When Charles Darwin laid out his theory of natural selection in 1859, little could he have imagined that, a good 150 years later, this cornerstone of evolutionary theory might help us form a mental picture of what alien life looks like. But that’s precisely how a group of researchers from Oxford University have done: In a research paper called “Darwin’s Aliens,” they’ve applied Darwin’s theory to alien life, positing that aliens–like humans–adapt to their environment, undergo natural selection, and move from simple to complex life forms. And, by the end, they could plausibly look something like a “colony of Ewoks from Star Wars or the Octomite” pictured above.
You can read “Darwin’s Aliens” in the International Journal of Astrobiology. It’s published on the Cambridge Core website.
If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletter, please find it here.
If you would like to support the mission of Open Culture, consider making a donation to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your contributions will help us continue providing the best free cultural and educational materials to learners everywhere. You can contribute through PayPal, Patreon, Venmo (@openculture) and Crypto. Thanks!
Related Content:
Free NASA eBook Theorizes How We Will Communicate with Aliens
Carl Jung’s Fascinating 1957 Letter on UFOs
They are so advance in everything in life. They can do anything. Yes! They believe in God! Aliens are not stupid. They don’t think u will understand them . They look like us. They are kind. Friendly. Open your mind. Stop saying stupid stuff. They are human.They have heart’s.pretty people and very unusual name’s.Alien’s are like us and have family’s.Soon they will come and show us all how too live the right way. In Pease. To live and learn. They visit. Alien’s are good people.
what do you mean they look like us? is that really what you look like? im scared for you tbh. And aliens are good people? Have you ever met one? lol