SlaveToTheWheel Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 (edited) I had this whole thing going on about evolutionary biology and astrobiology, until I realised one simple fact: There is no reconciliation of fact in Science-Fantasy like Star Wars... Other Science-Fiction is another story... Edited May 8, 2012 by SlaveToTheWheel It's Star Wars............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazednconfuzed Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 (edited) what no one has even mentioned is if twilek can survive without their lekku. <snip> Sorry for cutting your quote down, but the entire thing was basically this question with examples. I don't know if this is how it was supposed to work, but I can give you an example from the SW roleplay game I played. During my time playing my Twi'lek, I did occasionally go up against other Twileks. one of these fights was the 'end boss' of an adventure, and our entire group was already physically screwed (multiple injuries all over the place, low on ammo, barely able to move, that kind of screwed) so the final play came down to more desperation moves than anything else. I hid by the door and waited for this other Twi'lek to walk through it. When he did, I struck out with a vibroknife, aiming for the lekku. By pure fluke, I managed to hit, and did enough damage to sever the lek. The GM called that having had an appendage cut off, he fell to the ground, mostly unconscious. Imagine other flexible, muscle-y-type appendages you might have hanging around, and how much it would hurt if someone cut that off. Now imagine the pain from that being fed directly into your brain without even having to travel up your spine first. It is going to overload the system. Just like with humans, I'd imagine this could, potentially, be fatal. System shock and all that. But, also like humans, I imagine it is possible to survive, but I'd think a Twi'lek with only one lek would either be slightly brain damaged like humans can survive having damage done to their brains (in the RPG I played, if I ever lost a lek, I'd be losing skill points), or would have the stigma of a physically disfiguring disability, probably both. Of course, surviving without lekku wasn't a problem for the Twi'lek in my example. As soon as I could I slit his throat so my group could all pass out in safety, wthout any risk of waking up with our throats cut. Edited May 8, 2012 by dazednconfuzed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewisgil Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 you all bring up good points, but i've read these threads and what no one has even mentioned is if twilek can survive without their lekku. If their brain extentions, and all the other species have the same brains as humans, then y would the twilek be different. Since twileks and a few other species are the only ones with head tails, but they are definitely thriving species, my (Educated) guess would be that if a twilek got his/her lekku cut off, they would still be able to survive, they just wouldn't be able to do the extra conversation thing with them. They might help with balance, but without lekku twileks would just be downgraded to the balance of humans. If they provide extra sensory detail, they still have eyes, nerves, noses, and ears. And if they store extra fat and nutrition, if the twilek was lost in a desert on tatooine, they would be able to survive 2-3 weeks without food and about 3 days without water as apposed to maybe a month or so with lekku. So my guess is they still have them for extra things that aren't actually necessary for life, but they don't actually need them. If twilek died when their lekku got cut off, twileks wouldn't exist anymore because they really isn't much head armor out there made specifically to cover lekku, not in the books, games, or movies has anyone specifically mentioned this kind of armor. that's just my guess from looking at it the way none of you have so far. One, there are no instances of which I know that involve a Twi'lek losing a lekku. However, there is at least two other species with similar head tails. Togruta and Nautolans. Two, if it were not lethal to remove them, it would be a little more severe than just converting to human levels. It would be a shock to the system. They wouldn't be able to stand for quite some time if they were linked to balance. They would starve a lot sooner than two to three weeks if they had fat and nutrient stores. Having something your body has come to expect, if not rely upon, suddenly cut off has exaggerated effects in the beginning. Kind of like an addict cutting cold turkey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TannerJBanks Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 yes they can surive with out them but at the down side of slight memory lose and of being considerd scared or ugly. there are a couple of characters like that i think one of them was a pilot in the x-wing books Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cegenaus Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 (edited) So evolution only picks the most advantageous traits to carry on to the next generations does it? Then please explain why mammalian male genetalia is so exposed. If it is so essential to breeding and the continuation of the species, why have it so exposed? Also, please explain why some of the organs in the human body that can cause grievous harm if ruptured, liver, intestines, bladder, kidneys,etc, reside in places with little to no protection from the skeletal system. Twi'leks are described as some of the most graceful beings in the Star Wars Universe, hence a great deal of their females being dancers. Lekku seem to serve a similar purpose to tails with this. Many ainmals with tails use their tails as a means to balance themselves, aiding in many animals having far superior grace and agility to humans. Lekku are very sensitive, meaning they probably can aid with one's equilibrium. Housing parts of their brain hints at their brains having portions that human brains do not that require more room than just a normal sized head and instead of evolving with larger craniums, they evolved with lekku. evolution- change in the gene pool of a population from generation to generation by such processes as mutation, natural selection, and genetic drift. