would necessarily have the same kind of spinal column system. Other forms of skeletal support could evolve instead. What about a set of short internal bones and muscles designed to hold up the head and extend it in the same way our arms do? Perhaps there are two paired supports, one on each side of a flexible cartilage spinal column. A seperate set of joints at the top could allow the head to rotate side to side.

Personally, I imagine the species evolved from a creature that elongated it's neck to grab food or graze on tall plant life. Their current extendable neck is a vestigal ability left over from a time when it was actually useful.

Which brings me back to my point. Yes, such a feature is possible. The scissors-jack approach could work (although its neck didn't look like that was the mechanism used). But it's still an absurdly complicated, biologically expensive mechanism with pretty limited results. Something like that could evolve, but it didn't help my willing suspension of disbelief any.

[Pi Man]

If this isn't Star Trek specific, the my favorites are:

1. Borg
2. Zerg (Star craft)
3. Protoss (also Star Craft)
4. Changelings
5. Species 8472