Live data from Hacker News

Group of scientists suggest that octopuses might actually be aliens

bgr.com

21–30 of 129 posts

Re: Group of scientists suggest that octopuses might actually be aliens

#21

Complete sidebar: octopuses/squid are on my short list of "things in American diet I don't eat because they are too smart" (pigs being the other).

Due to the acidification of the ocean, there's an overpopulation of squid in the seas. It would actually be beneficial if people started eating more of them, because they're predators of other fish species that we ourselves are already overfishing. Note: I'm not an environmentalist, it is just something I noticed.

I'm Korean so dried squid is my favorite snack but it costs $50 for 10 of them in NYC. Would not recommend this snack though, I hear it's pretty harsh on your teeth.

Re: Group of scientists suggest that octopuses might actually be aliens

#23

Just my own perspective: as one who believes God is responsible for the origin, complexity, and diversity of life, this article makes me chuckle. The theory of evolution as an explanation of the origin of the major taxa of life really paints us into a corner from which it is difficult to wiggle out. In my opinion, the panspermia/alien origin hypothesis (and its persistence as an explanation in some respected circles)…

"The theory of evolution as an explanation of the origin of the major taxa of life really paints us into a corner from which it is difficult to wiggle out."

Sure, it's easy to avoid corners when you can place them arbitrarily, or even move them when they're inconvenient.

Re: Group of scientists suggest that octopuses might actually be aliens

#25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Due to the acidification of the ocean, there's an overpopulation of squid in the seas. It would actually be beneficial if people started eating more of them, because they're predators of other fish species that we ourselves are already overfishing. Note: I'm not an environmentalist, it is just something I noticed.

In fact, I have a modest proposal to share with you on that front. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Modest_Proposal

[flagged]

Re: Group of scientists suggest that octopuses might actually be aliens

#26
post #24
post #9

I wouldn't trust anything from that website. That scientific journal sounds sketchy, too

It is at least, according to Elsevier, peer reviewed. * https://www.elsevier.com/journals/progress-in-biophysics-and...

Elsevier getting desperate lol

Re: Group of scientists suggest that octopuses might actually be aliens

#27

For constructive criticism on the content of this article, there's a quartz piece - https://qz.com/1281064/a-controversial-study-has-a-new-spin-...

Not even criticism - it doesn't mention what the scientists take to be their evidence, much less discuss any of that. It then misunderstands the mention of "future" - the point actually being made was that the alien octopi were so much more complex because they'd had far longer to evolve, not that someone owned a time-machine. I don't have a position on the question, but this article was mostly a waste of time.

Re: Group of scientists suggest that octopuses might actually be aliens

#28
post #3

A few questions that pop into my head: Why did land insects never rise to match the intelligence of the octopus? If octopuses are so smart, why aren't they more social? Why is it that the most social of animals, ants (which are considered eusocial actually), are not pressed with becoming smarter? Why does sex cause octopuses to self-destruct? Also, when it comes to weird theories, I have always thought that if we are…

> If octopuses are so smart, why aren't they more social? Because they are so smart.

https://www.sciencealert.com/marine-biologists-discover-an-u...

Re: Group of scientists suggest that octopuses might actually be aliens

#29
post #23

Just my own perspective: as one who believes God is responsible for the origin, complexity, and diversity of life, this article makes me chuckle. The theory of evolution as an explanation of the origin of the major taxa of life really paints us into a corner from which it is difficult to wiggle out. In my opinion, the panspermia/alien origin hypothesis (and its persistence as an explanation in some respected circles)…

"The theory of evolution as an explanation of the origin of the major taxa of life really paints us into a corner from which it is difficult to wiggle out." Sure, it's easy to avoid corners when you can place them arbitrarily, or even move them when they're inconvenient.

> place them arbitrarily, or even move them when they're inconvenient.

I know others have been accused of that; I endeavor to maintain integrity.

Re: Group of scientists suggest that octopuses might actually be aliens

#30
Here is what I would like to understand: If there is any truth to the theory that Octopuses indeed evolved in outer space and were delivered to our planet via a cosmic payload, how is it that they happened to have the same kind of protein-based, DNA-based genetics like we have? Isn't it too much of a stretch to imagine that an alien evolved under similar conditions with similar genetic foundation like life evolved in our planet?
Post reply on HN