Suggested by KindaSkolarly. Thanks KindaSkolarly!

Please use this thread top discuss the short story, "They're Made out of Meat," by Terry Bisson. You can read this story for free right here.

Here's a YouTube video based on the short story. And another one.

Let us know what you think of this story.

Liked it. The story describes advanced alien intelligences who find it unbelievable that intelligence could be possible in the merely biological existence of humanity. It gives the impression these entities are some sort of angelic energy, with powers we could not begin to imagine. What I like about this story is its implication that we should not assume our current physics is near complete, since there may be aspects of reality we cannot perceive.

I like the reversal in this story--machines (or at least non-meat sentient beings) thinking about humans the way that we think about machines. I also like the way it's told in dialogue. The lack of descriptive prose leaves you free to picture the conversationalists any way you want.

Although the story was somewhat whimsical and obvously intended to be taken in a humorous vein, I found a kernel of seriousness therein. I remember (quite a few years ago) when a scientists were discussing, a reurring theme, life elsewhere in the universe. The phrase "life as we know it" kept popping up, and one individual remarked (or wrote) "How would recognize life as we DON'T know it." Last night I was discussing this with my son-in-law (who has a degree in microbiology). He suggested a sulfur based life form, and I mentioned silicon. My daughter interjected, "Does this mean computers could be alive?" We continued with the feasibility of a chlorine breather, and the possibility of intelligent plant life. (For more on this, see the sci-fi spoof, "Guardians of the Galaxy.") I mentioned Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything" and its chapter which suggests life evolved to fit the environment it found itself in (hot springs, deep ocean canyons, high mountains, etc.). I was also reminded of the line from Michael Crichton's "Jurassic Park" (the book): "Life will find a way."