I doubt crabs could make it as an intelligent interplanetary species. I mean claws are cool and all, but really tough to use tools with.
Sure, but have you ever tried to disarm a crab and lived to tell the tale?
I sure the fuck wouldn't want to fight a giant crab. I just don't think they could build an interstellar space ship, that's all.
What is this "crabbification" evolution trend you speak of?
Intelligence favours dexterity of making/holding weapons and tools. Claws are not as good. Armour is always a nice to have, but the offense from weapons use from "hands" is better. I do like the idea of 360 rotating "eye arms" to catch backstabbers. Maybe more arms and legs.
But what if the human form is a prerequisite for evolving into the space age? We wouldn't need so many tools if we were strong as a crab to begin with
I've never seen a crab measure thousandths of an inch, or back a Phillip's head screw out of a hole with their crab strength. Tools are still required.
I've seen a wasp unscrew a screw I thought was in pretty tight.
What am asshole!
The premise is that they won't invent advanced things such as screws because the survival pressure is less intense
Funny to think about it: Crabs are a huge local maximum of peak evolution
reminder:
You guys should read the Stormlight archives. Fuckin everything is a crab, even the plants.
Taste like crab, talk like people.
Crab people. Crab people.
A fairly small number of known species evolved to the vaguely humanoid form, but 100% of known species with a human level of higher intelligence have had roughly this body plan, it's really not unreasonable to extrapolate that this could be a common body plan for intelligent aliens.
Taken more seriously, having the evolutionary background to have:
another human-like civilization is pretty unlikely.
known species with a human level of higher intelligence
Dolphins and whales might be intelligent, but their bodies do not allow them effective use of complex tools. Same for birds.
Octopods do have a body that is flexible enough, but having evolved in water is a huge limiting factor. But some are able to move around outside water, so it's not too far fetched to imagine becoming a global species.
Octopods only live a few years though.
So we're back to square one. We got a serious luck of the draw with the whole package.
You know who's not a coward? Captain James T Kirk.
Yeah, he was well known for spreading STDs throughout the universe - including crabs.
If this post is awakening some weird feelings in you, there’s an episode of Futurama you might want to watch.
Oh yeah, that crab could definitely get it
Project Hail Mary got this really right. The aliens are big rock crabs
It was such a good book. I can't wait for the movie release! Apparently its due to he released in 2026.
Howvabout Lizard people?
There are sexy lizards
Life can have infinite forms and can exist and evolve in the most inhospit environments. But an advanced tecnologig species only can exist in certain environments and with reduced posibility in their appearence. Aquatic beeings can be intelligent, but never can create advanced tecnologies. The basic condicion of advanced tecnology is the domination of fire and electricity, not possible in the water, it need Oxign in the atmosphere.
They must have limbs skilled enough to handle and construct this technology, a complex communication system, and a binocular vision system (for this reason the most used in all species) to perceive their environment. The humanoid shape is one that best fits these maxims and therefore it is quite possible that an advanced species would also have a more or less similar shape.
It is known as convergent evolution, when unrelated species have a very similar physique to each other by living with the same challenges in similar environments. Evolution always use similar solutions for similar tasks. A good example is the genet, which looks and behaves very similar to cats, even with retractil claws), but they are a completely different species (Viverridae)
Land octopi would be pretty cool though.
A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.
Rules
This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.
