What Darwin’s theories tell us about the shape alien life will take

All aliens must evolve, says a new study from scientists at the University of Oxford - and that gives us something to look for

"It's life, Jim, but not as we know it." How many times did we hear Mr Spock say this back in the day when classic Star Trek ruled the airwaves?* What always interested me back then was how did he know that it was life if it was so barely recognisable by Earthly (or Vulcan) standards?

Turns out a group of scientists from the zoology department at the University of Oxford may have the answer. Don't look for faces, eyes, limbs or any of the large-scale things that are so familiar to life on Earth. Don't look at the chemistry either. Instead, look for the hallmarks of natural selection.