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ALIEN & ALIENS

S C I E NC E M O VI E N I G H T


What is the purpose of life?

There are many debates on what is the purpose

of life. From a biological argument some

statements include: • To procreate

• To survive

• To ensure the continuation of the species

• There is no purpose.


Describe the various stages of the

aliens life cycle.

Things to consider?

Host (Malaria)

Alternation of Generations (Fern)

Metamorphosis (Frog)


aliens life cycle. (Malaria life-cycle)



aliens life cycle. (Fern Life Cycle)


aliens life cycle. (Frog Life Cycle)



aliens life cycle.

Face Hugger

Queen

Egg

Chest Burster

Warrior

Drone

Male Gamete via Mitosis

Female Gamete via Mitosis

Fertilization

Spore via Meisos, Incubation in host

n

2n

2n

n

n

n

How do we know that it was alive

(what criteria did it satisfy, and how)?

Life is considered a characteristic of organisms

that exhibit all or most of the following

characteristics or traits: • Homeostasis (Regulation of internal environment to

maintain a Constant Steady State): • Organization: • Metabolism (Using Energy via chemical reactions): • Growth and Development: • Adaptation: • Response to stimuli: • Reproduction:


What did it consume?

During the first two movies the aliens are not

observed eating.

• The Alien must eat something since it is a living thing and one of the primary tenets of living creatures is they need energy to live and grow. It is illogical to assume the alien not eat ANYTHING and yet can grow to well over six feet tall and weighing at least two hundred pounds.

What did it consume? (Theory)

Alien

In Alien, there is a single creature and all it has to eat are the humans on board the

Nostromo and anything they brought with them. It was shown that Ripley found an

empty storage container during the hunt for the creature. So, it can be assumed, it

needed mass to grow and in this case was able to eat the food of its host creature to

survive. This seems reasonable if the creature has taken some of its biology from the

host, ensuring at least some level of compatibility with the organisms ecosystem and

food supply.

It can also be inferred there was more than one storage container of that type on the

ship so it does not take much to assume human food, plus the humans it killed

during the hunt were sufficient for it to get the mass it needed to grow and expand in

size.

All of its advanced biochemical processes as well as its silicon makeup would

probably be able to be met by the technical equipment that made up the ship in the

form of metals and other inorganic materials found in a starship of the size and

complexity of the Nostromo. Unless a thorough scan of the ship was done, it would

have been able to eat its fill of inorganic material and it would never be noticed or

missed by the crew.


What did it consume? (Theory)

Aliens

In Aliens, we have almost the same conditions, a sizable human base, plenty of

human food stores, a significant number of humans to eat (and drink from, blood is a

decent source of iron and lesser minerals) and refined inorganic materials in great

abundance. So their growth, size and numbers can be presumed based on the amount

of food available. We can assume they may be biologically efficient, processing a

greater amount of energy and converting more mass than we do, so it may not take

much organic material for an Alien to develop physically, which is why they are so

willing to abandon their host if the nymph finds itself in danger.

In summary, the Aliens eat what their hosts eat and can likely find a source of

inorganic material compatible with their biology on any planet they find

themselves on (Silicon is the eight most abundant material in the universe and

the second most abundant mineral compound on Earth). This high level of

adaptability would surely make them an Alpha predator on any world they had

sufficient compatible inorganic material for them to complete their molting and

grow to their adult size.

How quickly did it grow?

The alien grows very quickly once the chest

burster erupts from its host body. • Chest burster is less than 1 foot tall initially.

• With in a couple of hours the alien drone reached a

height of over 2 meters.


Did every individual reproduce, or

were there females for the purpose,

or was there a single queen for the

purpose?

The aliens appear to have a single queen for

reproductive purposes, much like bees or ants.

How did the eggs survive long

periods in space?

The eggs appear to remain dormant much

similar to how plant seeds remain dormant.

Plant seeds stay alive due to access to food and

oxygen contained within the seed.


How did the alien get aboard the

ship?

A face hugger attaches to the face of one of the crew members. The science officer overrode safety protocols and brought the victim onto the ship in order to “treat the victim”. Later a chest burster erupted from the body of the victim.

Who was the mad scientist in Alien?

Ash

• The science officer

• The android (synthetic humanoid)


What was he/she/it willing to

sacrifice?

Ash was willing to sacrifice the life of the

Nostromo’s crew.

Since Ripley survived by destroying

the specimen, thereby depriving

science of knowledge, does science

itself have to be mad in order to

advance its knowledge?

No. • Knowledge can be gained through proper use of

the scientific method.

• With some experimentation, a level of risk may be

involved.


Was the alien a successful life form?

Yes. • It was able to reproduce.

• It was able to adapt as a species.

Prepared by D. Leonard – Learning Specialist Edited by K. Martin – Peer Tutor The Academic Support Center @ Daytona State College http://www.daytonastate.edu/asc/ascsciencehandouts.html

Questions

http://www.daytonastate.edu/asc/ascsciencehandouts.html

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