Gaian Headquarters

[Illuminatus]

If we get a Spartan, we will open interfactional contest "Get the Morganite"! First prize: Alien Artifact.

[Chaunk]

Surely the first prize should be Morgan Central...

Err... wait a minute...

/me runs away.

[Illuminatus]

[GeoModder]

Originally posted by Chaunk
Surely the first prize should be Morgan Central...

Err... wait a minute...

* Chaunk runs away.

Get him!!!

[Illuminatus]

Adolf, Josef, George, get him!

[FlameFlash]

/me charges after Chaunk...

[GeoModder]

Good grief, you sure those three aren't a bit excessive, Ob?
Hitler, Stalin and Bush all after poor Chaunk??!!

[Hydro]

**Sigh**

Must we Gaians always be required to illuminate the most basic elements of Planet ecology to the ill informed (to be polite) Morganites?

First, a little remedial biology and physics. Earth plants are green because the chlorophyll in their leaves and stems reflect a portion of the light that strikes them, and for most plants the dominant color they reflect is what humans call ‘green’ (the light spectrum typically between 0.6 and 0.5 um). Observe deciduous trees in the fall, or cultivars engineered by humans or natural variants, and you will see how other colors are possible. ‘Green’ is not a “natural” color for plants, it is simply a byproduct of the dominant form of chlorophyll in Earth plants and a reflection (if you’ll forgive the pun) of our Sun’s generous donation to our bio-system.

Second, the xenofungus is not a ‘plant’, but a complex collection of mobile and sessile plant-like organisms that live in symbiosis with mobile more animal-like creatures. One of these many mobile animal-like creatures are what humans call mindworms. Only Morganites would be so arrogant as to superimpose their Earth-based preconceptions on the incredibly varied xenofungus biosystem. Such errors are like calling all animals ‘ladybugs’, or all plants ‘spruces’. Morganites, shed your preconceptions. Once you do you’ll see the veil of ignorance lifted from you blighted eyes.

Third, Planet’s ecosystem is organic poor and nitrate dominant. The bio-system that we call xenofungus produces an abundance of nitrates, which proximate to the biosystem results in a reducing micro-environment. In order for Morganite blood to turn brown it would have to oxidize, which presupposes an dominance of oxygen (electron donors) in the area where it comes to rest. The reducing micro-environment shows the opposite is true near xenofungus, so Morganite blood will become a nice, bright red shortly after being shed in the open N2-O2 atmosphere, and stay largely red when it falls to feed the waiting xenofungus. Fluffy says: BURP!

Fourth, the colors observed by humans in xenofungus are the reflected light (see discussion above) that are more likely to be in the 0.6 to 0.7 um spectrum (e.g. – reddish), but it ranges from a neutral grey and a vibrant reds to yellows. Morganite blood simply makes the xenofungus appear more pinkish or since it obscures other more diverse coloration. Hence, the observation that Morganite blood colors fungus pink.

But, in case we Gaian ecologists are wrong, we cordially invite as many Morganite investigation as possible teams to personally study the matter in the xenofungus. Our Gaian mindworms will be happy to demonstrate, in a repeated and verifiable fashion, the observation that Morganite blood colors xenofungus pink, and the overall efficacy of Gaian science.

Hydro

[Whoha]

You Ivory tower intellectuals must not lose sight of the real world. Research grants are expensive, and you must justify yourself, not just with knowledge, but with concrete and profitable applications as well.

How can we profit from this light spectrum and these native life forms?

[GeoModder]

Good one, and fitting!

[Hydro]

Whoha – I can assure you, we Gaians have the real world firmly in our sights. I would suggest that the bright lights of Greed (always capitalized by Morganites, btw) have led you astray.

If you denigrate basic understanding of Planet, then perhaps you will forgo the benefits of Centauri Ecology? After all, you don’t understand how to “profit from this light spectrum and these native life forms”. And you also may want to shunt aside the benefits of Gene Splicing, which allows Earth organisms to reach their full potential on this alien world.

So, be careful what you wish for…

[Illuminatus]

As per suggestion of Kody:

[Octavian X]

I don't like it.

[Illuminatus]

And this comes from fellow Gaian

Do your own one!

[Chaunk]

Gaians fighting Gaians now... seems like its not Morganite blood that makes the fungus red after all