Lh'owon biology

[Ares Ex Machina]

There are always impossibilities in science-fiction, especially videogame science-fiction. I think any story like this asks us to suspend our disbelief. I don't think the point is to come up with an explanation for every single unanswered question, but rather to volunteer an idea when it fills in the blanks in a way that's interesting and makes sense (as much sense as it can in a world that is already impossible), and to just have some fun with it.

[L'howon]

Why are flamingos pink?

Why is tree sap a different color than your blood?

Some people around here look at the story pages (and the "good old days" of the Marathon community) through rose colored glasses. Some of the stuff in them is awesome, but there's a ton of pointless speculation in there, just like there is here.

That's true of all humans though, just look at the 1950's. "The good ol' days, back when there were no pedophiles, etc, etc."
There's a core to it though - they cared enough about the game to hear out each others ideas. Were most of them stupid? Sure they were. Was the community just as prone to things that happen today? Sure, that's true of any community. Regardless of their faults as well as ours, the overarching point was that they cared.

[treellama]

I don't think the point is to come up with an explanation for every single unanswered question, but rather to volunteer an idea when it fills in the blanks in a way that's interesting and makes sense (as much sense as it can in a world that is already impossible), and to just have some fun with it.

In that case, this thread is a failure.

[acks45]

Why are flamingos pink?

Why is tree sap a different color than your blood?

Some people around here look at the story pages (and the "good old days" of the Marathon community) through rose colored glasses. Some of the stuff in them is awesome, but there's a ton of pointless speculation in there, just like there is here.

Flamingo's are pink due to large amounts of alpha and beta carotenes in thier diet... or so i'm told. as for why blood might be yellow(specifically) it might be that their blood has evovled to use positively charged sulphur derived molecules instead of iron to attract oxygen into the bloodstream, upon oxidizing it would turn the blood yellow...

Tree sap colour and viscocity is determined by the amount and concentration of the nutrients absorbed through the roots, but this isn't that important because it doesn't serve as a source of oxygen.

[goran]

This entire topic would do much better at forums.bungie.org/story

[tehWastedJamacan]

Flamingo's are pink due to large amounts of alpha and beta carotenes in thier diet... or so i'm told. as for why blood might be yellow(specifically) it might be that their blood has evovled to use positively charged sulphur derived molecules instead of iron to attract oxygen into the bloodstream, upon oxidizing it would turn the blood yellow...

Tree sap colour and viscocity is determined by the amount and concentration of the nutrients absorbed through the roots, but this isn't that important because it doesn't serve as a source of oxygen.

I knew the flamingo thing, but good thinkin on the blood. i hadnt thought of sulfur...

[treellama]

Flamingo's are pink due to large amounts of alpha and beta carotenes in thier diet... or so i'm told. as for why blood might be yellow(specifically) it might be that their blood has evovled to use positively charged sulphur derived molecules instead of iron to attract oxygen into the bloodstream, upon oxidizing it would turn the blood yellow...

Tree sap colour and viscocity is determined by the amount and concentration of the nutrients absorbed through the roots, but this isn't that important because it doesn't serve as a source of oxygen.

I guess I was too subtle. Maybe there really is a difference between you guys and the "good old days" story page community!

Flamingos are different colored because of what they eat, so isn't it possible zippermouths are, too? And trees don't have blood to carry oxygen, so their fluids can be different colors. Is it possible the same is true of F'lickta?

I still don't see why this is worthy of discussion. If you ask the artists, they'll probably say they picked whatever looked good.

[L'howon]

I still don't see why this is worthy of discussion. If you ask the artists, they'll probably say they picked whatever looked good.

Because there is some fun in over-analyzing things just for the sake of doing it. It's akin to LARPing - sure it's not real but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy doing it.

My dad teaches biology, so if I remember to I'll run that skin color question past him.

[Kurinn]

Because there is some fun in over-analyzing things just for the sake of doing it. It's akin to LARPing - sure it's not real but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy doing it.

My dad teaches biology, so if I remember to I'll run that skin color question past him.

"Lh'owon Biology: It's pretty weird"

How many spleens do you have?

[acks45]

Because there is some fun in over-analyzing things just for the sake of doing it. It's akin to LARPing - sure it's not real but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy doing it.

My dad teaches biology, so if I remember to I'll run that skin color question past him.

