We all be aliens

[eldargal]

From here (http://uk.news.yahoo.com/life-could-have-arrived-on-earth-in-rocks-from-alien-solar-systems.html):

Life could have arrived on Earth in rocks from other solar systems, scientists revealed today.

Fragments of distant planets might have 'seeded' Earth with alien life billions of years ago in the early history of the solar system.

The finding hints that life might be more common in the universe than scientists had thought.

Researchers from Princeton University have calculated that there is a 'high probability' under certain conditions that life arrived in 'chunks' of other worlds.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Lies.

I'm not real.

[Wolfshade]

Sigh. this again.

Other papers have cited that such views are bunk, and that the seeded meterorites were infact impact debris from earth that had been ejected into a near earth orbit and re-entered so the life from space is actually life from earth...

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

Well, it would certainly explain my existence. I certainly don't relate to the grand majority of humans out there, that's for sure.

[eldargal]

I probably have some asari blood in me.

[Wildeybeast]

Yeah, there's nothing new here, this idea's been doing the round for ages. The final conclusion is we have no idea exactly where and when life on earth first started and we probably never will. We can get some pretty decent ideas and approximations, but the final answer is likely to always elude us.

[eldargal]

I remember reading, perhaps around ten years ago, some theory that spiders evolutionary ancestors were aliens because there was some gpa where spider ancesotrs just suddenly appeared. It was pseudo-science but I'd love to find out what that was all about, can't find any mention of it though.

[Kyban]

They've already proved that Earth life could have originated on Earth but it's a neat concept that it could travel, maybe Earth seeded other planets. Though only having a distant bacteria in common would probably make us look quite a bit different than aliens. Not that it would matter if you could connect to their nervous system ... if they had one... :p

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

I remember reading, perhaps around ten years ago, some theory that spiders evolutionary ancestors were aliens because there was some gpa where spider ancesotrs just suddenly appeared. It was pseudo-science but I'd love to find out what that was all about, can't find any mention of it though.

Some arachnids are pretty alien. Are you familiar with Amblypygids? http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Amblypigid.jpg
What I find fascinating about them is that they show signs of social behaviour. Some research seems indicate the mothers communicate with their young by caressing them with ther anteniform front-legs and the young reciprocate both with the mother and their other siblings.

Jumping spiders seem fairly intelligent despite their very tiny size. I often enjoy observing them if I find one in my house or outside. They seem to exhibit personality too. I once had one that actually seemingly followed me about the house and would always return to my room. I kinda miss that little guy.

That said Her Highness doesnt seem very alien to me - I get home after 4 days away and when she notices me, she turns her back and goes back into her tunnel to give me the cold shoulder in a "hrmph! It's not like I missed you or anything!" kind of way. She almost seems human at times! :rolleyes:

[Wolfshade]

Yeah, there's nothing new here, this idea's been doing the round for ages. The final conclusion is we have no idea exactly where and when life on earth first started and we probably never will. We can get some pretty decent ideas and approximations, but the final answer is likely to always elude us.

You sire have obviously never read Genesis...

[Psychosplodge]

spiders and stuff

Burn them with fire.

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

Why the need to respond like that, at all?

I find spiders to be beautiful and wonderful animals, you may not agree - but theres no need to make comments like that. Can't you just ignore it and move on?

I have social anxiety issues and my pet tarantula is one of the only things that have managed to stop me from having panic attacks because she is litterally the only thing that has been able to calm my nerves, suffice to say I have a very close bond with my pet so it hurts my feelings when an arachnophobe decides to say that sort of thing. Besides, I just wanted to talk about this subject with Eldargal peacefully.

[Psychosplodge]

Sorry it was meant light heartedly, I know a bloke that breeds tarantula's and while they are interesting I hate spiders, it was merely a glib throw away comment.

And panic attacks are awful, anything that helps is good for you, but no-one else is forced to know in advance.

[Wolfshade]

What sort, I used to have a couple of mexican red knees and a goliath, though that was evil.

[Psychosplodge]

red knees, pink toed, and pretty much anything he can get his hands on, at one point he had something like 30k on shelves in film canisters...

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

Sure, I just find it antagonising/inciteful when I'm just trying to have a calm discussion. I thought if I explained my circumstances to you it would help for you to see things from my point of view, is all - as I don't particularly like those that flame arachnophobes for being "wimps" or such either.

To offer a bit more perspective "from the other side", on arachnaphile forums I am on - we are often trolled/flamed by people that sign up specifically just to say the same kind of things, so even on our own forums we can't escape those kind of comments, when we just want to have peaceful discussions.

[Psychosplodge]

No probs, I'll refrain in future.

I don't worry about it, I'm sure those people are scared of something too.

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

What sort, I used to have a couple of mexican red knees and a goliath, though that was evil.

She's the common Chilean rose, I got her just over five years ago. She is very gentle and friendly and seems to "know" when I need her as she will come up to the front of the tank and raise a single leg as if to let me know shes there for me. Indeed, whenever I put my hand in - she will willingly walk onto my hand and "flop" herself down and let me stroke her back gently. She only does this when I am feeling bad too, as normally she'd rather sleep in her tunnel (with her butt poking out one end, as she never goes completely in).

Red-knee's and related mexican species are great too. I don't particularly like Goliath bird-eaters though, they are the opposite end of the spectrum really and even I wouldnt want to go near one.

[Psychosplodge]

That's actually amazing. I've never heard anything like it.

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

No probs, I'll refrain in future.

I don't worry about it, I'm sure those people are scared of something too.

thanks, I definitly really appreciate that. I'll post pictures as url's rather than images in the future too.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

I don't really fear anything, except true failure.

[Wolfshade]

The red knee was lovely, happy to walk across my hands, though she prefered to be in her habitat and rarely stay still.

The goliat was evil, each time I fed him he'd flick his spines up at my hand as I was dropping the food in, I couldn't pick him up as he'd rear up at me each time I went near and the spines were bad enough without having a bite

[Psychosplodge]

I do remember the story of another friends Ex dropping his outside the train station and chasing it down the road trying to scoop it back up...

[DarkDesigner]

I find it quite amazing the emotions that some animals display, even those that seem so far removed from 'human'. It's a shame that spiders have a bad rep, I used to have rats which have a similar (though not as bad) stigma attached. To be honest, I blame video games! Old RPGs in which it's the norm to go into a forest killing rats and bats and spiders and scorpions! It's odd how throughout time humanity has designated various labels to the animals around it - 'these ones eat' 'these ones not eat' 'these ones evil kill with sticks'.

However, back to the topic at hand...


They've already proved that Earth life could have originated on Earth but it's a neat concept that it could travel, maybe Earth seeded other planets. Though only having a distant bacteria in common would probably make us look quite a bit different than aliens. Not that it would matter if you could connect to their nervous system ... if they had one... :p

I love this idea. It would certainly give a bit more of an explanation as to why most aliens in Sci Fi are seen as being humanoid in shape. To be honest I love any idea outside a religious explanation - a meddling race of god creatures however? Different matter.

[dark messenger]

I doubt that life on this planet came from outside it's own sphere - earth is simply too rare and specialised a planet to truly believe anything otherwise.
That being said there are many arguments that could be posed looking at some of what passes for humanity these days...

Personally I find the idea of aliens terrifying. If there is a species of life comparable or advanced to our own out there I hope they never make it here or I'm not alive when they do. Coz we are woefully ill-equipped to deal with sh*t like that. If they came with hostile intent we'd lose, end of.
I guess that would make me xenophobic in a very literal sense of the word