If extraterrestrials come to Earth, the ensuing scenario would be quite different than picking up an alien radio signal or detecting a flashing laser in the sky, modes of discovery being pursued by my colleagues and myself. The aliens producing such signals will be light years away, and their appearance and intentions wouldn’t be of much concern. But those of anyone landing their spacecraft on our turf would be. Consider their looks. On Earth, nature has spawned a wide variety of living forms, and presumably would do so anywhere multicellular life exists. All terrestrials have DNA blueprints, and share similarities in molecular makeup. Nonetheless, few of our fellow Terrans resemble us. The extraterrestrials wouldn’t either. This argues against the iconic aliens of film and TV, those little gray guys who are no more than modified humans. Their four appendages, upright stance, and absence of body hair are simple extrapolations of ourselves. Yes, Hollywood offers up these beings as residents of faraway worlds. But really they’re just the guy next door, lacking in eyebrows and whites in their eyes.