What would benevolent aliens look like for first contact?

Question

We always assume first alien contact will be meeting with some strange looking alien, maybe with a multitude of limbs, sometimes with none, etc. etc..

However, so many of our Science Fiction stories talk about humans having strange bodies that have been manipulated at their genes and have other enhancements like cyborgs. One book I recently read was about humans that had 8 limbs, all arms, they wanted that for their work in space. Or gills for living on water worlds...

Why is it we can think that humans will manipulate their bodies to such extremes but aliens will all be homogeneous monsters that "scare" us just because of their alienness. I have to wonder for first contact if they would have specially designed bodies made for their ambassadors to communicate with us. I would think it might even help understand our frames of reference etc.

So assuming benevolence on the part of our first visitors how far might they try to modify their appearance (at least a few intermediaries) to communicate with us?

(I had a similar question before but it was poorly done, trying again and hope this is better)

Answer 1

Odd-looking but Human-like robots

In 2011, a civilization made first contact with a far more advanced alien species. As Samuel predicted in his answer, the contact took the form of a robot meant to mimick the denizens of the less advanced species.

The robot in question was RoboBee, built by Tim Landgraf et al in a bid to learn more about the bee's language of dancing (2). Communication was one-way and only partly succesfull, yet a first-contact for the bees, in terms of communication. The experiment lends credence to the argument bowlturner makes under the above question, that aliens would mimick us to make themselves understood. In the case of bees, a bee-like body was essential to talk the "dancing language" of bees.

I am RoboBee, ambassador from the human race to lesser developed species.

I have made contact with the natives. They are receptive to my messages, but appear to be controlled by some kind of hive mind.

The mysterious builders of the robot watch from afar, unable to walk among the bees in their true form.

Answer 2

They'll look like robots.

It seems to me that the most likely method for first contact will be through an artificial intelligence. Our own best chance (at this point in history) for making first contact, to teach others about we humans, is through our space probes. Voyager 1 is currently more than 18 light-hours from Earth. Attached the Voyager probes are Golden Records, bringing a message from humanity to any space faring races who may come across them.

The vastness of space and the very solid theory that (effective or actual) faster than light travel is not possible (or at least not feasible) means that actual biological aliens are very unlikely to visit us. Just as unlikely as we are to visit them.

Suppose they sent a generation ship or a cryo-sleeper ship. If they were coming here because they captured some radio waves or followed a probe back, they might know something about us and even what we look like. But because travel will take such long time, they couldn't even be sure we'd be the same when they arrived, or that we wouldn't have destroyed ourselves in the intervening decades/centuries.

This leaves non-biological emissaries. Robots. It's really the most logical method after sending a signal via light to let us know they're coming. The robots would come, hopefully with a measure of intelligence of their own. They would impart knowledge to us and ask nothing in return, as a benevolent race might do. Perhaps they could even bring some quantum entangled communication device, so that we may communicate with them in real time. It probably doesn't matter what they look like as long as we're just looking at a hologram. Modern humans can very easily accept what they're looking at if it's not in the room with them, we're used to seeing things that are not really there. This would be quite different for ancient humans, but then they wouldn't have a concept of benevolent aliens in the first place.

Answer 3

I would say this largely depends on their understanding of us.

If we go the route of thinking they've studied us for years and know things about our cultures and history. They may try to pick armor/holograms that depict benevolent forms. Ideas like this are explored in sci-fi all the time; Stargate has Thor (of ancient norse fame) belonging to a powerful race of aliens that are waiting for humans to reach a certain intellectual level. Displays and communication use the traditional image of Thor a norse warrior type figure with hammer in hand; however the alien is actually more typical of the "little grey men" appearance.

Other options may include: angels, greek gods, etc.

If on the other hand they're taking the blind approach to meeting us (following radio signals, but not really deciphering a meaning to them) then I suspect the dignitaries will be dressed in a way that shows status and respect befitting their own customs and traditions. We largely do this as well, our leaders dress in a way befitting their station for their culture.

Answer 4

Depends on who's going to define what "benevolent" means in this case.

For example if these aliens think for some reason that our way of existence is harmful to our "real" nature, they might want to "wake us" into the real reality by purging our illusionary world much like one wakes up a friend who's having a nightmare. So, in this case we might only see something upleasantly impersonal, like our sun suddenly becoming a nova.

It's also possible that they'd contact us telepathically, and we'd only meet after we've grokked each other.

Answer 5

As @Wabbitseason said, it depends on what one means by "benevolent."

My definition of benevolent aliens would have them say hello by first deactivating all of our nuclear weapons and oil/coal/fission industry in an ecologically tame way, and then plugging our power grids into something green that gives practically unlimited electrical power, and then showing us how to stop destroying our planet in other ways, how to not have our endangered species go extinct, how to not be money-obsessed and not have people starve or be impoverished, how to be benevolent ourselves, etc.

