For a species which is based on a life form to operate on a Planet, it needs to have input from its environment to fulfill its mission. Even if that mission is as simple as being born, procreating the next generation, and then dying. During its mission it needs to operate to fulfill that duty and responsibility for the survival of that species correct? Indeed that is correct. Now then as we explore other worlds, moons, planets and the Universe how do you suppose other life forms, intelligent or other wise will perform these tasks? What senses will they have or need to possess to fulfill their lives mission? Perhaps they will be similar in nature to those on the Planet Earth or maybe they will have additional senses or be minus some of those senses most common on the Earth? This subject recently came up in an online think tank when a guest member stated; As for the other senses, they are the basic templates for perceiving the world around one, and almost all animals on earth possess them to some degree - perception of light, vibration, texture, temperature, gases (smells), and ph or flavor. Beyond this though, they may have a heightened sensitivity to radiation of any kind, or greater bands of the EM spectrum that we aren't sufficiently exposed to or reliant on to ever evolve sensitivity to. It would stand to reason that we will find some of the same things on other worlds that we find on Earth and indeed we will find many other potential senses we have never experienced here on Earth as well. Nevertheless we will continue our quest for life on other worlds and we will be both humbled and enlightened as we do. So, consider all this in 2006. |