On Mars, Lunarians grow short whereas Terrans grow tall so that Elverir and Kinna are about the same height! Elverir's black hair and brown skin show his African ancestry. Star Trek's absurdities include not only that the galaxy is full of humanoids but also that Terrestrials and Vulcanians are inter-fertile and that Vulcanians apparently exactly parallel Terrestrial racial physical types whereas it makes sense that Lunarians have mixed Terrestrial ancestry but are a different species, therefore not inter-fertile. Elverir and Kinna are friends but too different to have a romance even though they go out to admire Phobosrise.
I have recently returned from a journey to and from and a stroll around Glasgow so posts may be sparse this evening. Meanwhile, there are fireworks around town while the Popish Plot is remembered.
4 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Terrans, ordinary humans, evolved in the heavier gravity of Earth, which discouraged excessive height. Lunarians were genetically modified to live in the light gravity of the Moon, which did the opposite. Mars, with a gravity lighter than Earth's, but heaver than that of of the Moon, ended up evening out the differences in height.
Popish Plot? Yes, November 5 is still celebrated in the UK, albeit mostly, I hope, as an occasion for harmless fun. And that brought to mind two books I have: FAITH AND TREASON, by Antonia Fraser; and THE MURDER OF SIR EDMUND BERRY GODFREY, by John Dickson Carr. With the latter having a LOT to say about the Popish Plot mania of 1678-81.
Ad astra! Sean
To be fair, the Catholic Church in that period did deny the legitimacy of non-Catholic monarchs and did advocate and celebrate their assassination. And while both Catholics and Protestants persecuted each other when they had the chance, Catholics persecuted more systematically and more effectively.
Incidentally, humans have mostly been about their present heights for a long time. H. Erectus males were usually in the 5'6" to 6" range, and the degree of sexual dimorphism in humans is about the same as with H. Erectus (and much less than with pre-Erectus hominins.)
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
And to be even more fair, I would point out that the Catholics of those times felt themselves the VICTIMS of aggressive attacks by the early Protestants. And the persecution of Catholics by the Protestants in the British isles struck me as very systematic and vicious.
The question of how jurists argued about the legitimacy of non Catholic monarchs and states is one I know too little of to comment about. I think, after about 1600, there was a certain resigned agreement on both sides on the need to accept each other's existence.
Ad astra! Sean
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