First, Congrats, Mike, on getting published in the MTJ#3. (It
finally showed up around here. Never saw #2). I'm not sure I got the
last joke, though.
Second, Yes! More on bio! Please! Mark, you and Ed have been
hiding your bio discussions in private e-mail? Shame on you! Some of
the rest of us out here have an interest in such things, and some
background to follow such a discussion, even. (Plant Biology was
fascinating -- the difference between C-4 and C-3 cycles has set the
pattern of whole civilizations. Working for the Soil Conservation
Service for a year was educational. So was the Cotton Simulation
project (GOSSYM/COMAX) that my thesis was a small part of...). BTW,
what are these gaffes in Traveller xenobiology that you are referring
to?
Third, who all with Canadian e-mail addresses really is in Canada,
and if so, where? It looks like we'll be vacationing in Canada
regularly, so...
Fourth, how about some discussion on varieties of human and alien
cultures? What kind of societies do you have out there, and why are
they that way? For myself, I regard the 3rd Imperium as consisting of
an "Imperial" or "Spacer" culture made up of the Imperial nobility,
Imperial militaries, and those whose livelihoods takes them from world
to world rather than orienting around any one world -- merchants,
scouts, Travellers, what-have-you, and the cultures of individual
worlds. The various MT sourcebooks have hinted that the cultures of
certain former interstellar states still dominate some areas of the
Imperium, but only the Vilani culture has been described in any detail.
Anybody have any ideas on the Ilelish, or Sylean cultures?
-- Cynthia
(yes, it's really me, not Steve.)