From Newsgroup: alt.tv.star-trek.tos   
   From Address: elvis@ufo.com   
   Subject: Re: Define "alien"   
      
   On Thu, 11 Aug 2011 20:19:34 -0400, ToolPackinMama   
    wrote:   
      
   >OK, so, I say in TOS, "alien" means "not of our world".   
   >   
   >You?   
   >   
   >:)   
      
   Alien is such a centrist term to the beholder.   
      
   You might also want to consider when and where of our world. Dinosaurs   
   aren't alien.  They are just not here now.  But who knows what kinds   
   of life were possible on our Earth in the distant past or in the   
   distant future?  Say our atmosphere became like Venus, some funky life   
   might arise that would be happy to be alive.  Wouldn't be "alien" but   
   would be the new native of Earth.  May already have happened once.   
      
   Also, there's always some new life being found at the bottom of the   
   ocean or deep within the earth's crust so time and location on the   
   Earth are important criteria to determine "alien" or "of our world."   
      
   Life is life no matter what you call it, when you call it, where you   
   call it.  Nature has no membership clubs that I know of.   
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