The Ocampa

[Captain Picard's Hair]

How do we feel about such a short lived intelligent species? Ignoring that on Earth, large animals tend to live longer than smaller animals, and medicine can extend human lifespans to the range of the longest lived land animals on Earth, it is conceivable that such a species may exist elsewhere. It is biologically possible for a species to grow fast enough for Kes to have reached adult size in less than two years - they'd need to consume incredible amounts of food to power such growth, but there are examples of extremely rapid growth on Earth, such as squids. They certainly could be intelligent and could use tools effectively to survive like early man.

What I'm more doubtful of, is the matter of building an advanced civilisation. This requires the passing of information from one generation to another, and then the building of new information on top of the existing base in each generation. My biggest question is, if it takes modern man eighteen years (give or take) of life and over a decade of lower levels of schooling just to PREPARE for a "full" education, which will then take at least four years further depending on how far one wishes to advance his education, how can the Ocampa have enough time to become educated, let alone build upon that knowledge in just nine years? For Kes to have a seeming adult-level education at two years of age is one of the more eye-popping elements of Trek. Then, even if we accept that they may be extremely fast learners, it still raises the issue that one Ocampan has scant time to further the knowledge of his/her race. Consider that even the most intelligent men in history sometimes require decades just to solve one problem - it took Einstein ten years to advance from Special relativity to General relativity.

While superintelligent races are very possible, especially in the forum of science fiction, where every possibility is open to exploration, what we've seen of Ocampans doesn't suggest this sort of super-intelligence, despite the remarkable telekenetic abilities Kes posessed.

[Blackstar the Chakat]

Maybe the Caretaker built the majority of the civilization. He did supply a lot of their energy, food, and who knows what else. They may have food that may have been designed for their youth, to give them enough energy for the accelerated growth rate.

[Mikey]

While there may be feasible explanations for their accelerated education/mental growth, I tend to agree that the combination of that with the ability to buid upon and bequeath scientific and technological advancement is pretty dumbfounding. What explanation springs to my mind is something along the lines of a subconscious cultural telepathic conneection, much like a low-level but more or less constant version of the tau of Dune.

[Blackstar the Chakat]

Were there signs of development? The underground facilities were built by the caretaker I thought. There may not have been as much need to learn as much as us. And I'm sure the telepathy helps when teaching is done.

[Graham Kennedy]

With the passing on of knowledge thing, telepathy may have helped. Maybe the older Ocampa can "download" knowledge and skills into the younger ones.

[Blackstar the Chakat]

With the passing on of knowledge thing, telepathy may have helped. Maybe the older Ocampa can "download" knowledge and skills into the younger ones.

There was a species that 'downloaded' violent memories in a type of black market thing. They did that regularly so if the Ocampa wanted to willingly download memories or at least knowledge, it's possible.

[Mikey]

Well, I was actually thinking of a more subconscious, Jungian type of mechanism - Kes was a rare example, but some latent a/o involuntary telepathic ability can reasonably be ascribed to the species even if individuals of Kes' ability are rare.

In other words, an individual discovery would probably still have to be published and disseminated "normally;" but items and spheres of knowledge that have become part of the culture - such as basic computer tech, the general overall workings of an automobile, etc., are for us - would probably become part of a racial memory or shared cultural instinct.

[Captain Picard's Hair]

OK, the telepathy theory offers a reasonable explanation to one half of the Ocampa problem, especially since we know they possess special mental abilities. It also partially soves the "efficiency" problem I was thinkig of, that is, the fact that they would have a relatively small fraction of their lives to make discoveries and theories remaining if it took them four or five years to be educated. If they have the ability to "download" and instantly assimilate information (which itself is a remarkable feat considering how hard it is for us to assimilate new information), then they would have most of their lives to dedicate to their careers.

Now, the very short time span of one Ocampan's career in which to advance the state of Ocampan knowledge is another problem. Perhaps it would be helped by the telepathy explanation as well - if one can "download" the work of his "mentor" and continue where the older Ocampan left off when he becomes too old to continue his work.

This could be a rather interesting culture to explore in some sort of sci-fi. Unfortunately, Voyager had only one regular Ocampan member and moved Kes in the direction of super abilities.

[Sionnach Glic]

Ugh, the Ocampa. A species with a shorter life expectancy than a dog and each female can only have one child. I'd love to know which writer came up with that idea.

With regards to how they actualy managed to build a culture, Hair's idea sounds like the best possible explaination.

[Mikey]

Hair's idea

Umm, hello?

Anyway, I was thinking that the transference would take place more along a scoiological and cultural level, rather than jsut being able to transmit specific thoughts and information - this would explain why the Ocampa were able to have a society, but needed the Caretaker's assistance.

[Captain Seafort]

Well, I was actually thinking of a more subconscious, Jungian type of mechanism - Kes was a rare example, but some latent a/o involuntary telepathic ability can reasonably be ascribed to the species even if individuals of Kes' ability are rare.

Actually, Ocampa telepathy was universal - they used it as their primary form of communication. Kes was unusual in that she started manifesting telekinetic abilities, which none of the Ocampa on the homeworld did.

[Sionnach Glic]

Sorry, Mikey, long day.

[Captain Picard's Hair]

In my defense, I did add one unique new element to the theory in the "mentor/protoge" idea in the second paragraph of my last post.

[Thorin]

Well, I like how each woman can only have one child. The Ocampa have lived for at least 500 generataions. Assuming every woman a child, and there are 2 Ocampans left by Kes' time, it means that 500 generations before, there were 2^500 Ocampans - that means every generation forward, the population halves (which is what it must do, at the very least).

That is 10^150. That means, just 5000 years ago (ie 500 generations before), there were 10^150 Ocampans. Which is a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion people.
That is not only more atoms than there are in the universe, it is more than the number of fundamental particles in the universe.

But hey, don't let the maximum number of fundamental particles in the universe halt you...

[Thorin]

Hair's idea

Umm, hello?

Someone confusing you with someone else?!

How the tables have turned...