"Plan Kappa" - A KSP graphic novel (Jeb is back in Chapter 53! Well, kinda.)

[Musil]

As long as it remains... Uh... Un-graphical... I would say it's ok to mention it. 

[Angelo Kerman]

Maybe they pulled an Interstellar and have a bunch of frozen ProtoKerbals (similar to ProtoParts in KSP, which are the prefabs used to create instances of parts)...

[Musil]

Of course, if in the kappa-verse they also happen to lay eggs -as any reasonable kerbalist would argue-,  taking a bunch of eggs is no trouble at all... 

Edited March 10, 2016 by Musil

[FyunchClick]

5 hours ago, Musil said:

However, we can be absolutely sure that their main mode of reproduction is bi-sexual in nature, as indeed that would be the preferred way of any (if-any) intelligent species (cf. Stanislaw Lem's wonderful novel Fiasco for details on this reasoning), nihil obstat to however frequent cases of parthenogenesis.

I would argue that that is perhaps a very mammal centric view, but I am not aware of S. Lems argument (having read none of his work, tsk me indeed) so I can't rule out it makes perfect sense. However given the confusing proliferation of reproductive strategies on this planet alone (from parasitic cuckoos where the females specialize for specific host species into what otherwise may be (and were) considered separate species, if not for the fact that the males didn't specify and service females of all gentes as they're called, to crocodiles that determine their sex not through the attribute of genetics but through the temperature of the eggs, through indeed thriving species of all female whiptail lizards), I wouldn't venture to be so sure any given strategy is always the best strategy. Indeed, mitochondria, which are a vital cellular structure in our own species, have been asexually cloned through the female parent ever since our ancestors though sexual reproduction sounded neat (having their own RNA instead of DNA) so one could claim we too partially reproduce asexually.

Given Kerbal tendency to disintegrate into powdery puffs of smoke at the end of their lives, I subscribe to the spore theory (at least for this career, every restart counts as a universe reboot imho). To avoid the need for sexes, recombination could be achieved by exchanging genetic material when in close proximity like some bacteria do, and Kerboys and Kerbelles could just be different evolutionary strategies within the same species (like bulky and sneaky male cuttlefish), where one type of Kerbal survives due to a firm stance, whereas the other has increased survivability due to a lower drag coefficient to just slide out of harms way. 

[GDJ]

3 minutes ago, FyunchClick said:

Given Kerbal tendency to disintegrate into powdery puffs of smoke at the end of their lives, I subscribe to the spore theory (at least for this career, every restart counts as a universe reboot imho). 

I subscribe to the plausible theory that SQUAD didn't want a game where Kerbals flew apart, spewing blood, intestines, Kerb-poop, brains, bits of skin and limbs all over the place when they crash. This isn't Wolfenstein-3D or Parasite Eve.

As to how they reproduce...I'm happy that a pair get together, and POOF! Another Kerbal comes along. Good enough for this game,


 

[Parkaboy]

2 hours ago, GDJ said:

As to how they reproduce...I'm happy that a pair get together, and POOF! Another Kerbal comes along. Good enough for this game,
 

Yeah, as far as I know it's pretty much that, but with a little dance and some floating hearts first.

On Kappa-verse I play kerbals as human surrogates, so it's safe to assume all the discussion about genectics is valid, but then again I see them as simplified humans, so things are a bit cartoonish sometimes (as with Jeb accidentally inventing hybernation by breathing monopropellant). Which means an army of Jeb clones is on the table.

[Just Jim]

Oh wow!

I'm just catching up on the last couple chapters, and holy crap! 

This is coming from a guy who made an evil brain-in-a-jar..... lol....  Chapter 38 was deliciously scary!!!   

And I loved, loved, loved it!!! 

[Mister Dilsby]

59 minutes ago, Parkaboy said:

Which means an army of Jeb clones is on the table.

Haven't we done that one already?

[Parkaboy]

6 minutes ago, Kuzzter said:

Haven't we done that one already?

No, that was an army of alternate versions. An army of clones is an entirely different kind of army.

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

5 minutes ago, Parkaboy said:

No, that was an army of alternate versions. An army of clones is an entirely different kind of army.

It's an entirely differently kind of army.

[Guest]

Just now, Mad Rocket Scientist said:

It's an entirely differently kind of army.

It's an entirely different kind of army.

[RocketSquid]

5 minutes ago, Parkaboy said:

No, that was an army of alternate versions. An army of clones is an entirely different kind of army.

Wait, can we use an army of clones to invade the alternate universes, take genetic material from alternate jebs, and create and army of clones of alternate versions!?

[Starhawk]

6 minutes ago, Mad Rocket Scientist said:

It's an entirely differently kind of army.

5 minutes ago, CliftonM said:

It's an entirely different kind of army.

You guys didn't play a lot of Simon Says as kids, did you?

He didn't say 'altogether'.

Happy landings!

[Guest]

Just now, Starhawk said:

You guys didn't play a lot of Simon Says as kids, did you?

He didn't say 'altogether'.

Happy landings!

I'm the rebellious type.  I don't need Simon controlling my life.

[Mister Dilsby]

1 minute ago, Starhawk said:

He didn't say 'altogether'.

He didn't say.

[RocketSquid]

Also, significantly delayed referential response to chapter 38:

"You maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, darn you! Kraken darn you all to heck!"

[Musil]

17 hours ago, FyunchClick said:

I would argue that that is perhaps a very mammal centric view, but I am not aware of S. Lems argument (having read none of his work, tsk me indeed) so I can't rule out it makes perfect sense.