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/evolution?s=t natural selection- the process by which forms of life having traits that better enable them to adapt to specific environmental pressures, as predators, changes in climate, or competition for food or mates, will tend to survive and reproduce in greater numbers than others of their kind, thus ensuring the perpetuation of those favorable traits in succeeding generations. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/natural+selection?s=t The thoracic cavity is surrounded by a stiff rib cage while the abdominal cavity has a softer muscular wall Why? Answer: The thoracic cavity contains the heart and lungs, both of which are constantly expanding and contracting. The ribs in the thoracic cavity serve both as protection and support, allowing the lungs to expand and contract without running the risk of putting itself into a dangerous situation, including even external threats (or more likely itself). The abdominal contents, opposingly, are more muscular and less prone to damage, and do not need such excessive protection. Moreover, other areas such as the brain are encased in a cranial cavity of bone, and like the thoracic cavity, the organs enclosed are quite fragile. The abdominal cavity, also, contains the stomach, which may expand, which is impossible when a layer of bone is surrounding it, as is expelling it's wastes into the pelvic cavity http://wiki.answers.com/Q/The_thoracic_cavity_is_surrounded_by_a_stiff_rib_cage_while_the_abdominal_cavity_has_a_softer_muscular_wall_Why i hope this answers your questions yes they can surive with out them but at the down side of slight memory lose and of being considerd scared or ugly. there are a couple of characters like that i think one of them was a pilot in the x-wing books alema rar is one that comes to mind http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Alema_Rar Edited May 11, 2012 by Cegenaus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazednconfuzed Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 yes they can surive with out them but at the down side of slight memory lose and of being considerd scared or ugly. there are a couple of characters like that i think one of them was a pilot in the x-wing books Nawara Ven was a Twi'lek in the X-Wing books, but he lost a leg, not a lek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewisgil Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 evolution- change in the gene pool of a population from generation to generation by such processes as mutation, natural selection, and genetic drift. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/evolution?s=t natural selection- the process by which forms of life having traits that better enable them to adapt to specific environmental pressures, as predators, changes in climate, or competition for food or mates, will tend to survive and reproduce in greater numbers than others of their kind, thus ensuring the perpetuation of those favorable traits in succeeding generations. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/natural+selection?s=t The thoracic cavity is surrounded by a stiff rib cage while the abdominal cavity has a softer muscular wall Why? Answer: The thoracic cavity contains the heart and lungs, both of which are constantly expanding and contracting. The ribs in the thoracic cavity serve both as protection and support, allowing the lungs to expand and contract without running the risk of putting itself into a dangerous situation, including even external threats (or more likely itself). The abdominal contents, opposingly, are more muscular and less prone to damage, and do not need such excessive protection. Moreover, other areas such as the brain are encased in a cranial cavity of bone, and like the thoracic cavity, the organs enclosed are quite fragile. The abdominal cavity, also, contains the stomach, which may expand, which is impossible when a layer of bone is surrounding it, as is expelling it's wastes into the pelvic cavity http://wiki.answers.com/Q/The_thoracic_cavity_is_surrounded_by_a_stiff_rib_cage_while_the_abdominal_cavity_has_a_softer_muscular_wall_Why i hope this answers your questions alema rar is one that comes to mind http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Alema_Rar You missed my point. I am well aware of all of those facts. I was asking him to explain why some of the evolutionary steps we have taken favor expedience as opposed to protection. While it is true our vital organs in our abdominal cavity are a lot tougher to damage, they cause grievous and sometimes even fatal harm if ruptured. I was making the point that Evolution favors efficiency every bit as much as survival. Even though the lekku of a Twi'lek may be vital organs, they afford the Twi'lek greater balance, which in turn can be used to gain greater agility and grace, leading towards protecting those organs the old fashioned way. I appreciate your answers though. However unnecessary, it was nice of you to take my questions seriously. As a side note. Humans lost their tails long ago due to a lack of need for greater balance. We abandoned our homes in the trees for ones on the ground. It's why we have our vestigial tail bone, the coccyx. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anysao Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 They're of another planet. Perhaps they merely adapted to there environment? And I read a Twi'lek does not NEED lekku, I remember reading a Twi'lek woman got hers cut off, and replace it with a small cybernetic panel covering wound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temeluchus Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 (edited) And once again someone is bothered by the lack of logic in Star Wars. It happens, OP. My suggestion is to let go of logic when dealing with anything Star Wars and just go with what's there. Trench Runs... ugh. Lightsabers... ugh. SOUND IN SPACE!!!!!..... ugh. Seriously, it's a losing proposition that has been known to cause migraines. The sound in space thing I get, but what's wrong with lightsabers? Using technology we have available today you could create a lightsaber. Of course, the 'blade"would really have no end or focus and the power source would be the size of a couple warehouses. Technological advances could,in theory, make it so lightsabers would exist as they do in SW. Unless of course you were talking about using a melee weapon in an era dominated by ranged weapons, in which case I agree, but the lore says that personal shields became so strong that the use of melee weapons became necessary to actually inflict some damage. Edited May 15, 2012 by Temeluchus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gratulor Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 (edited) But seriously, the franchise isn't written by scientists, and frequently breaks the theories of evolution, gravity and physics as we know them. Jawas and Sand People evolved from a common ancestor over just ~20.000 years without any separation between them, for example. That's why it isn't science fiction, but a space opera. Edited May 15, 2012 by Parali replies - religion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain_Zone Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 The sound in space thing I get, but what's wrong with lightsabers? Using technology we have available today you could create a lightsaber. Of course, the 'blade"would really have no end or focus and the power source would be the size of a couple warehouses. Technological advances could,in theory, make it so lightsabers would exist as they do in SW. Unless of course you were talking about using a melee weapon in an era dominated by ranged weapons, in which case I agree, but the lore says that personal shields became so strong that the use of melee weapons became necessary to actually inflict some damage. A combination of all that, really. The pseudo-science of Star Wars that puts a magnetic field around the charged superheated plasma of the lightsaber blade. That, and the focusing crystal determine the blade's length. Also, blasters and slug throwers are used in Star Wars to good effect. Granted, the only character I've seen to actively use slug throwers on a regular basis was Jix from the SotE and Shadow Stalker comics. He used them as an answer to ray-shields, which actually makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tleilaxos Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Also why do they have eyebrows if they don't have any hair? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TannerJBanks Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Also why do they have eyebrows if they don't have any hair? same reason asari do its less weird adn more human looking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grandmthethird Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 i would say, never lt the facts get in the way of a good story. many things in starwars shouldn't be, but are so,just roll with it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBBP Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Thanks for the bump even though you added nothing to the conversation. Care to answer the question or just post nonsense? No offense, but the subject is nonsense. You are trying to equate science and logic to a fictional fantasy universe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masterleonidas Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 One, there are no instances of which I know that involve a Twi'lek losing a lekku. However, there is at least two other species with similar head tails. Togruta and Nautolans. Two, if it were not lethal to remove them, it would be a little more severe than just converting to human levels. It would be a shock to the system. They wouldn't be able to stand for quite some time if they were linked to balance. They would starve a lot sooner than two to three weeks if they had fat and nutrient stores. Having something your body has come to expect, if not rely upon, suddenly cut off has exaggerated effects in the beginning. Kind of like an addict cutting cold turkey. I meant after a while, after a recovery. i wouldn't expect them to be normal after only a month or so after the incident. it would take a few years of recovery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitomo_x Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Okay. how logic is the evolution of any other race in that universe? Wookies? Ughnauts? .. and all that stuff I dont know the name of. And second. Dont you think humans are as vulnarable as twiliks? Maybe you are not aware of but humans need to take extremly precautions too during the curse of there live to stay healthy and alive. We even developed our whole society around that need. So essentially you are saying it is also ilogical that nature developed the human through the method of evolution. Do you really want to say that?! Discussing is fine but thinking is better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galossj Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 So.. Evolution is a lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SupremeLegate Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Well the end of the SI story on Belsavis gives some interesting insight into the evolution of the Twi'lek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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