Philotic Web

and an idea for a better temporary cure for Bean (+ children, of course) came to my mind; why shouldn't he just go a heart transplant?
Artificial hearts in 200 years from now (approximately) are much more able than our current artificial hearts, and will probably be able to do the work of 5-6 artificial hearts, thus prolonging Bean's life by a nice amount of years and allowing him to reach a "normal" life span.
Such hearts would also allow Bean to stay at earth and continue the research of his disease with his gigantic brain, so that they can find the cure (if such cure exists) earlier.

...I don't know, I just don't want the series to end and I think too much.
I can't wait for Shadows in Flight to come out..

Wherever I see this subject at this sight, the person posting invariably overthinks the solution.

How did Milo cure HIS affliction? Is Ender's mind (or Milo's, for that matter) more powerful than Bean's?

So all that any of them need is a short trip through JaneSpace, and "Lo! A miracle has occurred!" (My favorite Star Trek: Voyager episode ending) and each walks of in a body having the genetic template repaired, while behind a body crumbles into dust (or less).

See? Too simple ... the problem will be writing a story, surrounding those few paragraphs, to take up the other three hundred pages ...

Post subject: Bean's (and all the little Beaner's) Cure

We must have read different books; I don't recall Bean having Mexican children or being surrounded by Mexicans.

but if he keeps growing wouldn't the artificial heart continue to have to be replaced?

but if he keeps growing wouldn't the artificial heart continue to have to be replaced?

I think they said his heart would fail first. Unfortunately, life simply can't be sustained upon reaching a certain size. I had to write a paper on this sort of thing after watching Them in 9th grade biology. The ratio of surface area to volume of his arteries (and thus their strength) will decrease at a rate in the vicinity of 1/x as he grows, as will the ratio between the volume of his bones and the area of their cross section (and thus their strength) will decrease similarly. Even his brain, if he was separated from his body as suggested by Volescu, iirc, would eventually collapse under its own weight.

How did Milo cure HIS affliction?

Who's Milo?

Otis' friend, dummy.

those poor guys, I heard the animals did not have a good time on that film set.

I think he means "Miro" not "Milo"

BTW i was prank calling w/my friend, and SHE was Milo, and I was Otis

Isn't this a great first post


Anyway, i love Bean, and I wish he would be able to live longer on earth, and w/Petra and the children, but wouldn't that just ruin the whole story line?

It's a pretty bad excuse.

I think he means "Miro" not "Milo"

Oooooooh. Miro! Well, that makes sense, I suppose.

Isn't this a great first post

Welcome to Pweb, kid.

[Oooooooh. Miro! Well, that makes sense, I suppose.
]

Were you being sarcastic about that?

I think he means "Miro" not "Milo"

Oooooooh. Miro! Well, that makes sense, I suppose.

Not to detract from that otherwise flaw-filled stab at sarcasm, but that DID make sense. (And thanks for the correction!)

My typo(s) ... and if that still makes no sense for you, then kindly save your remarks for others of your species.

Slow AND stupid AND sarcastic ... can't be that many of them still around ...

Oh, silly newbie. You kids need to open a dictionary once in awhile.

First of all, typographical errors include only those errors caused by mechanical failure or a slip of the finger, not those caused by ignorance. If you had typed "Mito" or "Mieo," I might accept that it was a typo. The "L" and "R" are so far away, however, that I just don't buy it.

Also, I'd hardly call my comment "sarcasm," as it wasn't harsh or bitter. I added the winky face and everything! Additionally, I wouldn't really classify my comment as ironic. But if it makes you feel better, do as you please.

Plus, I'm not really sure what to make of the sentence fragment "my typo(s)." Your typos what? Your typos eat chicken every night? Your typos enjoy going to the ball with the cutest boy in the whole town? I'm so [adjective], I [verb] [nouns]. And I'm not entirely sure why you're obsessed with ellipses.

