After reading hard SF for the past 50 years, and writing hard SF successfully for the past 20, I've started to dig deeper into what it takes to create realistic alien life forms. In the following series, I'll be sharing some of what I've learned. I've had some of those stories published, some not...I teach a class to GT young people every summer called ALIEN WORLDS. I've learned a lot preparing for that class for the past 25 years...so...I have the opportunity to share with you what I've learned thus far. Take what you can use, leave the rest. Let me know what YOU'VE learned. Without further ado...
“An octopus could NEVER evolve into intelligence – not equal to Humans! An octopus couldn’t use fire or walk or go on the surface…”
Lots of people would argue that octopuses would NEVER have evolved Human intelligence or been able to make tools – because they can’t use fire to form metal tools.
“But is METAL absolutely essential to an intelligent civilization?” I ask.
“Well, DUH! How could they make cars, or trains, or planes, or computers, or spears, or machine guns, or lasers? You need ALL THAT STUFF to have an intelligent, space-worthy civilization!” you reply.
So…let’s look at it. ALSO: I am going to bar myself from having octopi being able to communicate telepathically, or manipulate matter telekinetically.
But what about telecommunication, or telescopes (duh! To see the stars!), or teleconference(!), or telemarket (…OK, I’ll grant you we do NOT need telemarketers, or Teletubbies, or telenovelas, either; being without teleology wouldn’t kill anyone, either, though TELEVANGELISM might be a fascinating dive down a rabbit hole! We'll see...), television, telegraph, telephoto lenses…surrender yet??? Good. I couldn’t find many others that made sense.
The thing is, is that most of stuff up above needs something even more essential to Human civilization: ELECTRICITY. We all know that electricity and water (especially SALT water) do NOT mix…what? What about salt water? Salt in water INCREASES the ability of water to conduct electricity – by fifty to A HUNDRED times. So, being under water doesn’t NECESSARILY eliminate an octopoid alien being able to become Human-level intelligent.
So…what if they could produce electric CURRENT and an electric DISCHARGE. By definition a CURRENT: “…he flow of electrons or other charged particles (ions) through a conductive material…conventional current is defined as moving from positive to negative. In a Direct Current (DC): In batteries, charges move in one direction (like when I UNplug my computer.) With Alternating Current (AC): Charges periodically reverse direction, like in the charger this computer is plugged into.
Can octopuses do either one? No, they can’t. But electric eels can…they create direct charges. “…electric eels and rays use a DC to stun or kill prey. But some can use weak pulses for navigation and communication in dark, murky water, similar to radar. Some insects like bumblebees create small amounts of static electricity through their wings to communicate with their hive and can control their discharge, with some, like the electric eel, using lower voltages to track prey before releasing a high-voltage, debilitating shock.”
So, the octopoid intelligence would have to be able to be like an electric eel…OK, I’ll grant that; and THAT is just about enough for today! Come back next week and I’ll push my “intelligent alien octopuses” agenda a bit harder!
Sources: https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/backgrounders/generating-electricity-electric-animals#:~:text=Electrogenic%20animals%20can%20generate%20their%20own%20electricity.,Fish%20Most%20electrogenic%20animals%20are%20also%20electroreceptive.
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJurDYBLLEw&t=2s
SF with “Octopus Intelligences”: https://meandinkblog.wordpress.com/2024/02/23/fiction-books-octopus/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus
IMAGE: https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/nintchdbpict000407183945.jpg?strip=all&w=960
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