From: BIOHZD@aol.com Sent: Friday, May 29, 1998 10:32 PM To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: [BLUE PLANET] - Cool new BPish novel... Hey all, I recently discovered an new novel you might want to check out. It's called Blueheart, and the parallels between it and BP are astonishing. I am only about 1/4 of the way through (ahem...Archipelgo has left me little oportunity to read) but so far it is well written, though the style is sometimes a bit odd, and quite imaginative. It takes place on a colony world covered in water, there are genetically altered "Adaptives" and they are pissed off at plans to terraform the planet and fill it with colonists. The sci-fi is hard and the story complex. I can not yet vouch for the plot and outcome, but so far it has been a good read and I would say a must for any fans of Blue Planet. Blueheart by Allison Sinclar 536 pp Harper Prism Publishing Just a heads-up, Jeff Barber Biohazard Games *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: Jason A Werner [c577200@showme.missouri.edu] Sent: Thursday, May 28, 1998 11:56 PM To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - A few questions Tim: I'll do my best to answer your questions. If anybody has any other applicable information, please feel free to chime in... Timothy Brandis wrote: > how smart are these sea lions? There was an extensive discussion on this topic a while back. Try checking the archives on the web site (www.biohazardgames.com). > Were did the Uplift take place? According to the sourcebook, Dr. Marcos Gottfried achieved the first uplift with a dolphin subspecies in 2042. Most of the work would have been done at Woods Hole, which, I believe, is in Massachusetts. You can check out their site at www.whoi.edu . > Are they associated with the Dolphin shamanistic tradition? The central narrative of the Church of Whalesong Theogony makes reference to "young hunters", i.e. seals and sea lions (BP 60). However, the role sea lions play in the leadership of the Church is most likely minor. > I guess the last question in this line of reasoning > is do they have a language like that developed for the dolphins. Interspec relies to a large extent on gestures and very basic vocalizations. While sea lions have nowhere near the range of sounds available to a dolphin or orca, I'm fairly sure that slight modifications to the few "words" would make the language accessible to sea lions. The gestures, of course, would be pretty much the same. > I also have some questions about the Aquaforms. Are the two > breathing systems on a squid compleatly separate? Does a squid have to > expel the fluid from his gills before he goes onto dry land? Gills are generally an external structure. For an example, see the illustration by Blair Reynolds on BP 44. Gills are essentially thin flaps of tissue with lots of blood vessels running very close to the surface. The blood that comes into the gills is low in O2 content and rich in CO2. The surrounding water, on the other hand, is poor in CO2 and higher (to a varying extent) in O2. Simple diffusion drives the gas exchange, with the actual rate of exchange being determined by things like the difference in gas concentrations, the thickness of skin the gas has to pass through, and the surface area available for diffusion. It's more or less just like a lung, except that it's all on the outside, and the working fluid is water, rather than a gas. As a result, the squid doesn't have to expel the water from their gills when getting out of the water; the gill flaps just seal up. They do, however, blow all or nearly all the air out of their lungs when they dive. For a more thorough discussion of the features of divers and squid, see BP 42. > Are the > organs that extract the O2 from the water on the inside or outside of the > squids ribcage? Outside. They're part of the skin of a squid's back. > Again perhaps I misread the section and am asking question > based on how I perceive the breathing structure. These question might seem > a bit nit-picky but I feel they flesh out a world and the Hard SF gamers I > play with will want to know these details. Not at all. One of the unique features of Blue Planet is its attention to detail and its adherance to scientific realities. My own personal oppinion is that there is enough mystery and wonder in the possible or the nearly possible. I think Blue Planet nicely fills this niche, and I'm glad to see your interest. Yours, -Jason Werner Biohazard Games ------------------------------------------------ I lacked the courage to investigate the weaknesses of the wicked, because I discovered they are the same as the weaknesses of the saintly. - Wm. of Baskerville -------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: BIOHZD@aol.com Sent: Friday, May 29, 1998 10:31 PM To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: [BLUE PLANET] - Back Again... Hey All, I'm finally back from my latest absence and have just gone through the recent list messages. I was glad to see so much traffic and am pleased at the depth and sincerity with which the topics are being discussed. The answers and comments that have been made are great, but I thought I would throw in my .02cs worth on a few topics. So, in no particular order: 1. Someone asked about water jets in aquaforms. Jason's anatomical comments are right on, but I thought I would add something. I remember a while back, maybe even a couple of years now, an article published in Discover Magazine about jet propulsion in animals. One of the questions they tried to answer was "why had it not evolved in more species?" The consensus seemed to be that it was actually a very inefficient mode of locomotion. It required too much muscle mass and energy, especially in larger animals (ie. human sized). I know also that cephalopods use their funnels (jets) almost exclusively for emergency get-aways and quick direction changes. The only species that use them for sustained swimming - giant octopi and chambered nautili - are slow and infrequent swimmers. 2. Regarding SPAM - I agree with both Greg *and* Jim. This list is not an appropriate venue for SPAM posts, so please keep that in mind when visiting. However, Rob has been a most generous and cordial host, and so I too am more than willing to offer him a little latitude. Thanks Rob - and I notice your BP book was not on the "for sale" list ; ). 3. Uplifting of cetaceans was most successful with the bottlenosed and orcas. Other species were uplifted, but their natural rarity, less gregarious natures and lower levels of curiosity/intelligence made them poor candidates for further uplifting developments or inclusion in the colonial effort. 4. Several posts were made regarding Earth in 2199. We have an Earth sourcebook in development (we will be posting a complete release schedule in week or two) titled _A World Of Hurt_. It will contain everything you need to run adventures in the Sol system - on Earth, Luna, Mars and the Belt. As far as Kevin's take on Earth, he is pretty close to dead on in his characterizations. 5. To R. Stefko - I would love to see your stats on Earth's current governments, holdings and such. As I said above, we are currently developing AWOH and who knows - we can always use good freelance work ; ). 6. Someone asked if society in the BP universe had matured some in how it looked at racial and gender issues. The simple answer is yes, it has to a considerable degree. The more complex answer is sort of. The Blight pretty much eliminated such relatively superficial sources of social conflict as people simply struggled just to survive. The advent of the Incorporate city-states further broke down traditional lines of prejudice as new "us's" and "them's" were formed. Bigotry and prejudice still exist in the world BP however - deeply felt and violent in some cases - but it is based on economic and political differences that have little to do with the superficial and negligible differences of race and gender. 7. Someone asked about tides on Poseidon. If I recall all the questions I think they are actually each answered in the section on tides on page 152. If that still does not satisfy your curiosity let me know. 8. Equal access laws vary widely in the world of Blue Planet - from planet to planet, Incorporate to Incorporate, nation to nation, etc. Remember too, that in the this new era, only the very poorest suffer from permanent physical impairment. As a result, unified regulations regarding cetacean access do not exist. There is also little need, given the technological aids, for cetaceans to physically access terrestrial sites. Most are indifferent about doing so anyway. Its good to be back and I hope this cool list traffic continues. Later All, Jeff Barber Biohazard Games *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message.