Anyway, I assure you, I'm completely human. My parents are human, their parents were human, and their parents before them. Of course, my great-great grandparents might have been aliens, but there's been so much interbreeding with humans and it should hardly matter, right? Besides, the Red Cross even lets me donate blood!

At any rate, I'm sorry you got your panties in a twist. I don't know if that's because you can't handle someone pointing out a spelling error you made, because you're just uptight in general, you frequently infer some kind of harsh undertone of derision all the time, or some other kooky reason.

Oh, and if you'd care to point out where I've been slow, stupid, and sarcastic, that'd be swell, too. But, if on the other hand, you're just making blanket insults with no understanding of the words you're using, you might think about opening a book.

ETA: I really want to add that I wasn't trying to be a dick at first and I'm not really trying too terribly hard to be abrasive, now, either. But where you see a bit of harshness in the above post, keep in mind that you kind of brought that on yourself with your last post.

First of all, typographical errors include only those errors caused by mechanical failure or a slip of the finger, not those caused by ignorance. If you had typed "Mito" or "Mieo," I might accept that it was a typo. The "L" and "R" are so far away, however, that I just don't buy it.

In qwerty, they're far apart. In dvorak (and possibly other layouts), though, they're right next to each other

In qwerty, they're far apart. In dvorak (and possibly other layouts), though, they're right next to each other

Noted. I wasn't really thinking of dvorak, mostly because dvorak really isn't popular outside of the programming community. That said, however, you don't usually repeat the error if it's just a slip of the finger.

FWI, dude, i asked a simple question, and I want to know why you are going on about your humanity , i mean, where the heck did that come from?

Any way, your post did not have a winky face. It was just smiling.

There's a difference, you know.

winky-

smiley-

Jeesh, you'd think that when you saw a post that didn't respond to anything you said, but rather to something someone else had said, you'd put it together that just maybe it wasn't directed towards you.

Man, is it me, or is it getting catty in here? Mreow! In any case:

but if he keeps growing wouldn't the artificial heart continue to have to be replaced?

I think they said his heart would fail first. Unfortunately, life simply can't be sustained upon reaching a certain size. I had to write a paper on this sort of thing after watching Them in 9th grade biology. The ratio of surface area to volume of his arteries (and thus their strength) will decrease at a rate in the vicinity of 1/x as he grows, as will the ratio between the volume of his bones and the area of their cross section (and thus their strength) will decrease similarly. Even his brain, if he was separated from his body as suggested by Volescu, iirc, would eventually collapse under its own weight.

This was actually a problem that Marvel often brings up with Giant-Man, from the Avengers. Look at what comics can teach you!

... the Red Cross will allow you to donate for your own (species') use ... and you could even be "human" by definition and still lack for humanity ... maybe it's just a birth defect (letting parents, grandparents and possible friendly aliens off the hook. Acts by hostile aliens are still attributable ...)

"Miro" (Ender's stepson) was in my mind ... "Milo" came through my fingers while watching my own little puggie play. The substitution was neither an act or error of ignorance, nor was it an "orthographical error" ... it WAS an error by the copyist (moi) which qualifies in modern times as a typographic error.

If that doesn't fit into whatever tightly-and-overdefined container that your micromind is willing to accept, tough. I didn't ask for your critique, you contributed nothing to the substance of the matters under discussion, and you should really keep further observations to yourself ... that way, you can ensure you will have an appreciative and truly deserving audience, "Ozymandius".

--------------

Now ... For the original question: In the passages by both Ender and Miro outside of our space ... passages in which the wills of the participants were so strong that what emerged on the far side were not only their original bodies, but also their titular offspring; the characters of young Valentine and Peter for Ender, and a hale and whole Miro, allowing his mind to cast loose the horrifically damaged body from which he began the jump.

The only major problem would be the matter of time ... how close to the speed of light is the rate at which Bean (and progeny) are traveling. How long (in relative time) have they been gone? And will Bean still be in a position capable of being saved from when contact is made?

