Want to show that a creature is alien or somehow otherworldly? Easy – give it eye stalks. This simple anatomical alteration seems so strange to us humans that it will clearly signal the extraterrestrial, or even extra-dimensional origin of whatever lucky critter is able to peep way over the top of its head (and probably annoy anyone sitting behind it in the cinema).
But why are eye stalks so weird? There are various animals on Earth that have eye stalks – especially marine creatures. Even so, the association is “alien” not “sea life” (although certain science fiction and horror authors have brought the two far closer than they naturally would be). Maybe it’s because, as humans, we’re so used to having to turn our heads if we want to look behind us.
Even in the modern world, when reversing in our vehicles, we still rely on head checks constantly. Oh, sure, we have a bunch of mirrors to help out, but we don’t use the technology that is available and would make our lives much easier: cameras. A reverse camera kit helps you see what’s behind your vehicle, which is handy if you’re in a car, and downright essential if you’re in a larger vehicle like a motorhome or if you’re towing a caravan. Without a rear vision camera, you won’t be able to adequately see what’s behind your trailer, and you’ll be in a much more dangerous position.
It’s neat to think that we’ve reached this stage where, thanks to our gadgetry, we can one-up eye stalks when it comes to looking behind us. I’m not saying that we’re prepared to deal with an alien invasion, but I reckon that we can at least make this planet a bit safer by using reversing cameras to get a good look behind our vehicles.