So after some initial power outages and panicked media, we'd notice some television and Internet broadcasts where some people are explaining what's going on in a very friendly calm way.

They might look like attractive normal humans, because they'd create spokesperson images (or recruit actual receptive humans, such as the Dalai Lama), to look that way, so as not to alarm us, realizing from all the film broadcasts they'd watched from Earth, what our sensibilities are like. We communicate largely by face images, and they might not have a face, and even if they did, probably wouldn't have the same expression meanings, so it'd make sense to use a human-based image.

Or they might decide to avoid looking too human, and make or borrow an image like we've made for likable aliens in our sci fi films, or to carefully invent one that's like an earth creature, but that we haven't yet used to represent a fictional alien species, so we won't think of them like that fictional species.

Or maybe just send audio with visual of something nice like a blue whale swimming peacefully underwater.

Or they might mess up that second-guessing process, so the image might look like something from Zardoz or something:

Or, they might decide not to do that, and show whatever they do look like (which could be all sorts of things), or they might choose not to show an image.

Answer 6

Benevolence is a matter of conduct not physical form.

Ultimately if the aliens are benevolent (in the true dictionary sense of the word) their actions and the manner in which they introduce themselves and deal with us will reflect that.

Also if they truly are benevolent they must by default have (or will seek as quickly as possible to obtain) at least a basic knowledge of humanity, its history and human society. This is because otherwise they wouldn't know how to explain or display their benevolence. After all if you want to perform an act of benevolence for some random person you've just met you need to get to know them and their background before you can do so.

So as other people have suggested robotic go-betweens or even just non alarming digital images/avatars would do for first contact and initial introductions while the aliens themselves remain in space. Once language and communications routines become established the aliens would be explaining their intentions and while doing this they would also explicitly state that the images/machines are not their true form. Being quite upfront about that point. Then?

They just tell the truth i.e. that they're worried humans will think they're horrible monsters. So they start with some basic facts about their biology and physiology and an explanation of life forms back home with images (stills first, later video) of their environment plus diagrams, then stills and finally video of their actual selves. They break the news gently from a distance and then wait for an offer/request for a meeting from us before face to face contact occurs.

Answer 7

Unfortunately, I am afraid that your presumption that we always assume aliens will be horrific is largely flawed. In a huge, perhaps majority of science fiction, the key to first contact is a largely common human appearance. Look at the popular TV show "V". They were lizards but wore human bio-shells to look like us.

Another popular example of alien appearance modification for first contact would be Independence Day, where the aliens were tiny little creatures with huge robotic exoskeletons that looked menacing because they had studied us and knew what would scare us.

I think a large section of scifi deals with the notion that we are a primitive and barbaric species and that our first visitors either have been or are somehow evolved versions of us. This explains the almond shaped eyes, large heads, spindly bodies, etc. These are less likely terror-inducing, but more likely logical progressions of physical evolution and specifically evolution off the planet. When astronauts return from space, they are completely encumbered by their physicality--gravity sucks after even a short time without it. It stands to reason that creatures from space would have minimal bodies and large heads.

But to answer your question in another way: what makes you think that we haven't already been visited by aliens that knew enough about us to completely accurately blend in with us? It's likely more common of a theme that Aliens with the technology to travel to our planet will pick a physical appearance that is the most effective for communication with our species. Any attempt to appear frightening would only be the result of thinking that we would be barbarians and that frightening us would be the only way to control us.

But honestly, I like either the notion that we exist like fish (@Peter Masiar)--something that an alien society wouldn't even consider except as a novelty or pet. Or that the universe is much bigger and hugely more populated than we know, but with an interstellar group of "protectors" that placed us under quarantine in the universe until we develop to a stage that we are worthy of knowing the truth..or worthy of harvest like the next coming of Jesus Christ would be.

Answer 8

This depends on the personality of the aliens. No, seriously. Not every human thinks alike, nor dresses alike. Some humans wear tailored suits, others wear T-shirts. Humans have different goals, and present themselves in accordance with those goals. There is no good reason to think that the majority of intelligent species, or even highly advanced ones, would have a uniform approach to interacting with other sapient life-forms. A straightforward species, or straightforward members of a given species, might present themselves in their true forms, with whatever protection is necessary for the environment in which they find themselves. A deceptive species, intent on taking over without being noticed, would almost certainly take on human forms (unless they could control humans directly with a high degree of reliability). A species looking to be admired might look like attractive humanoids, or they might all be clones of Justin Bieber. A species that wanted to scare us might assume the form of a 300-foot tall tentacled squid-dragon-ape monster, but more than likely would be tall, slender, swarthy and sinister, buying up strange instruments of glass and metal and combining them into instruments yet stranger.

Answer 9

There are two important things that others have raised:

1. "This depends on the personality of the aliens." AKA do they have enough common ground to understand us and our standards or do they miss the point completely, like the alien invader in Never Send to Know for Whom the Lettuce Wilts.