His will is clearly of the same level as those of Miro & Ender. Jane certainly has the capability of "remembering" him from the days of Battle School and instructing him in what he needs to do to be reborn. Then he could instruct the kids.

And then that Brain Trust might take on the task of bridging the gulf between humanity and the virally-communicating aliens ... let alone that of perhaps Speaker-To-Ramen? [/i]

Not to blow my own horn (excessively ), but since Shadows In Flight is to be a sequel to Children Of The Mind as well as the Shadows series, wouldn't that "cure" be a truly elegant way to bind the two together?

(Not to mention bringing OSC's greatest tactician back into the fray at a time when all his children are coming together ... and just when the essence of his greatest strategist, perceptual analyst and diplomat is maturing (as Peter) without having to deal with all of Ender's guilt and disassociation)

Not to mention ...

Of course, I could be wrong (it happens) and I (usually) love surprises. Ender In Exile was one such surprise, but I couldn't help wishing OSC'd finish the ends and THEN go back for the fill-ins.

Can't help the thoughts (Wish he'd finish the Alvin Maker series as well) ... waited a number of years for Gordon Dickson to finish the Childe Cycle (you've heard of the Dorsai, right?), and after seeing book after book about stupid little bears ( ! Hokas ! ), he died and left the Dorsai tales unfinished ... just a couple of books from done (and Antagonist didn't count at all).

The seances were really unsatisfying ... so I can't help wishing for an author to finish his vision (for those of us that can only see it dimly without his correspondence.)

FWI: Ok, maybe I was a little stupid there, but i'm just a kid. We take everything personally, and we're always looking to down someone after they dis us personally or not.

I admit i was stupid. Plus I always say whatever comes to my head first.

Happy now?

If that's not what you wanted, then I have no idea what it is. My brain is not fully developed. Kinda how Bean's wasn't and probly never will.

Not to blow my own horn (excessively ), but since Shadows In Flight is to be a sequel to Children Of The Mind as well as the Shadows series, wouldn't that "cure" be a truly elegant way to bind the two together?

(Not to mention bringing OSC's greatest tactician back into the fray at a time when all his children are coming together ... and just when the essence of his greatest strategist, perceptual analyst and diplomat is maturing (as Peter) without having to deal with all of Ender's guilt and disassociation)

Not to mention ...

Of course, I could be wrong (it happens) and I (usually) love surprises. Ender In Exile was one such surprise, but I couldn't help wishing OSC'd finish the ends and THEN go back for the fill-ins.

Can't help the thoughts (Wish he'd finish the Alvin Maker series as well) ... waited a number of years for Gordon Dickson to finish the Childe Cycle (you've heard of the Dorsai, right?), and after seeing book after book about stupid little bears ( ! Hokas ! ), he died and left the Dorsai tales unfinished ... just a couple of books from done (and Antagonist didn't count at all).

The seances were really unsatisfying ... so I can't help wishing for an author to finish his vision (for those of us that can only see it dimly without his correspondence.)

.....for the record.....there is such a thing as too much formatting.

It usually seems as if sometimes science and other logical explanations for stuff is sacrificed for what the author believes to be an interesting plot twist. The Ender series is no exception. Since we don't exactly know the exact nature of Bean's illness (that is no one's written hundreds of pages of medical stuff), we wouldn't know for sure exactly what we could do about it. Though contemporary treatments for current illnesses were considered for shadow of the giant as explained in the acknowledgments in the back of the book.

Rick, unless somebody else is writing your posts first, you're not a copyist. There is a difference between copyist and writer and I'm fairly positive you know that and are just looking for ways to keep up the mirage.

