Overused Silly Sci-Fi Science.

[teh603]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

Wormholes, distortions in reality that break down incoming atoms like a black hole, always allow unprotected spacecraft and even people to travel through them unscathed (or maybe perfectly reassembled at the other end).

What, don't you see the FSM sticking his noodly tendrils through and opening it wide enough for ships to pass thru safely?

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by teh603

What, don't you see the FSM sticking his noodly tendrils through and opening it wide enough for ships to pass thru safely?

Apparently not; must be all that bright light that invariably escapes from wormhole openings (don't go into the light!).

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Ever notice how most intelligent aliens that come to Earth can communicate on a conversational level with our pets?

[Penforhire]

That is the Dolittle Effect. :-)

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

Ever notice how most intelligent aliens that come to Earth can communicate on a conversational level with our pets?

Why not? They probably looking for sensible and reasonable creatures...

[sabredog]

Watch out, your harmless looking moggie could manifest itself into a very good looking alien babe in a leather cat suit and diamond choker

[Xanthe]

A universal translator only has to listen to a few minutes of an alien's speech in order to learn the entire language, including slang and cultural nuances.

No aliens apparently have any speech impediments in their own language.

[teh603]

Originally Posted by Xanthe

A universal translator only has to listen to a few minutes of an alien's speech in order to learn the entire language, including slang and cultural nuances.

No aliens apparently have any speech impediments in their own language.

That one was lampshaded in one of the Timothy Zahn Star Wars novels; Leia was intentionally paired up with a Wookiee that had a speech impediment that made non-Wookiees have an easier time understanding him. Don't ask me where 3PO was; its been over ten years since I read it.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by teh603

That one was lampshaded in one of the Timothy Zahn Star Wars novels; Leia was intentionally paired up with a Wookiee that had a speech impediment that made non-Wookiees have an easier time understanding him. Don't ask me where 3PO was; its been over ten years since I read it.

So not heard the term "lampshade" before in this context so just lost a 1/2 of my life reading examples! LOL Fun.

Now of course I realize I can add my sci fi book to the list of people that use it because there is one part where the character says "this kind of thing only happens in stories"

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by Xanthe

A universal translator only has to listen to a few minutes of an alien's speech in order to learn the entire language, including slang and cultural nuances.

No aliens apparently have any speech impediments in their own language.

Better yet; it makes the aliens' mouths move in ways that lip-readers would have no problems following.

[Xanthe]

Whenever I read about languages and they discuss ones like Basque, where no one knows what the source of the language was, I always wonder, "what if a family with some genetic speech impediment moved into a vacant area, subsequently others moved into the area and had to learn the family's way of speaking to deal with them, and slowly a language evolved that is an amalgam of perhaps multiple languages but filtered through a speech impediment?"

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by Xanthe

Whenever I read about languages and they discuss ones like Basque, where no one knows what the source of the language was, I always wonder, "what if a family with some genetic speech impediment moved into a vacant area, subsequently others moved into the area and had to learn the family's way of speaking to deal with them, and slowly a language evolved that is an amalgam of perhaps multiple languages but filtered through a speech impediment?"

Then an Oxford scholar arrives. Hilarity ensues.