who's smarter?

[Gemsong]

This is disturbing...

 

[webmouse]

oh dear

we've gone and freaked out the moderator -- better put all the soap boxes away and get back to the topic of who's smarter

:blush:

 

[skoon]

oh is that what the topic was ...

 

[Jobeth]

I voted for Daniel. There was a TV show on idiot-savants a few years back. One of the men profiled had a photographic memory and an IQ of 40. A doctor explained that it has nothing to do with intelligence or comprehension. Basically he was a human tape recorder.

 

[webmouse]

It isn't really a fair comparison between Daniel and Jonas. Daniel Jackson had a feature film and five seasons to establish his credentials -- both in intelligence and in ethics.

Jonas had one ep near the end of S5 and only a half dozen or so eps of S6. He was introduced with ethical handicaps and hasn't been given much to do so far that would reveal any level of intelligence beyond being "a human tape recorder." He has shown keen powers of observation, a fast reading speed, and being "a quick study" of a variety of skills (including boxing with T'ealc ), but none of this qualifies as "smarts" -- just innate ability.

I'm more interested in Jonas' depth of feeling, his conscience, his heart. We saw what Daniel was willing to risk for what he believed. How far will Jonas go? So far, we've seen little or nothing on which to make a judgment. If TPTB expect us to accept Jonas as anything -- intelligent, ethical, brave, whatever -- then they're going to have to give us more to go on.

 

[keltikkitty]

Originally posted by spookypumpkin
jonas' alien metabolism allows him to learn things really quickly like the urrone kids. i thinl this annoys sam, though

I think it annoys sam too. Mainly because he'll memorize all her technobabble. :laugh2:

I voted for Daniel.

keltikkitty:aliengray

 

[webmouse]

In "Meredian" Jonas says he read the book Daniel gave him in one night. In what language?

We accept readily that everyone in the galaxy speaks English, but should we also accept that they use the same writing system as well.

Or do we all have fish in our ears?

 

[keltikkitty]

Originally posted by Webmouse
We accept readily that everyone in the galaxy speaks English, but should we also accept that they use the same writing system as well.

I've noticed that as well. It sometime irks me because everywhere they go, everyone understands them. I think it would be great if we could see them go to someplace and nobody understands them. at least to some extent. You could see how each of them adapts, not just SG-1, to not being able to communicate. Like they did in One False Step. But they breezed through that episode, at least i think they do. Well, I guess they did that with Frozen too. Not breezed through it but not being able to communicate. but still the majority are about mainly english speaking and writing cultures. Sure earth was the one that populated the galaxy but their was several diffrent types of earthlings other than Norse and Egyptain and an occasional Native American and most of them talk in english according to the stories.

Allright I'm going to stop ranting. Sorry if it confuses you, It's my train of thought and it's usually derailed

besides if we couldn't understand what was going on then what's the use.

Like I usually say, It's there because you need a storyline.

Keltikkitty:aliengray

Dude, I've got an alien now. Sweet! What to name it.

 

[webmouse]

Star Trek show get around the language problem with the "Universal Translator" -- which doesn't quite work perfectly in "Enterprise" much to my relief. Farscape's little robots inject everyone with something that allows them to understand each other. Hitchhiker's Guide -- a fish in the ear does the translating.

Stargate (the movie) used lots of subtitles for the ancient Egyptian, which was nice, but I suppose would become annoying on a weekly series. SG1 has made some limited use of alien language -- Jaffa and Goa'uld -- but mostly we're just meant not to notice the universality of English.

Still, it seems a little weird, but I suppose it must be easier on the actors. Suppose MS really had to speak 23 languages and muddle through many more alien tongues in each episode. He might not have made it to the 5th season before losing his mind.

 

[keltikkitty]

Originally posted by webmouse
Still, it seems a little weird, but I suppose it must be easier on the actors. Suppose MS really had to speak 23 languages and muddle through many more alien tongues in each episode. He might not have made it to the 5th season before losing his mind.

Yeah, but he did a wonderful job in 1969

It was a good year

Keltikkitty:aliengray

 

[webmouse]

More than the linguistics problems, there should be other cultural difficulties -- like hand gestures for instance. A simple movement of the hand -- to beckon someone for instance or to indicate "OK" -- can be considered obscene even by other cultures here on our own planet. How likely is it then that the team would run into problems simply by waving "howdy" or pointing at an object, etc.?

There was a recent ep of "Enterprise" where alien guests stormed off terribly offended and couldn't bring themselves even to discuss the insult with Archer's baffled crew. Turns out these aliens do not put food in their mouths in front of others. Eating is a private act.

The team could, without getting into language and subtitles, still have some amusing, confusing moments sorting out different cultural norms on alien worlds.

 

[Rowan]

language

"1969" may have been a good year, but the accent was terrible!

Sorry ... been there and it didn;t sound right at all.

As for 'body language', well, I learned a lot about that when Stationed in Saudi for Desert Storm. Things like crossing your legs and showing someone the sole of your boot - "You are beneath the soil on my foot". A woman looking directly into the face of a man who was not her father, brother or husband - a very brazen 'come-on'.

Lots of small, and not so small, signs and body ques to deal with along with the spoken language and culture...

Rowan

 

[webmouse]

You're right about the accent in in "1969" -- not right at all. Just set my teeth on edge.

And gestural problems? My brother beckoned with an upraised finger to a cab driver in Indonesia, only to have the cabbie get very indignant and make the same gesture back (note -- beckon with your whole hand pointing down.)

And I freaked out some Brazilian students when making the "ok" gesture with my hand -- doesn't mean quite the same thing there.

Even within a supposedly common language there are problems -- like when I was in school in England and the girl behind me asked to borrow my "rubber." I was only 13 and had no idea what she thought I would be doing with one of those. After I figured out she meant an eraser, I had to babble something incoherent when she asked what I thought she had wanted.

 

[skoon]

:laugh2: come borrow my rubber.

When I was little & visiting my Aunt in England she told me to get on the 'pavement'...so I jumped on the road. She learned quickly...

 

[webmouse]

And then young ladies have to be careful to ask for a "lift" rather than a "ride" :evil:

 

[spookypumpkin]

LOL

 

[webmouse]

Not to mention those Brits who asked if you want "to be knocked up in the morning" -- usually I just smile and ask for a wake-up call instead. :evil:

 

[skoon]

:laugh2: :laugh2:

 

[webmouse]

Who taught those Brits to speak English anyway?

 

[skoon]

ha ha