Susan Schneider of the University of Connectict and the Institute for Advanced Studies at Princeton is one of the few thinkers—outside the realm of science fiction— that have considered the notion that artificial intelligence is already out there, and has been for eons. "I do not believe that most advanced alien civilizations will be biological," Schneider says. "The most sophisticated civilizations will be postbiological, forms of artificial intelligence or alien superintelligence."

Her recent study, Alien Minds, asks "How would intelligent aliens think? Would they have conscious experiences? Would it feel a certain way to be an alien?"

An alien superintelligence billions of years ahead of ours could take just about any form that they pleased. Biological containers do have their good points. To read more and view the video, click here.