Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas 188 | Arik Kershenbaum on What Aliens Will Be Like
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Mar 14, 2022 Arik Kershenbaum, a zoologist from the University of Cambridge and author of "The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy," explores the fascinating prospect of alien life. He discusses how the principles of evolution may result in extraterrestrial beings that share similarities with humans. Topics include the constraints shaping their evolution, the potential for intelligence, and the unique challenges of communication across species. Kershenbaum also highlights the interplay of cooperation and individuality in evolution, posing intriguing questions about first contact with aliens.
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Evolutionary Convergence
- Rewinding evolution wouldn't lead to identical results, but similar processes and constraints would likely re-emerge.
- Advantages like jointed limbs and efficient movement solutions would probably reappear due to their effectiveness.
Likelihood of Simple Life
- Finding complex life on other planets is statistically less likely than finding simple, microbial life.
- Earth's history shows that complex life took considerable time to evolve, with simple ecosystems dominating for long periods.
Predation and Complexity
- Multicellular life arose after a long period of simple ecosystems, potentially due to a lack of predation.
- The Cambrian explosion, marked by diverse life forms, was likely triggered by new niches and complex interactions.
