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| Sophontology | |
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| Topic Started: Aug 23 2008, 10:12 AM (1,145 Views) | |
| Ànraich | Aug 23 2008, 10:12 AM Post #1 |
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi
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Exobiology is the study of alien life. Here in The Habitable Zone, we have many threads about such organisms. We describe their appearance, behavior, and their similarities/contrasts to Earth life. Some of these threads have mention of sapient creatures (officially called sophonts), but how many threads do we have tailored specifically to the discussion of sophontology (study of sophonts)? One now. This thread is for the speculation of what intelligent alien lifeforms may not only be like, but what their culture, technology, and history is like. It is also a place for you to share your sophonts you have made, if you have any. (I would like to post more discussion topics for this thread as well as some of my Sophonts, but I have to go right now so someone else will have to start.) |
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We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar. "The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming Tree That Owns Itself
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| Saxophlutist | Aug 23 2008, 02:55 PM Post #2 |
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The subject of sophontology id interesting. It would be a difficult thing to think about though. The way Sophonts would think is determined by their evolutionary history, so they would think radically differently that we would, resulting in a different culture. I wonder what their "dragon" analogues would be. (With cultural dragons being created from common predators and local fauna.) I did a dragon analogue for Europa, I could go pull up. |
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| Reedstilt | Aug 24 2008, 01:56 AM Post #3 |
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For my Indigene projects, that group of sophonts in my SF setting that evolved completely independently of terrestrial life, I tried to put some thought into the basic ways their minds work differently compared to a human mind. At this point its still a just a rough scaffolding but in time I hope to fill in the details. Creating an alien intelligence is intrinsically difficult -- if you can understand it enough to create it, it's probably not alien enough. I tend to start by comparing the primary physical characterstics of the species and trying to determine who those differences would effect the way that species would think about the world. As an example, the Vrrild are an asexual, radially symmetrical species. Humans, on the other hand, are sexual and bilaterally symmetrical. Humans like to think in dualist terms: male-female, up-down, "on one hand, on the other hand," etc. The Vrrild think in unified spectrums, how the pieces come together to form a whole. The Vrrild have a difficult time grasping the absolutism that humans occasionally espouse, and prefer relativism. While humans tend to think of the color gray as between Black and White, the Vrrild see Darkest Gray and Lightest Gray. And so on. Other times though, I didn't even bother trying to think like the other species does. For the Triumphant, a species derived from humans but well beyond our mental capacity, I'm leaving the way their minds work as a mystery. Trying to understand a mind that is as far removed from us as we are from our earliest primate ancestors is a futile exercise. The Triumphant just act on their inscrutable whim and the author and characters are left equally baffled. |
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| lamna | Aug 24 2008, 07:34 AM Post #4 |
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Sounds allot like the aliens in Robert Sawyer's book Illegal Alien. They have a front and back arm and this may be why they have weird morality. What ever happens because God allows it to. God can stop anything as she is all powerful. This means killing someone because the joke they told was not funny is fine. If it was not, God would have stopped it. http://www.sfwriter.com/exia.htm |
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Living Fossils Fósseis Vibos: Reserva Natural 34 MYH, 4 tonne dinosaur. [flash=500,450] Video Magic! [/flash] | |
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| Saxophlutist | Aug 24 2008, 10:42 AM Post #5 |
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Well,the Vrrilid seem to have an advantage in comprehending relativistic physics!
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| Ànraich | Aug 25 2008, 07:50 PM Post #6 |
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi
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Let me try to share the thought processes of some of my sophonts... Zoasapien: Think for the individual, but act for the whole (which includes not just the Zoasapiens but all life). Do what is best for all life, not just one's self or for one species. Leave nature to itself, all problems within nature will solve themselves. For all consequences, there is an equal amount of gain and loss. Sadar: Only we may judge what life is worthy of survival. Only our intelligence and beliefs are correct, all others must be destroyed. Do only what will continue progress of the Glorious Genocide (extermination of all non-Sadar intelligent life). Nospharatu: Express your emotions and ideas freely and judge others not for their ideas, but their actions. Be as creative as you can be and learn all you can about the world and the universe. Respect all individuals and do all you can to improve the lives of others. The Collective: They are Post-Sapient and are in such a high plain of existence, they are practically one with our universe. There is no possible way to understand their thoughts or their actions. |
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We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar. "The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming Tree That Owns Itself
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| Saxophlutist | Aug 25 2008, 08:18 PM Post #7 |
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I really need to think about my sophonts minds... I haven't put much though into it... I like your inclusion of a Post-Sapient species. |
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| Livyatan | Aug 26 2008, 03:14 PM Post #8 |
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It seems to be a common trait among intelligent Terran life to have a sense of beauty, seeking things that appeal to sight. For instance, the attraction to shiny objects in birds and the strange obsession with art which seems to be reflected in some primates. I've had the idea of a sophont that evolves from a radially symmetrical starfish-like creature. Through natural selection it becomes asymmetrical. Due to what they see as imperfection, they continually seek an ideal 'perfect being'. Upon discovering humanity, they find that perfection they had been seeking. Considering the civilization must be pretty advanced, they have a form of genetic manipulation (Qu level genetic manipulation :)). Thus, they turn humans into a form of artistic canvas, creating strange and extravagant human species, placing them in aquaria, in 'zoos' and keeping them as pets (and as art pieces). Its a fresh idea and I'm still working it out, but I've become quite attached to it. |
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The grand Livyatan on deviantArt: link | |
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| Reedstilt | Aug 26 2008, 03:30 PM Post #9 |
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Out of curiosity, about humans do they perceive as their awaited eidolon? And I take it that you're familiar with Plato's Form Theory. |
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| Ànraich | Aug 26 2008, 03:58 PM Post #10 |
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi
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As I read that, I expected them to manipulate themselves into a human form...Not the...Canvas thing... |
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We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar. "The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming Tree That Owns Itself
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| Livyatan | Aug 26 2008, 04:00 PM Post #11 |
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Yes, I'm familiar with Plato's world of ideas. Just as we have this ideal of a 'one perfect being' which manifests in modern society as God, the asymmetrical sophonts are aware of their so-called 'imperfection' and see it as a fault of their evolution, seeking bilateral 'perfection' as a sort of search for a worldly 'God' (not God as in a deity, but as a symbol).
