Scientists exhibit alien ideas

Scientists will reveal what they believe extraterrestrials might look like in an exhibition opening Oct. 14 at the London Science Museum.

Movie writers have portrayed their ideas by creating science fiction film characters such as in "Men in Black," "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" and "Alien." Now scientists have injected a little reality into the theories, The London Telegraph reported Monday.

The Science of Aliens exhibition includes such species as the stinger fan, a plant-like animal; the gulphog, a dinosaur-type predator: and the skywhale, a flying sea monster -- creatures that might appear strange but are true to ideas of natural selection, the Telegraph said.

Stephen Foulger, the exhibition's manager, told the Telegraph: "It is true that some scientists believe complex life forms are rare or possibly non-existent. But the majority still believe they exist. The problem is that they are so distant, we simply cannot detect them.

"This should not stop us speculating about what kind of worlds they might live on or what they might look like, however. And that is what we have done."

Copyright 2005 by United Press International