If you ask the artists, they'll probably say they picked whatever looked good.

if the blood was green i would have said copper.... The color purely depends on the colo rof the oxidized metal. sulphur is an organic so that wouldnt be the right answer for yellow, but green would be green. at anyrate, it would require a different metal in the bloodstream that attracted it. blood is red cause of rust caused by the oxidation of the iron in the blood.

[Kurinn]

if the blood was green i would have said copper.... The color purely depends on the colo rof the oxidized metal. sulphur is an organic so that wouldnt be the right answer for yellow, but green would be green. at anyrate, it would require a different metal in the bloodstream that attracted it. blood is red cause of rust caused by the oxidation of the iron in the blood.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemocyanin

There are a lot of metal oxides which look yellow, mind you. It's just a question of which is more efficient in the organism and in it's environment. But, there is a reason why most blood on Earth is red, so I am sure that this has more to do with artistic license, regardless of if it can be explained or not.

What about the ticks? Who wants to guess how they explode so well? Hydrolysis causing buildup of hydrogen and oxygen? Methane from anaerobic metabolism?

[effigy]

It has to be from Methane. Hydrogen is completely implausible.

[tehWastedJamacan]

if it was hydrogen, it'd make a loud squeaky sound when it ignites

[acks45]

You're thinking of Helium ......

[L'howon]

Hydrogen might be plausible, depending on the concentration of it in Lh'owon's atmosphere as well as the Ticks natural habitats/evolutionary mechanism that would've made it expedient for them to use it. I doubt it though because the tick has wings. It might use helium sacks in it's body but with wings it's more likely that it doesn't simply because the body structure is already geared for lightness - helium would cause it to be over buoyant and float to the ceiling all the time. Another perhaps more plausible alternative might be methane

Wiki paste.

Methane is not toxic; however, it is highly flammable and may form explosive mixtures with air. Methane is violently reactive with oxidizers, halogens, and some halogen-containing compounds.

It does mention that methane has to be at a very specific concentration (5-15%) for it to be flamable - but it's entirely plausible that the Ticks could somehow utilize it in their internal system given the swampy environment they live in. (read: swamps have lots of methane gas).

[acks45]

i was refering to jammer, helium is what he was thinking of; however, helium is an inert gas and does not combust.

[tehWastedJamacan]

You're thinking of Helium ......

Helium makes ur voice squeeky, hydrogen makes a loud squeeky sound, like when you rub the soles of ur shoes on the gym floor, when it is burned(combusts)

we did it in a science experiment in advanced chem last year

[Phortiphy]

I was thinking, the atmosphere on Lh'owon has to be breathable for humans. Maybe we should look up tolerances for humans, and that would give us a clue on the atmospheric makeup of Lh'owon. Since the air is compatible that would suggest that most of the environment is relatively similar to that of earth.

This is mostly in response to someone saying that swamps generally contain large amounts of methane. At first I thought that it could just be the equivalent of a swamp, but it doesn't necessarily need to be methane. Then I realized that it was fairly likely, given how the two environments of Earth and Lh'owon are probably somewhat similar.

The other possibility is that the BOB's had breathing apparatuses implanted on their stay on the Boomer, but that may just be delving too deep for the Tru7h.

[Major Pedro]

Going back to the previous page, as I am want to do:

What if the chromatophore cells that give the F'Lickta their skin colors are also present in their blood? That would explain the differing coloration, but allow them the same biochemistry.

[acks45]

Going back to the previous page, as I am want to do:

What if the chromatophore cells that give the F'Lickta their skin colors are also present in their blood? That would explain the differing coloration, but allow them the same biochemistry.

the biochemistry can't be the same, i mean one can swim in liquid magma for starters.

[Major Pedro]

the biochemistry can't be the same, i mean one can swim in liquid magma for starters.

Well they are, like, the same species, so I guess one has evolved an adaptation like the little dog guy from Alien3

Replacing his outer skin with polarized silicon hm oh dear I'm being alien mouth raped

[Megaman]

... Hydrogen ticks...


..."Oh the Humanity!"


maybe it has something to do with type of cheese they like :P

[assassingao]

Flick'ta: Maybe it blends ala-lizard style. Their blood appearance depends on the environment or the elements that are surrounding them.

However, not all of it can change color, hence the two-color bleeding upon death.

Maybe it "absorbs" the surrounding environments via. the gaping hole in it's mouth. (Consuming, Swallowing, Drinking, Breathing, all done by the wonderful mouth)

(Ex. Dip a water flick'ta into lava and after a period it would change into lava variant.)

[acks45]

That leaves me with only one question:

[Megaman]

Yes, it will blend.

Very nicely, in fact.