Not only should aliens exist on planets with similar conditions to Earth, but they should look similar to human beings and even experience orgasms, according to a Cambridge evolutionary biologist.
The existence of such creatures, which are likely to be much more ancient than humans, is so likely that Cambridge boffin Simon Conway Morris says he is surprised they haven’t been found yet.
“Often, research into convergence is accompanied by exclamations of surprise, describing it as uncanny, remarkable and astonishing,” he told the International Business Times.
“In fact it is everywhere, and that is a remarkable indication that evolution is far from a random process. And if the outcomes of evolution are at least broadly predictable, then what applies on Earth will apply across the Milky Way, and beyond.”
He said that organs such as eyes and limbs, and capacities like tool-making and the ability to have orgasms are basically inevitable once life is developed.
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He cited his theory of “convergence” as an explanation for octopus eyes, which are at once very similar to human eyes but different in a number of ways.
In his new book, “Runes of Life,” Morris argues that according to convergent evolution there is a universal map of life, which sees different species develop similar attributes and that evolution is far from a random sequence of accidents.
In February, leading US astronomers began mulling plans to start beaming messages about Earth to hundreds of star systems with potentially inhabitable planets, according to the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute in California.
“There could be many civilizations out there but if they are all listening and no one is broadcasting then nothing will happen,” SETI chief executive David Black, an astrophysicist, told the Sunday Times.
The idea is to transmit regular messages via radio telescopes. The message would have to be detailed enough to provide information about the human race. One idea is to send the entire Wikipedia database.