Brainfarts don't qualify for typographical errors. Thinking Miro and typing Milo because it is the name of your dog isn't a typographical error any more than thinking Miro and typing "ham sandwich" because that's what you're eating is a typographical error. It's an error, sure, and even an unintentional one, but that doesn't make it a typographical one. And really, it has nothing to do with overdefining terms; it has to do with defining them at all. You can call your error Petey and paint it purple; it is what it is. But if you're going to use language, be prepared to use it effectively. If you're going to use words, know what they mean. There are enough language barriers over the intarwebz that adding another one because you're too lazy to open a dictionary is kind of a let-down.

But it doesn't even matter that you called him Milo. I mostly responded so you could catch the mistake and fix it and to be a little playful. But then you got your panties all twisted because somebody dared to show you weren't perfect and that means it's time to unleash a fury of utterly ridiculous insults. After all, when somebody points out a mistake you make, the only real response is to be so utterly ridiculous nobody will ever take you seriously again, isn't it? But keep up the good work. Never surrender! My mother's weight is a great topic for the kind of comedic gold you're producing with your insults.


Anyway, unless Bean and his children changed starships along the way, I'm not particularly sure any of them would be around by the time Ender even left for Lusitania some 3,000 years after the Third Invasion. We don't know exactly how long someone with Bean's condition can live without the strain of Earth's gravity, I don't imagine it being too terribly much longer than that on Earth (as I'd assume they'd still have partial gravity, at least).

And for Ender, a fifty year voyage took about two relative years. MinCol may have produced faster ships between the time Ender left and the time Bean left, but it couldn't be much faster. So using Ender's ship as a baseline, it would take a little over sixty years from the time Bean got into his ship to the end of Children of the Mind. Now, there's the possibility that one or some of them "slept" most of the way, but it'd take some serious staggering of the "awake" times for them to make it the sixty years.

[quote="elfprince13]Even his brain, if he was separated from his body as suggested by Volescu, iirc, would eventually collapse under its own weight.[/quote]


I believe that Volescu said that Bean would be in space......no weight.

Even if Bean was able to get a new heart, there was still the problem of all his other organs. Eventually his lungs wouldn't be large enough to supply enough oxygen for his body, and that wouldn't be the only thing to fail as he continued to grow.

If your estimation of relative time is correct Syphon, then there would be almost no way that Bean would survive. (But didn't Ender spend most of that same time at realativistic speeds? He didnt age 60 years.)

As for 'sleeping' (wasn't it called stasis?), there is no mention of it while Bean talks with Mazer about leaving Earth. The ship may not have even been equipped for stasis since Bean had to operate the ship and would not have been able to take such a large break. What would have happened if something went wrong with the ship? Also, Bean would have been concerned with teaching his children to unlock their full potential.

This being said, Bean would most likely NOT survive long enough to make it to Lusitania (assuming your plot guess is even correct), but that still allows for his children to make it there so they can have a full life.

Even if Bean was able to get a new heart, there was still the problem of all his other organs. Eventually his lungs wouldn't be large enough to supply enough oxygen for his body, and that wouldn't be the only thing to fail as he continued to grow.

If your estimation of relative time is correct Syphon, then there would be almost no way that Bean would survive. (But didn't Ender spend most of that same time at realativistic speeds? He didnt age 60 years.)

As for 'sleeping' (wasn't it called stasis?), there is no mention of it while Bean talks with Mazer about leaving Earth. The ship may not have even been equipped for stasis since Bean had to operate the ship and would not have been able to take such a large break. What would have happened if something went wrong with the ship? Also, Bean would have been concerned with teaching his children to unlock their full potential.

This being said, Bean would most likely NOT survive long enough to make it to Lusitania (assuming your plot guess is even correct), but that still allows for his children to make it there so they can have a full life.

Wait, wait , wait, wait, wait! Are you guys saying Bean is still alive? When did that happen?

ummm... where have you been? he never died, so of course he must still be alive. now, you might be refering to the end of Shadow of the Giant when he leaves Earth and it was stated that he would die at some time in the future. however, with relativistic travel, he might survive long enough to be in the next book.

Well, I know that. It's just that he was never really mentioned again so I kinda gave up...