The scientific explanation for why humans are so convinced that aliens look like octopuses

0ct0pus:

From the cartoonish Zoidberg (Futurama) and Kang and Kodos (The Simpsons) to the aliens of Prometheus and Arrival, modern storytellers seem particularly fond of drawing upon the deep for inspiration.

In many ways, it makes sense to use the squid and octopus as models for alien life. The oceans are like an alien world, with an atmosphere we cannot breathe that gives birth to bizarre forms beyond our imaginations. And cephalopods are about as far from the classic mammalian arrangement as you can get—yet they display surprising intelligence. 

The differences between our minds and theirs are evolutionary. Cephalopod intellect evolved under very different conditions than most creatures we consider intelligent. […]

Cephalopods live brief, antisocial lives. Even large species like the giant Pacific octopus last but a few years, and want little to do with other octopuses outside of copulation. Their minds didn’t evolve to form social bonds or lasting relationships. We don’t really know why they’re so smart or what evolutionary pressures led to their relative brilliance, though some think it may have to do with adapting to a life without a shell (an hypothesis that could also explain their short lifespans). Their intelligence, like their eight-legged, boneless bodies, is truly alien, even though both are from this world.

While cephalopods have inspired countless science fiction authors, it’s intriguing that they are almost entirely absent from abduction accounts. 

“I’ve seen no more reports of tentacles on UFO aliens than I could count on my fingers, […] the aliens that show up in purported real-life encounters “are a bit like us… something we can relate to.”

(via 0ct0pus)

Source: qz.com