What do you consider to be the most interesting alien race?

[rollete]

Yes, aliens.

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

Yes, aliens.

I know of the microbes by that name. Am I on the verge of learning something new?

 

[rollete]

Maybe, but probably not.

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

Maybe, but probably not.

An interesting alien race... Help me out here.

 

[stevendaryl]

Two interesting alien species in Vernor Vinge's "A Fire Upon the Deep" are: (1) A "hive mind" creature whose components are dog-like creatures who synchronize their actions through ultrasonic signals. (2) A plant-like creature with electronic devices to give them short-term memory.

 

[stevendaryl]

My theory is that Krypton is, in fact, in a different universe. Possibly a parallel Earth. I think the only way that Superman could have the powers he has is if he came from a universe that reacts exotically with ours. Little Ka'el brought that universe with him in the person of...his person. How else can you explain his ability to survive in the center of a star?

My theory for superman's powers is that our universe is actually an enormous video game, and the kryptonians found a way to hack it.

 

[EnumaElish]

Old UK space comic zero-x had an episode with alien tobacco-like plants. Each had an eye. They were seeking to capture humans because that would confer the plants mobility somehow. The most imaginative detail was, the photographic (celluloid?) film on which the astronauts recorded the plants' images would come alive (upon being developed in the spaceship's dark room?) and attack the crew like snakes on a plane. The exact mechanism was not disclosed, so it was like magic. Now I think of it, it may have had to do with the film being made of essentially cotton fiber (nitrated cellulose) and the plants having the gift of telepathy.

Here's an image:

 

[stevendaryl]

In "A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", one alien was described as a "sentient shade of the color blue".

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

In "A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", one alien was described as a "sentient shade of the color blue".

He also had a very philosophical bowl of petunias.

 

[Khatti]

My theory for superman's powers is that our universe is actually an enormous video game, and the kryptonians found a way to hack it.

Fair enough...got any thoughts on the plus and minuses of building a Dyson Sphere around a blue giant?

 

[DennisN]

I remember I liked the idea of a sentient planet in the novel Solaris by Stanislaw Lem, because it was a very unusual and eerie idea which I had not encountered before in science fiction. It was a long time ago I read it, though...

 

[hsdrop]

how about the "Vashta Nerada" or even the "time lords" hmmmm i wonder if their are related to the
asgardians

 

[Buzz Bloom]

All of Ursula Le Guin's alien races are great because she makes their strange cultures real. If I am required to pick the one I like best, it would be the Hainish because they are anthropologists who recruit other races to do research for them. See

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hainish_Cycle .​

 

[Peter Himin]

I like the Rikchick, mainly because of the language that they speak, and due to how they look http://dedalvs.conlang.org/smileys/2012.html

 

[Aufbauwerk 2045]

The Vulcans.

They are enough like humans so that I can see myself as one of them. On the other hand, although they are not perfect, they are intellectually and spiritually superior to humans. Therefore, they are something to strive for.

I think much more advanced beings, such as the Organians, are fascinating. But they are too advanced for me to see myself as one of them at this stage.

My goal now is to eliminate as many undesirable human attributes as possible. This is one reason I am becoming interested in meditation, because it is indispensable for the Vulcan to maintain a logical mind. When a Vulcan stops meditating, he or she opens the door to emotion, which results of course in deviations from logic.

I admit I am still an emotional and impulsive human. But at least I'm trying to improve.

Nothing unreal exists.

Live long and prosper, humans!

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

When you're no longer human check in with us.

 

[Aufbauwerk 2045]

When you're no longer human check in with us.

I am a transhumanist. I think transhumanists in general see themselves as continuing their development as humans. It's not that we wish to stop being human. We want to become a better human. In fact, one could say we wish to become more fully human, by living up to our potential.

It's not a binary condition, in the sense of either being human or not being human. I think we are on the continuum of progress, somewhere between the first beings we would call human, and what we can become in the distant future. Perhaps at some stage we will cease to call ourselves humans, but personally I like the idea of tracing myself back to my earliest civilized ancestors. They were human, but not as far along on the continuum of progress as we are.

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

A better human wouldn't be human.

 

[EnumaElish]

One cannot become Vulcan by getting more like them. They would never consider you as one of them. That's okay, because they are not better than humans intellectually or spiritually. "Better" is so value laden a term right off the bat that we'd go nowhere with it. So, logically (ahem) your goal must at best be one of sideways movement. I guess one can define transhumanism that way, which is no plume off my back. Also, meditation does not lead to logic, or eliminate or control emotion. Not in my experience. Best wishes, and thanks for all the plomik.

 

[Andy SV]

Yggdrasil tree ships

 

[Buzz Bloom]

I think Farscape had quite a few of the most interesting alien species, with Babylon 5 a close second.

Farscape - characters listed, race/species name not available.

1. The Pilot
2. Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan (a plant humanoid)
3. Ha D'Argo
4. Dominar Rygel XVI
5. Scorpius
6. Chiana
​

Babylon 5

Character - Race
1. Delenn - Mimbari
2. Vir Coto and Londo Mollari - Centari
3. G'Kar - Narn​

 

[Khatti]

Babylon 5
Character - Race
1. Delenn - Mimbari
2. Vir Coto and Londo Mollari - Centari
3. G'Kar - Narn

I loved B5. Belong to a Facebook fan group. The Physics Forum thing about the show I found most interesting is how Straczinski dealt with the FTL problem. Don't build a starship, build a universe the ship can access to get to other points in the galaxy quickly.