Well, they feel that they do not have the ability to become human, i.e. their form does not allow such a manipulation. But through humans (at the time they discover humanity, we have desecrated the planet with massive cities, wiping out nearly all life and turning ourselves into a race of 'scum') they can make an expression of the perfection that they are so obsessed with. Without human canvases, they are unable to achieve the perfection that they are so obsessed with. Edited by Livyatan, Aug 26 2008, 04:02 PM.
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The grand Livyatan on deviantArt: link | |
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| Canis Lupis | Nov 21 2008, 06:30 PM Post #12 |
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Dinosaurs eat man, woman inherits the Earth.
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Interesting. I've got a whole lot of sophont ideas that I used for a series of stories. Maybe I'll start my own thread about it. Here's one sophont idea I have. I'm developing it into a book: The Braenerk: meaning Brainy Robot, these creatures (which have a home planet named Ghorrisia) were created by the ancient Ghorrisians (called Octonites). The Octonites were peaceful and did not want to fight wars themselves. To fight wars, they created the Braenerks. They are ruthless killing machines, with a gun instead of a right hand. The Braenerks are ready for battle, no matter what the circumstances. Their titanium skin is heat resistant and bullet proof. They have a laser for a right eye, a speaker for a mouth, the ability to feed only on electricity, a five clawed left hand, heavy boots, and the ability to self reproduce. In order to multiply, a small hatch opens up, releasing nanites. These nanites fuse with organic material, preferably a living organism. Once the organism became completely infected with these nanites, the body would split in half, forming two Braenerks for every one that reproduced. After a Braenerk releases its nanites, it dies. The Braenerks killed their creators and all other life forms on Ghorrisia, but not without a fight. The Ghorrisians threw everything they had at their creations, but nothing worked. They eventually left, leaving a destroyed planet in their wake. The planet was stripped of its atmosphere, destroying virtually every organic compound. This, however, did not stop the Braenerks. They did not need organic material, save to reproduce. Since Braenerks could live forever, unless they starved to death or had their circuits ripped out, reproducing was more of a convenience than a necessity.To survive, they turned Ghorrisia into a giant super-computer, which would provide the Braenerks with a nearly-endless supply of energy. The Braenerks then went off and captured more planets or moons, known as planetary bodies. The Braenerks have six planetary bodies under their belt, including Ghorrisia, their capital, and Earth, which they are fighting for right now. Thought's on this? |
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| CarrionTrooper | Nov 22 2008, 10:19 AM Post #13 |
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I require more vespene gas?!?
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Hmmm... most of my sophonts in Blood Reign does not differ much from humans (in body plan and maybe also way of thought), but let's see how the Mekanarod (link here: http://spec-evolution.sytes.net/topic/588449/1/#new ) culture 'thinks'. To recap, Mekanarods are mechanoids with their only organic part being the brain. They were derived from the males of an ancestor species as advanced as we are, but much more warlike. This makes their culture revolved around warfare and conquest... The three Mekanarod kingdoms that currently exist in my Blood Reign storyline (around the time when humans had colonized Mars, Ganymede and Europa) were somewhat rigid, with a clear chain-of-command running down from the King or Emperor. While the Metallyzira kinda approached other sophonts when contact was made (through trade and diplomacy, however little there are), the Tertyle closed their borders and assumed a hostile defensive position toward the other sophonts. The Jaymo-La prefer to be neutral, and avoids trouble with other sophonts... and the three of them are in a precarious state of stalemate. These three were the remnants and coagulations of former tribes, clans and smaller kingdoms once numerous across their reign (maybe close to a dozen or more solar systems). So, the average Mekanarod is somewhat hard-wired to follow orders. They also posess a high sense of nationality, and willing to wage war and die for their respective kingdoms. In some kingdoms there are castes, and some kingdoms even allow their citizens to choose whether they want to stay in control of the kingdom or be individuals, and explore out to meet other sophonts (like the Metallyzirans and Jaymo-Lans do). They do not sleep, they recharge themselves on special upright-bed devices or small power packs, and their internal reactors can go for a long time before recharging. Some Mekanarods are innately agressive, while some others are noble, and yet some others are inquisitive. These personality traits became the basics of which caste they go to. The common castes are the Soldiers or Warriors, the Assassins, the Specialists, the Nobility or Noble Bloods, and the Scientists or Scholars. Being distinctly rigid, there is only a few outlaw-kind groups or individuals in the whole Mekanarod society. These mostly turn to space piracy and mercenarism in order to survive. Mostly, these outlaws are those which were escaped condemned criminals, wartime deserters, or those who opt out of their kingdom. that's about all I could remember about Mekanarod culture, it's getting late and my mind is divided... I hope it's somewhat comprehensible, and gives a view of Mekanarod culture. |
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