What Would YOU Do?

[Blackstar the Chakat]

I'm not sure if that can be considered true sapience, then. They clearly have some sort of telepathic abilities if they were able to pluck the name of the ship out of thin air. That doesn't indicate learning ability.

Oh so they're telepathic now? That's stretching it.

[Sionnach Glic]

Gee, then how the hell did they know the name of the ship if no one actualy told them? Magic?

[Blackstar the Chakat]

Gee, then how the hell did they know the name of the ship if no one actualy told them? Magic?

Maybe they read it on the hull. Starfleet isn't subtle in that regard.

[Sionnach Glic]

And how would they understand English writing in the Latin alphabet?

[stitch626]

I think it was mentioned in the ep that they were telepathic, though I'm not sure.

Also, they did learn rather quickly that the Voyager crew was not a threat. All it took was for Voyager to communicate with them and to not draw their phasers when the aliens entered the bridge (though Harry may have wet his pants).

They were also willing to negotiate with Janeway (with translation (from their language to something the UT could understand) help from the other aliens) and they could be reasoned with. Doesn't this suggest sapience? If not, what does determine sapience?

[Blackstar the Chakat]

And how would they understand English writing in the Latin alphabet?

The same way that Arturis fellow did, a natural ability to learn languages. That's far more plausible then telepathic cows

[Sionnach Glic]

I think it was mentioned in the ep that they were telepathic, though I'm not sure.

Well that's that bit solved.

Also, they did learn rather quickly that the Voyager crew was not a threat. All it took was for Voyager to communicate with them and to not draw their phasers when the aliens entered the bridge (though Harry may have wet his pants).

Even a dog can differentiate between someone acting hostile towards them and someone who isn't.

They were also willing to negotiate with Janeway (with translation (from their language to something the UT could understand) help from the other aliens) and they could be reasoned with. Doesn't this suggest sapience?

Indeed it does. Conceeded.

[thelordharry]

You wouldn't need to build a community there. There was already at least one large city on the planet. Supposedly it was beautiful and maginificent, but we never actualy got to see it due to them blowing the effects budget on a truck floating through space.

All the money actually went on hiring Tackleberry for the episode.

[Captain Seafort]

The same way that Arturis fellow did, a natural ability to learn languages. That's far more plausible then telepathic cows

Ah, so telepathic cows are implausible, but telepathic whales are blindingly obvious.

[Sionnach Glic]

But Seafort, they geneticaly engineered themselves to be able to send susbpace messages across space. Duh!

[Mikey]

Don't you get it, Seafort? My logic stands for one debate, but it's perfectly reasonable for me to argue the opposite of my own position somehwere else! What are you, an idiot?

[Blackstar the Chakat]

The same way that Arturis fellow did, a natural ability to learn languages. That's far more plausible then telepathic cows

Ah, so telepathic cows are implausible, but telepathic whales are blindingly obvious.

That was Rochey who claimed they were telepathic or something. I said they could talk through subspace, very different...really it's different...it's not different at all is it?

[Sionnach Glic]

I said they could talk through subspace, very different...really it's different...it's not different at all is it?

Oh, you're right: it's quite different. Very different in fact.

The difference being that it makes even less sense and has even less to back it up.

[Blackstar the Chakat]

I said they could talk through subspace, very different...really it's different...it's not different at all is it?

Oh, you're right: it's quite different. Very different in fact.

The difference being that it makes even less sense and has even less to back it up.

Well, maybe I should look into being a politician...well an American politician at least

[stitch626]

You'd do better than what we have now. You can read.