© 1975-1979, 2008 Robert A. Freitas Jr. All Rights Reserved.

Robert A. Freitas Jr., Xenology: An Introduction to the Scientific Study of Extraterrestrial Life, Intelligence, and Civilization, First Edition, Xenology Research Institute, Sacramento, CA, 1979; http://www.xenology.info/Xeno.htm

16.3  Androids and Cyborgs

As we have seen, there are few limits to the possible accomplishments of alien biotechnologists. But the biological forms which nature has provided are especially well-adapted to a pretechnological planetary environment. ETs may need to design new forms to accomodate the requirements of a fast-paced industrialized technical society. Genetic manipulation might turn out to be a natural prerequisite to man-machine coupling. For example, gene surgery may permit body proportions to be altered to better fit the dimensions of mechanical systems such as computers and starships.

Sentient extraterrestrials thus may turn to synthetic biological or to bionically-augmented designs which possess the desired characteristics of high reliability, great longevity, and which interface more perfectly with various technological aspects of the environment. There are three general classes of such entities: Androids (purely biological), cyborgs (part biological and part mechanical), and robots (purely mechanical).

Last updated on 6 December 2008