A close-up of Stephen Hawking's alien grazer shows the massive trunk used to scoop up simple plants. Picture: Discovery Channel
The design for this alien herbivore includes eyes placed on the sides of the head, a feature shared by most plant-eating animals on Earth to give them a wider field of view and early warning about predators. Picture: Discovery Channel
Another planetary extreme where life might be possible are worlds where the average temperatures are around the levels of liquid nitrogen (colder than minus 300 degrees Fahrenheit). Such extremes would require organic components and physiologies radically different than those found on Earth. Picture: Discovery Channel
THEY aren't just any aliens - they are extraterrestrial life as only one of the universe's best brains could envisage them.
Stephen Hawking has taken advantage of the latest computer graphics to display his versions of ET, based on hard science, for a new documentary series, Into The Universe.
The British theoretical physicist, trapped in a body paralysed by motor neurone disease, and author of the best seller A Brief History of Time, spent three years to finish the series, which airs this weekend on the Discovery Channel.
The 68-year-old suggests in the first episode that extraterrestrials are almost certain to exist.
A trio of alien hunters prepares to attack a herd of plant-eaters. Like most carnivores on Earth, these imaginary alien creatures have binocular vision and bodies built for speed and quick reaction. Picture: Discovery Channel
These carnivorous creatures also have membranes between the fore and hind limbs for gliding and a pair of venom-loaded stingers used to bring down prey. Picture: Discovery Channel
He points out the universe has 100 billion galaxies, each with hundreds of millions of stars, and that in such a huge place Earth is unlikely to be the only planet where life has evolved.
"To my mathematical brain, the numbers alone make thinking about aliens perfectly rational," he said. "The real challenge is to work out what aliens might actually be like."
Among the theoretical aliens are terrestrial herbivores and carnivores, lizard-like predators with limb membranes that allow them to glide using venom-loaded stingers to bring down a two-legged herbivore that has a huge vacuum snout to suck up food.
Such land-based aliens would probably feed and move in ways similar to animals on Earth.
A squid-like creature feeds on the bottom of the salty ocean thought to exist below the icy crust of a moon of Jupiter. Picture: Discovery Channel
If blimp-like creatures did roam the heavy atmospheres of gas giants, one possible source of energy to sustain life might be the ability to harvest electrical discharges from powerful lightning flashes. Picture: Discovery Channel
Prof Hawking also came up with a squid-like creature that could feed on the bottom of the salty ocean thought to exist below the icy crust of Jupiter's moon Europa.
Life on planets where the average temperatures are below -150C would require organic components and physiologies radically different than those found on terrestrial planets largely dependent on liquid water.
Source: Herald Sun, http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/stephen-hawking-uses-latest-computer-graphics-to-bring-aliens-to-life/story-e6frf7jo-1225889557028
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I like this very much. To the mathematical brain, the sheer numbers alone alien life possible. 100 million galaxies with hundreds of millions stars in each. Earth is just one star in one galaxy. Mind blowingly logical. Science meets dharma.
Buddha already mentioned there are many other worlds existing besides what we see in front of our eyes. And also there are many Buddhas teaching in those worlds. Some places, a Buddha has just begun to teach, some have ended. Some the teachings are alive now like in our world. But definitely Buddhas emanate all over to benefit. I heard this decades ago. I read this decades ago. And I believe it. So samsara is not just planet earth. Samsara encompasses these billions of planets and the million galaxies they belong to.
Many people from there can reincarnate to our planet. If one of their worlds is self destructing, many can reincarnate into our world temporarily making it seem there's a human population explosion on our planet. You see, actually we are all aliens!
Incredible. I love it. It further makes in my mind what Buddha taught so logical.
Tsem Tulku

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