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

[Human No More]

Originally Posted by Crickett

There have been discussions on various forums asking [sarcastic voice]if you like the Na'vi so much, why don't you live like them?[/sarcastic voice]

If I was capable of that, I'd certainly consider it.

Exactly - if I COULD be 3m tall, with blue skin, beautiful eyes and a tail. I would. If I could, as an average individual, be physically superior to the greatest human who lived, I would. If I could have a lifemate and make tsaheylu and experience everything together, I would. If it was possible to bond with an ikran and ride it through the air, I would. If I could spend every night wandering through bioluminescence, with everything around having its own beauty, I would. None of that's at all remotely possible.

Originally Posted by Sarah Noel

The fantastical impossible life-mate tsaheylu I find romantic, though I think I prefer serial monogamy as a human with the assumption that people can change and outgrow each other, mating for life is an awfully long time. With the na'vi however, a bond as strong as linking nervous systems I can only imagine it's being too overwhelming to ever do that with more than one sentient being, causing irrevocable emotional changes, and a closeness to which we have no equivalent. I'd be curious to know what that's like.

For me, the idea of a lifemate is better because it's being able to truly know someone on a way that most people never will, and I would far prefer that to ending up losing am ate over and over again... I think that most people would, in a perfect situation, want a mate to stay with them, and it certainly is possible with humans, just not easy and doesn't work for everyone, while the Na'vi have it much easier there...

I'd also probably freak out with the first night I spent on Pandora, and spend hours stuck looking at tiny things like leaf venation, or the dots on my legs, or something.

Definitely

I don't think I could give up my life right now for a Na'vi one, in a few years when the world's a little worse, I'd definitely reconsider it.

Honestly, ideally, I'd like the best of both lives. I'd like to be able to be a Na'vi physically, live somewhere really nice, be able to fly, but also still be able to occasionally enjoy things from Earth.

[dstroudswan]

Originally Posted by Human No More

Exactly - if I COULD be 3m tall, with blue skin, beautiful eyes and a tail. I would. If I could, as an average individual, be physically superior to the greatest human who lived, I would. If I could have a lifemate and make tsaheylu and experience everything together, I would. If it was possible to bond with an ikran and ride it through the air, I would. If I could spend every night wandering through bioluminescence, with everything around having its own beauty, I would. None of that's at all remotely possible.

You're almost completely right. Increasing height to 3 meters would destroy the spinal column and cause paralysis. Blue skin, however, would be possible with tattooing or permanent ink, and maybe in the not-too-distant future, gene therapy. A tail would also be possible if it could be artificially grown and grafted on, but the technology for that is not yet available; maybe in a decade that will change. Tsaheylu would be extremely difficult to achieve, but it might be possible with lots of technology (see my post here). Riding an ikran is definitely not possible. Bioluminescence, however, might be achieved with gene therapy, since some species of fish already have that.

Originally Posted by Human No More

Honestly, ideally, I'd like the best of both lives. I'd like to be able to be a Na'vi physically, live somewhere really nice, be able to fly, but also still be able to occasionally enjoy things from Earth.

I second that; all I'd need from Earth is a generator, an iPad, a laptop, and a satellite connection. There would be no need to do away with technology; it would just have to be used sparingly.

[auroraglacialis]

Originally Posted by dstroudswan

Bioluminescence, however, might be achieved with gene therapy, since some species of fish already have that.

Actually they did gene modified plants that glow in the dark by putting marine organisms genes into them. But of course these have to stay in the enclosed labs because no one knows what will be the result if they go into the wild...

I second that; all I'd need from Earth is a generator, an iPad, a laptop, and a satellite connection.

So all you need is "the internet" basically?

Originally Posted by Sarah Noel

I'd also probably freak out with the first night I spent on Pandora, and spend hours stuck looking at tiny things like leaf venation, or the dots on my legs, or something.

- yeah I can imagine that. That image is very funny but so true. Look at all the dots indeed...

[Clarke]

Originally Posted by dstroudswan

Increasing height to 3 meters would destroy the spinal column and cause paralysis.

Carbon-fibre bones! Carbon-fibre bones! (I've given JC crap for not justifying himself elsewhere, but that sort of thing is what I hoped there was more of: just enough explanation so we can hear, "I know this doesn't work, but it's a film. You should really just relax.")

Though if you're talking about turning a human into a Na'vi, can't you just use surgery whatevers?

I second that; all I'd need from Earth is a generator, an iPad, a laptop, and a satellite connection. There would be no need to do away with technology; it would just have to be used sparingly.

For a species that has a IO cable dangling out the back of their skull, an iPad seems like an awfully crude HCI. (or should that be Na'vi-Computer interface? ) Wouldn't strategically-placed wireless transceivers work better?

[Moco Loco]

Originally Posted by Human No More

Exactly - if I COULD be 3m tall, with blue skin, beautiful eyes and a tail. I would. If I could, as an average individual, be physically superior to the greatest human who lived, I would. If I could have a lifemate and make tsaheylu and experience everything together, I would. If it was possible to bond with an ikran and ride it through the air, I would. If I could spend every night wandering through bioluminescence, with everything around having its own beauty, I would. None of that's at all remotely possible.

If it were just about becoming a na'vi physically and I didn't have to give up access to all the knowledge humans have, technological advances, etc, YES, I would be a na'vi I guess that question has never been posed to me, and before now, I've never even thought about it with those circumstances, but there are several situations in which I'd gladly be a na'vi.

[dstroudswan]

Originally Posted by auroraglacialis

So all you need is "the internet" basically?

Yep, and maybe a toothbrush.

Originally Posted by Clarke

Though if you're talking about turning a human into a Na'vi, can't you just use surgery whatevers?

Yes, you can. Plastic surgery coupled with permanent ink (or genetic engineering for a version of melanin that's blue) would yield something almost exactly like a Na'vi, minus the increase in height and the tail. The former couldn't be practically achieved with surgery, and the latter would require growth in a lab and grafting on once developed. Maybe they can use tissue printers for that

Originally Posted by Clarke

For a species that has a IO cable dangling out the back of their skull, an iPad seems like an awfully crude HCI. (or should that be Na'vi-Computer interface? ) Wouldn't strategically-placed wireless transceivers work better?

That's true, but it also assumes that the brain could adapt to control a device that is Internet-capable and designed for a 2d environment. I'm not sure if that would be possible - research would need to be done to find out.

[Human No More]

Originally Posted by Moco Loco

If it were just about becoming a na'vi physically and I didn't have to give up access to all the knowledge humans have, technological advances, etc, YES, I would be a na'vi I guess that question has never been posed to me, and before now, I've never even thought about it with those circumstances, but there are several situations in which I'd gladly be a na'vi.

Exactly
It's about gaining special, unique things, abilities no human has, and still knowing everything I did

Originally Posted by dstroudswan

Yes, you can. Plastic surgery coupled with permanent ink (or genetic engineering for a version of melanin that's blue) would yield something almost exactly like a Na'vi, minus the increase in height and the tail. The former couldn't be practically achieved with surgery, and the latter would require growth in a lab and grafting on once developed. Maybe they can use tissue printers for that

I already have some of the ink part done
I will honestly be getting a tail when it becomes possible too.

Originally Posted by auroraglacialis

So all you need is "the internet" basically?

About right for me.

[Clarke]

Originally Posted by dstroudswan

That's true, but it also assumes that the brain could adapt to control a device that is Internet-capable and designed for a 2d environment. I'm not sure if that would be possible - research would need to be done to find out.

If you did away with conventional web pages, and used things like Twitter, you could directly interpret 1D streams of data, which would probably be a lot easier.