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>There's a reason cetaceans haven't developed the technology we have. Isn't the real reason the whole "living under water" thing? Hard to develop tools when yo

• midoridensha 3y ago
  Yes, that, plus not having limbs with grasping appendages and opposable thumbs. That's my whole point: aliens on other planets aren't likely to develop technology and build starships if they can't even develop or use basic tools, whereas aliens that evolve humanoid bodies have the basic structure needed to do so. There certainly could be all kinds of aliens out there with very different bodies (including cetacean-like bodies, this is probably common on worlds with oceans), but they're not going to be building ships and visiting us here on Earth.
  • anon25783 3y ago
    Well, but what about octopi and their cousins? They are among the most intelligent and the most dextrous creatures on Earth; it seems to me that they are just nerfed by their short lifespans.
    • midoridensha 3y ago
      That and living in water. It seems much, much more difficult to develop tools and technology in an aquatic environment than in air. Just think about how poorly almost any manufactured item performs, long-term, in water (corrosion, etc.). Of course, it's possible some aliens might develop underwater, like octopi, and develop technology. But I think it's far less likely than aliens that evolve on dry land.