 

No, no... I didn't make myself sufficiently clear: mode of birth is irrelevant (mammal, reptilian...), all that matters is that reproduction is sexual. Lem's argument, which I find extremely sensible, is that asexual reproduction, be it bacteria-like mitosis or vertebrate parthenogenesis, does not generate sufficiently large and random mutation for life to evolve into any kind of complicated form in a reasonable time. Intelligent life is, therefore, bound to reproduce sexually, because the chances for intelligence to come up without sexual reproduction are close to zero. On the other hand, Fiasco is a novel about anthropocentrism and mammalocentrism as much as anything. I recommend it wholeheartedly to any science-fiction lovers, tho it is a bit dense. Lem is, in my mind, the undisputed master of science-fiction, and no one comes even close to his mastery of the genre. 

Consider also that sexual reproduction has appeared not once, but many times here on Earth. Vertebrates and plants, for example, reproduce sexually without having a common ancestor that did that. 

The kerbal-spore theory, however, I find extremely interesting, and it has good empirical support, with the "puff" element and all... But you will note it still implies sexual reproduction. 

(Since I touch on the subject of science fiction, I must also recommend The three body problem —a title that should catch the attention of everyone who plays KSP—, by Liu Cixin. I just read it and it is won-der-full, really amazing. The third volume is not yet out in English and I can't wait. And this is not the Hunger games kinda "science-fiction" that you can't wait for because of the fiction more than the science; truly, the science on that novel has me completely hooked). 

Edited March 11, 2016 by Musil

[Parkaboy]

45 minutes ago, Musil said:

 Lem's argument, which I find extremely sensible, is that asexual reproduction, be it bacteria-like mitosis or vertebrate parthenogenesis, does not generate sufficiently large and random mutation for life to evolve into any kind of complicated form in a reasonable time. Intelligent life is, therefore, bound to reproduce sexually, because the chances for intelligence to come up without sexual reproduction are close to zero. On the other hand, Fiasco is a novel about anthropocentrism and mammalocentrism as much as anything. I recommend it wholeheartedly to any science-fiction lovers, tho it is a bit dense. Lem is, in my mind, the undisputed master of science-fiction, and no one comes even close to his mastery of the genre.

And there's also the matter of sexual selection (where the individual chooses the mate more suitable to reproduction), which makes it even more efficient than random mutations.

I must confess I only read Lem's Solaris, but now you made me curious to seek his other sf novels.

And getting back to the topic, here's chapter 39! We're almost at the end of Volume 2!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Starhawk]

Very good read!

Jeb's special power appears to be BSODing thinking machines.  With reason, even. 

Very poignant last moments in the strip.

Thanks Parkaboy.

Happy landings!

[Just Jim]

Wow.... 

Edited March 11, 2016 by Just Jim

[Mister Dilsby]

Fantastic, So much good stuff in here--really feeling it when Jeb pleads with Artie. And then absolute perfection at the end: "...I always wanted to fly an SSTO." That's our Jeb as he should be, in any S.A.V.E.! 

[Musil]

As Adams would say, "Anything that thinks logically can be fooled by something else that thinks at least as logically as it does".

if you really want to read some more Lem, I would definitely say go for Fiasco, a truly great novel, or Tichy's Star Journals: as funny as insightful. 

 

(""Anything that thinks logically can be fooled by something else that thinks at least as logically as it does. The easiest way to fool a completely logical robot is to feed it with the same stimulus sequence over and over again so it gets locked in a loop. This was best demonstrated by the famous Herring Sandwich experiments conducted millennia ago at MISPWOSO (the MaxiMegalon Institute of Slowly and Painfully Working Out the Surprisingly Obvious). 
A robot was programmed to believe that it liked herring sandwiches. This was actually the most difficult part of the whole experiment. Once the robot had been programmed to believe that it liked herring sandwiches, a herring sandwich was placed in front of it. Where upon the robot thought to itself, Ah! A herring sandwich! I like herring sandwiches.
It would then bend over and scoop up the herring sandwich in its herring sandwich scoop, and then straighten up again. Unfortunately for the robot, it was fashioned in such a way that the action of straightening up caused the herring sandwich to slip straight back off its herring sandwich scoop and fall on to the floor in front of the robot. Whereupon the robot thought to itself, Ah! A herring sandwich...etc., and repeated the same action over and over again. The only thing that prevented the herring sandwich from getting bored with the whole damn business and crawling off in search of other ways of passing the time was that the herring sandwich, being just a bit of dead fish between a couple of slices of bread, was marginally less alert to what was going on than was the robot". Mostly Harmless. LOL)

Edited March 11, 2016 by Musil

[Alchemist]

I've hoped for a massive exodus on a ship assembled of all the boosters you can find on Kerbin, but with the anomaly escalating like this, they just got no time for that.
Now the question is how far can this little craft get. Single stage to Duna?

At least we now know who caused the destruction of Kerbin... in this particular timeline... not that this knowledge will help anybody.
And how the research of the anomalies, started by Phoice, over several iterations of timeloop resulted in it becoming this much worse...

 

P. S. How long has it really been since the first flight? 2,5 years? Initial timer was 3 years, but then it got shortened quite a bit.

Edited March 11, 2016 by Alchemist

[Angelo Kerman]

Having Jeb be the face of the space program is brilliant! He can make sure that KSC's people won't be forgotten.

[RA3236]

I just picked up a problem here.

If the explosion is centered on Kerbins orbit, than Kerbin is no longer in the center of the boom.

Kerbin just losts its barycenter which means a slight orbital change that Jeb might be able to use to his advantage.

Looking at your planet alignments @Parkaboy I wouldn't be surprised if Jeb escapes it by pointing straight up.

Of course, this is Kerbal, and planets don't have barycenters.

I wish Jeb the best.