2."I would say this largely depends on their understanding of us." Even if they can understand us that doesn't necessarily mean that they do. Also humans are not a uniform group and we change over time a good understanding of the Papal States under Alexander VI wouldn't translate well in modern society. So called "Historic Truths" like "people only respect strength" could also be problematic.

I think there's a third point that I'm not seeing "What do they ultimately want?" Aliens looking for a market like Niven's Outsiders have very different motives to those looking for allies. Those motives will interact with the above to frame what they find an appropriate appearance in a first contact scenario. Merchants may wish to appear harmless, and keep on doing so in all contacts with us. Warrior cultures looking for allies are probably going to have to be more honest upfront.

Sorry about the formatting, I can't get the bullet points right for some reason.

Answer 10

Assuming they've chosen to specifically design a body to look friendly to humans, the first thing I'd do is not try to make it look like a human at all. While that is an approach that can work, it's also incredibly fraught, because what would be really minor differences from a non-human perspective can make it go from familiar to horrifying. Something as subtle as how exactly it moves can break it. If you steer away from human shapes, you won't accidentally fall into the uncanny valley.

To figure out a good form, they could look at human bodies, yes, but in a more abstract sense, trying to figure out what is aesthetically pleasing or comfortable about them, and collating that with animals humans like, along with art (though that's a bit dangerous if you don't know what kind of feeling the art is supposed to elicit).

Perhaps they'll find that they should favor soft shapes, and avoid things like spikes. Keep it simple enough, too - no head covered in a thousand eyes. And while we're on eyes, give it some. Two, specifically. Put them on its face. For that matter, have a face. Mouth, optionally a nose. Don't make it too human. The simpler they keep it, the less subtle pitfalls they face. Maybe it'll end up some kind of almost cartoony blob with a friendly face.

If they're not designing a body from scratch, they might just modify their natural body a bit following the same conclusions they find about what humans find comfortable. It's also possible their natural body looks just fine to humans as is. Even if they do look like eldritch horrors, which I wouldn't necessarily expect, it could still be fine: They're talking to us, they seem like reasonable people, sure they look horrifying, but I'm sure we can get over that. If they are really uncomfortable for human interaction, though, they might still want to do some alterations (since they're apparently quite able and willing) to make human interaction go more smoothly.

Answer 11

They'd look exactly like the greys are usually described

Assuming they really wanted to go the distance for fist public communications with a less advanced species, the aliens would want to appear similar enough to suggest a similar frame of existence and frame of mind to us while not looking so similar as to fall into the uncanny valley effect.

They'd also want to avoid wearing any adornments or equipment which could have ambiguous uses (dont look like you carrying a gun during first contact). In fact, if you have a genetically engineered ambassador class, you probably going to want them to be naked as a show of openness and vulnerability.

Finally, studies with animals have shown that as creatures get more sociable they tend to get larger eyes and whiter skin tones as these aid in communicating intent - where most other animals try to hide their intent.

Oddly, this leaves one with the popular description of short, naked grey aliens with enlarged heads and large eyes. Odd that -.-

Answer 12

I've always felt that a good approach for this would be, essentially, reverse-ambassadors. They would pick a small selection of representatives from the populace who could handle directly (or indirectly) interacting with them, and then use those people as representatives to sort of "pave the way" for eventual direct interaction. Assuming a wildly varied population (especially if it's a group of multiple different species, possibly enhanced as you say), it might be better to avoid confusion and/or overwhelming the poor lesser species.
A multi-step process beginning with local representatives might smooth things over. We see this all the time in reality, where a person who wishes to enter a group or organization seeks out a representative already in that group/organization to "make introductions".

Answer 13

If they are benevolent they would show up as themselves.

Hiding implies hidden purposes. Even if they are "for the good of the universe" they might inadvertently harm human interest. But look at all those shows featuring "alien-looking" alien superheroes like Ultraman and some of those Marvel or DC alien heroes--Most of them perform works of good as themselves. But look at the Alien X from Godzilla: Final Wars. They pretend to be human but are only monsters inside a humanoid skin. Humans get used to weirdness faster if the aliens are honest about who they are.

Answer 14

If, after the initial contact with humans, the aliens found their appearance to be repulsive, then for subsequent contacts, they may choose a human form. Only later, after establishing trust, would they reveal their true appearance.

Answer 15

You assume that sufficiently advanced aliens would be interested in interacting with humans. For me, it is far from obvious.

Imagine alien race which developed just mere 500M years earlier. They are as distant from us as we are distant from fish. Do we consider fish when you travel over water? Exactly.

And because rate of progress increases, after 500M years aliens would be much more different from even their own original form.

I do not think it is a stupid question. It is a very serious question.

Just our concepts/means of communication might be so off target that aliens may use that any meaningful contact would be nearly impossible. And only if aliens are benevolent, which is also far from guaranteed. @Abulafia made same point, but more humorous way.