Episode: 40 Xenogenesis - Adulthood-Rites: II: PHOENIX Chapters 18 & 19

XenoThesis

In episode 40, Richard and Michael discuss: Oankali sibling bonding, and how they handle their booze. How Octavia’s characters are rich, complex, contradictory, real, and redeamable. The Nature of sleep and dreams, as well as the character of Human extinction.

Timestamps

00:00:00 - Start
00:00:34 - Welcome
00:01:49 - What will we read when we’re done with Xenogenesis?
00:03:33 - Chapter 18 predictions
00:04:46 - Chapter 18 summary
00:05:08 - Oankali Sibling Bond
00:08:14 - Richard & michael forget Tediin’s name
00:10:50 - How the Oankli handle alcohol [1,2,3]
00:16:00 - Why yes we are obsessing over minor details
00:17:54 - Neci would eventualy find a co-conspirator
00:19:06 - Akin reasures Tate the contruct children can survive on their own
00:21:35 - What is the origin of the Ooloi?
00:23:37 - Responsibility for Akin being stuck with the humans
00:26:09 - Neci’s contradictory attitudes to the construct children
00:27:25 - Sleep & Dreaming [4]
00:30:36 - Tate’s backhanded dis of Neci
00:31:40 - Octavia’s complex & realistic characters
00:38:04 - Tate (rightly) puts the blame on Neci
00:39:00 - Chapter 19 predictions
00:40:48 - Clip this out of context
00:43:03 - Chapter 19 summary
00:43:43 - Neci wants Akin tied up when unattended
00:44:28 - Guns in Phoenix
00:45:50 - Tate has trouble sleeping after guns decision
00:47:25 - Clip this out of context also
00:48:09 - *condescension
00:48:20 - Human extinction & Akjai
00:49:24 - Akin as a bridge between the Oankali & Humans
00:50:12 - How the Human ‘trade’ differs from previous ‘trades’
00:52:40 - Limits of Oankali understanding of Human psychology & culture
00:53:52 - Chapter 20 predictions
00:55:22 - The nature of extinction
00:56:52 - EvoPsych & the game theory of multicellularity
00:59:33 - Outro

References

Alchohol metabolism:

• [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_metabolism
• [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethyl_glucuronide
• [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucuronide

Sleep and Dreaming:

• [4] Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_We_Sleep

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Intro: L’Etoile danse (Pt. 1) by Meydan Outro: Long Way Home by Spinning Ratio