this post was submitted on 15 Jun 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] [email protected] 40 points 2 days ago (7 children)

We always tend to portray aliens in science fiction as humanoids. It's time to change that

[–] [email protected] 29 points 2 days ago

Isaac Asimov, “Hostess” (1951):

There were four fingers but no thumb. Each finger had five independent ball-and-socket joints. In this way, the flexibility lost with the absence of the thumb was made up for by the almost tentacular properties of the fingers. What was even more interesting to her biologist’s eyes was the fact that each Hawkinsite finger ended in a vestigial hoof, very small and, to the layman, unidentifiable as such, but clearly adapted at one time to running, just as man’s had been to climbing.

[…]

“[…] Look, there are five intelligent races in the Galaxy. These have all developed independently, yet have managed to converge in remarkable fashion. It is as though, in the long run, intelligence requires a certain physical makeup to flourish. […]”

[…]

“Now when the differences among the intelligences are closely investigated, it is found over and over again that it is you Earthmen, more than any of the others, who are unique. For instance, it is only on Earth that life depends upon metal enzymes for respiration. Your people are the only ones which find hydrogen cyanide poisonous. Yours is the only form of intelligent life which is carnivorous. Yours is the only form of life which has not developed from a grazing animal. And, most interesting of all, yours is the only form of intelligent life known which stops growing upon reaching maturity.”

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Adrian Tchaikovsky would like a word.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Can you recommend some of his work to start?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

The main reason I mentioned him is the Children of Time series, it revolves around non-humanoid “aliens” a lot. Fantastic series, but I love almost any of his SciFi stories.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Cool, thank you, friend!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

Almost “Username checks out” :)

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Rocky from Hail Mary is sort of crab-like, and I think they're making a film adaptation...

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yep. Very non-human or earth like at all in anatomy.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

"That would be expensive! Just slap a crab necklace on some guy and call it a day."

-the producers

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Coming out in March

Very excited

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yeah, I hate that so much. Often times, it's clearly just easier/cheaper to put makeup on a human actor, or at least for the aliens to be able to use the same equipment. But it's so boring. If I want to see a humanoid with different skin color, I'll visit my neighbor.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago

Aaaaand there is the Mass Effect reason

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

iirc, in Star Trek the Klingons descend from a crab-like ancestor. I mean, yes, I understand what you’re getting at but I still think it’s kinda cool that Klingons are sort of humanoid crabs

[–] [email protected] 22 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Which canon? In TNG, they establish that humans/klingons/romulans/cardasians/etc all share the same progenitor race that seeded the stars based on their DNA.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I think I read it somewhere in a trivia thing on Memory Alpha, but I honestly donʻt remember. But the Progenitors seeded common ancestors with their DNA. Which means that species like the Xindi wouldʻve had Progenitor DNA even though they have a multi-facted evolution with reptillian, primate, and arboreal humanoids…

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago

You're forgetting the three other Xindi species, that are much less humanoid. The Avians, who look much like a pterodactyl. The Insectoids, who look like praying mantis. And the coolest of them, the Aquatics, who have amazing spaceships full of water rather than air, which made for some awesome scenes!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Prador Moon literally has giant space crabs as the antagonists.