Animorphs Science Questions

[Darth Zakryn]

Okay, let's talk real science in Animorphs. I am by no means a science buff, but I do watch a lot of documentaries and history shows, so I know some, if not the kind scientists know. I have a few questions that I need answered. Sure, Animorphs is a child's book series and a sci-fi one at that, so we must suspend a little disbelief, but there's suspending disbelief and then there's straining all credulity — not that I'm accusing Animorphs of doing that, I'm just listing an example. So, let's waste no time and dive right in.

1. Why do their shredders and Dracon beams disintegrate instead of just shooting? Aside from the fact that K.A. needed a convenient way to explain away Elfangor's body in the first book. It would be easier just to build a gun that can shoot lasers or plasma beams instead of just creating something that would require harder physics and be harder to operate. And how do they work, anyway? Something hot enough to disintegrate an organic body MUST be several million degrees hot, and something THAT intense would blast the entire surrounding area with hot smoke and the like. I saw in an interview a lightsaber would need to be ten million degrees in order to just cut through someone's hand, let alone completely wiping out any trace of them. Ideas?

2. How can there be so much life in the universe? They make life look like a commonplace thing when in fact the conditions for life on OUR planet needed to be juuuuust right. We needed to be the exact distance from the sun, we needed water, we needed our moon, which was formed in a collision with Morpheus, and this is only to name a few. The Andalite homeworld is reported to have several moons. How big is the planet? And how big are the moons in relation to their planet? Do they help keep their world stable? Can anyone shed any light on this strange phenomenon?

3. Why are creatures from other planets able to so easily stand on Earth? This is not the part I am most familiar with, so forgive me if I am wrong (which I admit is too much to count), but shouldn't beings from planets with lesser or more gravity have a hard time walking, since they're adapted to THAT particular planet? Why aren't Hork-Bajir lumbering around like stone statues or Andalites practically leaping, just to name an example? Theories, ideas, or explanations, please?

4. Why are humans portrayed as so weak? I mean, yeah, compared to aliens with BLADES they might be at a disadvantage, but humans seem to be plain and weak in the Animorphs series. Aliens can quite easily decapitate them or remove limbs without batting an eye. In real life, that's quite difficult and requires a VERY sharp blade. Humans are not made of plasticine, despite what the trope suggests. While some aliens are impressive, have regenerative capabilities, and look so radically different, humans are dull, boring, unimpressive, the only thing impressive about us being our breeding ability. We haven't pioneered any new technologies and we are found lacking. Can anyone explain this?

5. Why are nuclear bombs seen as primitive? I've read up on them, and from what I've seen, they don't seem all that primitive to me. How much force would be required to take chunks off a planet? According to Ax, that's how much a Dracon Cannon can fire and what a Dome ship can do. And if those blasts can take chunks off a planet, what about the potential radiation aspects? Do they used microwaves, or focused gamma emissions? Is it alpha radiation or beta radiation?

P.S.: I recently came to realize I sound like I'm ranting. Please forgive me. It's not my INTENTION to sound that way. Is it because I put a lot of words in CAPITAL, LIKE THIS? I've also been going through some tough times in my life recently, so maybe that's bleeding off into my hobbies online. All I ask for is try to tolerate me as best you can, and if I cross any lines, let me know and I will do my best to rectify them. Thanks.

[Gumby]

1. Since Animorphs is a Science Fiction, they are allowed a degree of a creativity, with a fiction tag and all. A hand-held vaporizer is feasible, we just cannot grasp the tech required to build 'em yet.

2. Drakes equation. There's well over two hundred billion stars in our galaxy alone, and Animorphs only mentions a few species. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_equation

3. We aren't exactly told, but I'd assume that the HB's world and the Andalites world have similar gravity to ours.

4. These are aliens with great amount of muscles whipping naturally sharp blades quite fast. An Andalite tail blade is at the end of a long, solid coil of muscle, this would give a huge amount of strength focused on a very strong and focused area. That much energy applied pushing a strong, sharp blade could definitely cut off a limb.

And actually, we're a very impressive species in the Animorphs 'verse. We're very smart, adaptable, progress very fast, breed fast, and are, canonically wise, just fifty or more years from being a very powerful force.

5. In comparison to clean, high-yield contained energy beams that can be fired repeatedly, a nuke is quite primitive. And I believe that dracons/shredders are particle beams.

[Blazing Angel]

I really dont think about it. I just call it to the ever dictating rule of plot convenience

[RYTX]

2) I'm going to answer this three ways: physics, pemalites and Venber
a) The odds of life are 1 in a hell of a lot, but because there is so much taking place all cross the galaxy, you're going to being running the reactions to make it possible a hell of a lot. Repeatedly. A reason chance to get the ball rolling once or twice.
b) Strictly for Aniverse really, but the pemalites went around planting life forms. How much who knows, and if other species took to doing the same, in Ani-or real universe, again lots of opportunity for life. Somewhere.
c) Not really about the Venbar, but many kudos to KA for putting in the break from life as we know it. Venber aren't carbon based-and that has huge implications for a biological stand point. While this wasn't the case for most aliens in the series, IRL, coupled with reason a) that opens up a whole new venue to make life possible-beyond those fragile conditions we think are critical to life on this planet.

