Well you can tell you never read Analog magazine!

I'll have to wait to post thre link to the cuttlefish escaping a diver. Its got a couple billion chromatic cells and takes on the color AND VISIBLE TEXTURE of a sea bush before morphing to normal and fleeing like hell, in an instant. This probably takes as much brain processing power as doing your taxes while dancing a foxtrot.

here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCgtYWUybIE

Terran oceans counter a lot of your essentials. Very high brainpower and social skills have developed among prdatory fish and mammals who don't herd animals or make tools. The food is so rich they don't bother. If they weren't so tasty to the Japanese, whales  might have evolved into a separate "sentient" species to match humans. Their first communication to us would probably be "we don't swim in your toilet, don't dump in our pool".

Also fishy sex doesn't seem to please them. They're driven to do it, but only at certain times and then they forget it for a while. Hmm they're also driven to ram beaches every now and then, maybe they evolved to the level of Paris Hilton

i know other animals may have these traits, i wont consider anything to be sentient unless they posess all of the items on the list.

and yes whales would be alot better off if it weren't for humans.

In my opinion, physical appearances do not mean a whole lot.  Evolution states that animals evolve based on their need to constantly adapt to their ever-changing environment to survive.  I'm surprised, however, that the one thing that truly makes animals sentient would be curiosity/imagination.  The ability to do something is one thing, but the ability to do something new is another.  And it is this ability to do new things, to imagine new things, is what truly causes evolution.

<<"How does what they eat figure into this? If I had to decide wether something was sentient or intelligent my decision would not be swayed by its diet, be it bananas or babies."

I am refering to healthy diet.  without a heathy balance of food, our mortallity would be severly weakened, especially our young.>>

So because I choose Burgers over Bananas I am not sentient? It may mean I am not intelligent, but not sentient?

<<5. Sex for plasure

"I can see how a rigid mating pattern could cause US some problems, but I dont see it affecting our sentience/intelligence?"

Being sentient has the strong possability of the realization of the benefits of animal husbandry.>>

Erm... I think you made a boo-boo

<<7. Religion or an idea of God

"So Spock isn't sentient? I think you strayed into the realm of personal preference with this one. I don't see how not having a religion or theistic concept would make something not sentient/intelligent, but then again I am an Atheist."

i too am an atheist, but i also realize that a sentient being must have a curiosity of a creator.>>

Sorry but this argument makes less sense than joe4444 on speed. Why MUST something have a concept of God in order to be sentient? I had no concept of god untill my parents dragged me to church, and even then I didn't understand it.
I guess I'm niether Intelligent nor sentient.

<<8. Politics

"I think I know what you mean on this one, you are referring to social structure, hierarchy, systems to ensure criminal punishment/social security etc. It would make it easier for us to get along with these theoretical aliens if they had a Political system, but neccessary for them to be classed as sentient? No."

i cant arggue too much about your logic on this one. but i willl have to say that politics may be a result of a sentient being and not a catalist.>>

That makes sense.

<<10. Walking upright may cause dignity in the sense of civilized nature(not proven but something to think about)

"Cute.
No.
Ok, ok: No because life on other worlds will have followed a very different path of evolution. What if we are talking about Gas-Bags, or Aquatic based creatures? What if they evolved from slugs or snakes? Not only is this requirement unfair, it's verging on racism."

okay, instead of wlaking upright, lets just say that a physical change that may result in better survival via navigation and overall agility against the forces of nature.>>

Which has nothing to do with sentience or intelligence.

<<you raise some good points and you can bet your ass i'm gonna be agueing the points with my professor on monday.  especiallly the one about dreams and imagination.>>

Yeah, I remember my Physics teacher throwing this one at us... the one about God caused a real rift in the class, especially with the Mormon kids. I think they could not understand how something could be sentient and not worship god... or something like that... I don't know... They got pissy anyway.

"Being sentient has the strong possability of the realization of the benefits of animal husbandry"

Sure, even our non-sentient friends the animals know the benefits of animal buddies. Do you know of the Cleaner Fish? Even Predators dont eat them. Not exactly related I know but yes being sentient means that you should realise the benefits of husbandry, but the relationship with sentience is, in my view, effect rather than requirement.

"yeah the one about god is a touchy one, i stated it because if i was to imagine a sentient being from another planet, i would automaticaly assume they have some type of beliefs stystem. it may not be god, but i think some type of spirutual interest must be in place.  and definately cerimonial burial.  since the word sentient means "aware or finely sensitive in perception or feeling" i would assume that the death of any sentient being's family member would spark a curiousity in the afterlife."

Again I know exactly what you mean but again I must point to my childhood experience. As already stated I had no concept of God, and when introduced to the concept I didn't understand it. The same applies to death; One of my Grandfathers died soon after the church thing and I simply accepted it. The only thing I wondered was why everyone was crying and when it was going to end.
Maybe this means I have a simple mind, I don't know, but I still have problems with the concept of life after death, and God.

"sex for pleasure: i think this would cause more emotion and love and create a family environment with would allow more lifeform to evolve emotionlly."

Yes it would, but is it a requirement in order to be classified as sentient?