Why Do Boffins Think Aliens Breathe Oxygen?
By Janey1966
@Janey1966 (24170)
Carlisle, England
July 28, 2011 10:55am CST
I don't know if there are aliens "out there" but it wouldn't surprise me if there were.
However, why do Boffins think that life on another planet has to involve breathing oxygen? There could be alien life forms on the likes of Mars but they might not necessarily need oxygen to survive. In fact, they might not even have to eat anything or drink water.
Why do Boffins think everything outside this Earth is..well, the same, or more to the point, they WANT it to be the same so we can visit it in future? God help us if we ever colonise another planet as we'd ruin that one as well.
All this came about when I was led awake thinking about the film "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and it's a film at the top of the list if John ever gets a Blu-Ray Player. He hasn't even got it on DVD!! Sacrilege! I actually prefer the version that ISN'T extended as I like to imagine what it's like in the spaceship without Richard Dreyfuss showing us all lol.
Why do Boffins think everything outside this Earth is..well, the same, or more to the point, they WANT it to be the same so we can visit it in future? God help us if we ever colonise another planet as we'd ruin that one as well.
All this came about when I was led awake thinking about the film "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and it's a film at the top of the list if John ever gets a Blu-Ray Player. He hasn't even got it on DVD!! Sacrilege! I actually prefer the version that ISN'T extended as I like to imagine what it's like in the spaceship without Richard Dreyfuss showing us all lol.1 person likes this
7 responses
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
29 Jul 11
Actually, they don't - they are just working on the idea that if we run into them in a "competitive" situation, then it would be because they want the same kinds of worlds we are wanting...
So, unless the "Martians" have gone underground, the chances of them surviving on the surface is slim, but we are talking intelligent life, not "life" in a generic way.
I have read many SF books where aliens are evolved to live in very different types of worlds, some written by scientists - so don't think they are looking for life only in compatible places.
Now, I've got a question, why does E.T. have those HUGE eyes if he comes from a place with LOTS of life? Doesn't it make sense he comes from a darkish place?
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
29 Jul 11
That's a very good question and I can't understand why he has huge eyes either. Oh, and in real life I reckon he'd be experimented on and killed but that's me being cynical!
1 person likes this
@MagicalBubbles (5103)
• Canada
28 Jul 11
Sounds like we might be the only planet with oxygen, so Im sure that aliens do not breathe the same way we do, needing the same thing we do. Surprise, surprise, they might not even look the same as us.
This is one flaw common to humans.....to think that we are the center of the universe and that all other intelligent species will look like us. BULL!!
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
29 Jul 11
Wow, I think I've started something here!
1 person likes this
@MagicalBubbles (5103)
• Canada
29 Jul 11
I think you might have 
Well I dont know about planting trees on mars, if they would survive but Im sure they could come up with a type of tree that might be able to. But then again, once there, they might not look like our trees after a while, cuz I dont think creatures living on other planets look like we do.
Well I dont know about planting trees on mars, if they would survive but Im sure they could come up with a type of tree that might be able to. But then again, once there, they might not look like our trees after a while, cuz I dont think creatures living on other planets look like we do.
@vandana7 (98826)
• India
29 Jul 11
Well, it is extension of Lamby's methane..LOL
But it is possible u know, one man's food is another man's poison. So what one species discards, another species uses. May not be immediate or direct, but eventually. After all, matter can neither be created nor destroyed. 
@dollar3235 (2062)
• India
29 Jul 11
Hi Janey,
Thanks to such crap movie makers, such important topic has become a sarcastic joke in our society.
I am not sure if you would believe me or not but yes, Aliens do exist and their influence on human life is much more than we expect.
Check this URL, you will have better idea on what I am saying:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcrzD0PfyPs
http://www.ufoevidence.org/cases/case486.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vyVe-6YdUk
These are only a few such incidents and there are n number of such proofs available here on earth.
@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
29 Jul 11
Life forms depend on ecological conditions.The reason why human has existing way of metabolism where water is one of the necessities of life is that he lives in the earth.I think if there are aliens,their life forms are surely suited to the ecological conditions where they live in.Of course,so far nobody has seen them.As to the hearsay about them,we take it for what it is worth.The films can perfectly picture them as what they like to,because nobody may challenge theirs.
@destructobgX (133)
•
29 Jul 11
Yeah that is really weird they are ALIENS so they are different from us no one thinks of this way i believe in aliens :D there can be aliens anywhere ( invisible :D )so ...
@inertia4 (27961)
• United States
29 Jul 11
I think people think that alien life is like ours because thats all we have to compare it to. I agree, there could be alien life that does not breath oxygen or eat or even sleep for that matter. As for close encounters of the third kind, I love that movie. I remember when it came out. I watch it every time its on. And I found out its on this month on Directv.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
29 Jul 11
It's years since I watched it so if John did ever buy (either) a CD or Blu-Ray then it would be like watching it for the first time. I agree, it is a great film.
