Why do you want to be a NA'Vi on Pandora?

[Human No More]

Originally Posted by dstroudswan

And it looks awesome

Irayo

Me too, and the rest of the modifications to become as close to Na'vi as I can get. How long do you think it will be before that's possible? I'm betting on less than two decades.

Yeah, a couple of decades, I'd guess.

How would you view scientific articles and know whether information was accurate and peer-reviewed, then? There would have to be some serious web infrastructure changes to make that work, but I suppose it could be done.

The same way as any other data. It doesn't matter what the data is when it's being transmitted as a binary stream, as you just need the right software for the format.

[Moco Loco]

You don't even KNOW In the dream, everyone kept asking what our costumes were made of, and I couldn't stop laughing

[Theorist]

I would definitely get a tail if it were functional. If it actually had a significant affect on my balance and coordination, I would probably get a tail

[dstroudswan]

Originally Posted by Theorist

I would definitely get a tail if it were functional. If it actually had a significant affect on my balance and coordination, I would probably get a tail

Which it would. I personally don't understand why humans evolved to not have tails. Tails are exceptionally useful for balance and coordination. Then again, there would have to be custom chairs, cars, etc. complete with holes for tails; I imagine sitting on it would be uncomfortable, akin to getting pins and needles in your foot

[Aquaplant]

I think a tail would look silly on humans more than anything else.

Originally Posted by dstroudswan

Which it would. I personally don't understand why humans evolved to not have tails. Tails are exceptionally useful for balance and coordination. Then again, there would have to be custom chairs, cars, etc. complete with holes for tails; I imagine sitting on it would be uncomfortable, akin to getting pins and needles in your foot

Some people have really good balance and coordination regardless, but the same could not be said about myself, for I'm beyond redemption in that regard, tail or not.

[dstroudswan]

Originally Posted by Aquaplant

I think a tail would look silly on humans more than anything else.

Though I agree, that's a perception that arose from social conditioning; it is not objective. Anyway, I'm sure if technology was available to give people tails, it would also be possible to get plastic surgery to go for the complete Na'vi image.

Originally Posted by Aquaplant

Some people have really good balance and coordination regardless, but the same could not be said about myself, for I'm beyond redemption in that regard, tail or not.

That might be true, but remember, having a tail would allow you to quickly catch yourself and prevent you from falling even if you still had poor balance.

[Aquaplant]

Originally Posted by dstroudswan

Though I agree, that's a perception that arose from social conditioning; it is not objective. Anyway, I'm sure if technology was available to give people tails, it would also be possible to get plastic surgery to go for the complete Na'vi image.

What conditioning? Some people did clip off tails from their dogs back in the day, so I think the fashion aspect of it is questionable at best.

Also, considering that humans are not much to look at in the first place, so the amount of change attainable via something crude as surgery would be minimal at best.

That might be true, but remember, having a tail would allow you to quickly catch yourself and prevent you from falling even if you still had poor balance.

Not if that tail would be as much fail as my body currently is.

[Aquaplant]

Originally Posted by dstroudswan

All I meant is beauty is relative and subjective to what is taught to us at a young age. Why do you think society finds skinny blondes attractive? Because they're always been thrown at us on the covers of magazines, and the industry is telling us that that is beauty - and we believe them.

beauty=preference=subjective

The rest is just nonsense, like someone is going to tell me that I'm insane because the marketing industry is telling me to be one. Sure, some people are easily manipulated, and once you get few key players into position, you can make fashion whatever you wish, but the topic of vanity holds little interest to me.

I very much disagree. Surgery isn't crude, or else this would not look as good as it does, nor would delicate procedures like this aneurysm clipping be possible. The Na'vi nose could definitely be constructed. The only difficulty would really be the ears, which could not be moved up. They could, however, be modified substantially.

Make up your mind will you? First you say that beauty is subjective, and then you show me pictures of a "good" nose job? Seriously though, it is hard to improve upon that which is already full of fail, and I consider us humans quite fail on the looks department.

Originally Posted by Clarke

Well, I'm hoping biotechnology marches on substantially in my lifetime. (almost) Anything is possible with SCIENCE.

[dstroudswan]

Originally Posted by Aquaplant

Make up your mind will you? First you say that beauty is subjective, and then you show me pictures of a "good" nose job?

You're absolutely right, I should have rephrased that. I did not mean to imply that it looked good, I just meant that the surgeon did a good job on what he or she wanted to accomplish.

Originally Posted by Aquaplant

Seriously though, it is hard to improve upon that which is already full of fail, and I consider us humans quite fail on the looks department.

I'm curious, then. Since the Na'vi share a lot of basic characteristics with humans (i.e. placement and sizing of features, as well as head shape), how do you find their looks?

[Human No More]

Originally Posted by Aquaplant

Make up your mind will you? First you say that beauty is subjective, and then you show me pictures of a "good" nose job? Seriously though, it is hard to improve upon that which is already full of fail, and I consider us humans quite fail on the looks department.

He's showing what's possible, not an absolute.

As for the practicality of a tail, yeah, you'd have to have clothes modified for it, but things like sitting wouldn't be as much if a problem - you could just sit slightly forward and curl your tail around.

I'll be first on the list for one

[Aquaplant]

Originally Posted by dstroudswan

You're absolutely right, I should have rephrased that. I did not mean to imply that it looked good, I just meant that the surgeon did a good job on what he or she wanted to accomplish.

I was just making a joke out of your wording, since I knew that you meant the quality of the surgery itself, rather than aesthetics.

I'm curious, then. Since the Na'vi share a lot of basic characteristics with humans (i.e. placement and sizing of features, as well as head shape), how do you find their looks?

Proper feline features always look good. Then again it has been quite the while since I watched Avatar, so my memory might not be up to date on the big picture. I think it was February last year.

Originally Posted by Human No More

He's showing what's possible, not an absolute.

Yeah I know, but it's just fun to fool around with words one way or another.

[dstroudswan]

Originally Posted by Human No More

The same way as any other data. It doesn't matter what the data is when it's being transmitted as a binary stream, as you just need the right software for the format.

Good point; I've never been one for computer science. I'm pretty tech-savvy, but binary blows my mind

Originally Posted by Human No More

As for the practicality of a tail, yeah, you'd have to have clothes modified for it, but things like sitting wouldn't be as much if a problem - you could just sit slightly forward and curl your tail around.

I suppose that's true - it would really just be clothes that need changing.

Originally Posted by Human No More

I'll be first on the list for one

You'll have to beat me to it

Originally Posted by Aquaplant

I was just making a joke out of your wording, since I knew that you meant the quality of the surgery itself, rather than aesthetics.

Ah, okay.

Originally Posted by Aquaplant

Proper feline features always look good.

That's so true.

[auroraglacialis]

Hey, our dogs can sit pretty comfy on their tails XD - they'r not like sticking out in a right angle to the backside, but are a continuation of the spine after all.
But yeah - I wonder why humans have lost them. Must have something to do with that humans are runners...

[Human No More]

I'd think a tail is an advantage whether on two or four legs as it assists with balance, although there is always the possibility of specific environmental conditions. It's likely that most precursor species did have tails, while the closest living species to humans also lack tails, so it would have been lost in a common ancestor at a point of divergence.

[dstroudswan]

I agree with HumanNoMore; maybe genetic engineering can solve this in the future