Many things we have today, were only part of science fiction many years ago. There are always things we fantasize about, because we want it or fear it or just out of curiosity. Every generation experiences some breakthroughs; technological, social, environmental. Many of which were described in works of science fiction-fantasy.

One of the fantasies that has been part of our culture for many years, is the slim alien with his big eyed head. One day that species will come to the earth for a friendly cup of tea, or maybe to violently abduct us.

I think this fantasy is missing one crucial "fact": these aliens won't come from out of space. We are them. We can become that what we fantasize about today.

But we don't look like them at all? Not yet.

We have discovered the existence of DNA.
We have discovered how to read the DNA.
We're now trying to understand the DNA code.
And we're trying to write DNA.
Also are we developing computers that are powerful enough to do virtual DNA experiments. At first we will try to get rid of some terrible genetic disorders. That will be accepted first. Next we will try to improve ourselves by re-writing our own DNA code. At first we'll try to design the "übermensch", the human species at it's best (according to the opinion of that age), next we'll discover that our design isn't the best possible design, so we'll slowly change ourselves into a new species.

How would your design of an optimal species look like?
Naked skin, fur, skeleton on the outside, shark skin, or feathers?
Tall, short, heavy weight, slim? (note: the smaller the stronger & faster. Relatively)
How import are our: brains, eyes, ears, mouth, nose, organs, muscles, bones, hands, vingers, feet, toes? Enlarge the ones that are most important? Anything to add? Wings are cool, but not very practical, and it only works well for very small beings.

One of the possibilities is that we slowly evolve into our own designed species, that looks almost exactly like the aliens that we fantasize about today.