3)Undoing what just said, if life is restricted to a certain set of conditions, it makes sense that these creatures come from planets of similar gravities-physicist correct me if I'm wrong, but the gravitational pull of a planet is a function of it's mass right? This planets could be, by necessity of a size similar to Earth. Obvious exception: Pemalite world, which is why the Chee were so strong.

Should also note: individuals don't evolve, but they do acclimate. If the Andalite world was of a higher gravitational pull, than they may be a little enhanced here compared to home-but muscle reacts to the strain on it, even from gravity, so doing normal activities under lesser gravity, some deterioration is expected.

4) I think F16 makes a good point on the science of head slicing, but overall this one is because we are. We really, really are. It baffles me to no end that this is the only "sentient" species on the planet.  To animals of comparable size we are weak and slow. And breeding isn't even really impressive if you go outside of large mammals, and honestly I wonder how it would fare with out the aid of modern medicine.
Yes some of it must be exaggeration of alien abilities, but humans aren't structured to fight anything other than humans.
For the amount of space we take up we are rather light, limited muscle, slow. Quality endurance, but that's really only to an advantage if you're pursuing. We can use weapons and tools and strategy, but in body humans aren't equipped to battle bees much less aliens.

[Blazing Angel]

I agree with number four, by standars on planet earth we're made of glass. Getting attacked by a raccoon can kill you.

[yunyun]

3. Why are creatures from other planets able to so easily stand on Earth? This is not the part I am most familiar with, so forgive me if I am wrong (which I admit is too much to count), but shouldn't beings from planets with lesser or more gravity have a hard time walking, since they're adapted to THAT particular planet? Why aren't Hork-Bajir lumbering around like stone statues or Andalites practically leaping, just to name an example? Theories, ideas, or explanations, please?

I think it said that the hork-bajir planet is similar to andalite's, and i think Ax did say that the andalite planet is very similar to earth. And it did say that the chee's planet has more gravity so yeah...

Anyway, it is a children''s series, most kids don't think of all that so K.A.Applegate most likely didn't bother to do much research about those things

I agree with number four, by standars on planet earth we're made of glass. Getting attacked by a raccoon can kill you.

.

But isn't the rabies that can kill you? Not the actual bite/scratch?

[Blazing Angel]

Well that but still a racoon could kill you without rabies. One lucky bite to the neck.

[yunyun]

well, then on earth, anything that can bite hard or scratch hard can kill a human then.

[Blazing Angel]

Exactly. No natural defense other than fingernails. We need to be taught to fight.

[Darth Zakryn]

RYTX: Ah. I totally forgot about the Pemalites and the Venber. Thanks for bringing that up. But if a planet is too far from a star or too close, it could be either too hot or too cold, rather than temperate like on our planet. With that said, life is so tenacious that lifeforms theoretically COULD evolve there, but they'd be used to THAT temperature, that type of condition, etc. Also, like I said, bone is VERY strong, many times harder than steel or diamond if I'm not mistaken, and the force required to slice through that would need to be massive. The hyena can easily crush bone, but can it slice right through it? If so, how can it be accomplished INSTANTLY? Sometimes in the series we see a tail blade just HIT a limb and it goes flying, without ever being sliced, just lightly tapped. Any explanations?

[Stephquiem]

I'm pretty sure it's never "lightly tapped." It's always sliced. And really, an Andalite's tail would only need to be as strong as, say, the upper body strength of an old-fashioned executioner--you know, the sort who did beheadings, and the blade as sharp as a sword or axe.

[Darth Zakryn]

I once saw on a documentary that those didn't slice right through; it took many tries to completely behead someone. Or am I wrong? I know the gallows did, but that was due to artificually generated momentum.

[Stephquiem]

The Guillotine. Gallows were for hanging. XD And I'm not sure. Also, the guillotine had the advantage of speed. A man wielding an axe can only move so fast. An Andalite's tailblade is written to be a hell of a lot faster.

[Darth Zakryn]

Ah, sorry about that. I don't know what bit of retarded brain-stupidity came over me that would make me think a gallows was a guillotine, but mistakes do happen. That said, where is all of the extra force coming from? Especially in the Hork-Bajir's case, where they use their arms, not a snapping tail.

[Stephquiem]

S'all right. They both have the same intended purpose, anyway. And gallows are easier to spell grr.

A Hork-Bajir is still faster/stronger than a guy with an axe, isn't it? Certainly stronger.