What are Kerbals?!

[Uuky]

2 hours ago, KSK said:

Mmmmm, crunchy, radioactive goodness. It's what kerbals crave!

I'm with you on the symbiotic life form though. In my headcanon,  kerbals are basically mobile servants (and originally warriors) for their tree gods. That sigh you can hear is probably @Just Jim rolling his eyes because I tend to trot this out whenever a similar thread turns up on this forum.   But if you want to know a bit more about my version of kerbal history and why they need a space program,   here's the link.  It's part of a longer story so bits of it probably won't make much sense (and looking back on it now, the writing is a bit rough around the edges), but hopefully the history part does.

And if you want something a bit more upbeat and don't mind spoilers, try this.

Interesting reading.

 

In my own lore, the origin of the Kerbals is the KSC. Kerbals are a kind of drones helping it to acheive its own goal.  I should write about it. Or talk to a therapist :p

 

Edited March 4, 2023 by Uuky

[Kerbalsaurus]

I really think that the plant theory is the strongest. Specialized cells in Kerbals that allow them to photosynthesize makes the most sense,considering they can shoved inside a pod with just snacks for years. The idea that they're semi-autotrophic makes the most sense, considering real life examples can be drawn from. But I do like the idea that Kerbals are colonies of various different fungi, plants, and bacteria. A real life example could be drawn from that too, the Portuguese Man O' War. I might edit the OP to have that additional theory...

[tstein]

I see them as a  failed experiment of the elder ones in 40k that  ultimately created the  orks. They  share a lot of the features (no need for food,  color, stupidity, tehcnology that should not work   except that it does because R&D beleives in it)

[jnbspace]

All of the following is based on analogy with Earth biology which is always a dubious starting point in exobiology but it is the only starting point we have.

What we know ...

We know they eat as we have seen the snacks in the space craft, We also know that they can survive indefinitely in space so the snacks must not be essential.  Also they are self mobile with volition. Therefore they must be animal heterotrophs. The green coloration is not particularly significant as there are plenty of animals on Earth which are green or certainly once you look beyond mammals there are plenty of examples. From looking at kerbal there appear to be no settlements outside the the space centre which would normally imply a low technology civilization and yet they have developed space flight!

Based on the above my favoured theory is that kerbals are amphibious. The kerbal cities are in the oceans accounting for the fact that we do not see them and their biology has evolved to allow active and hibernation stages which accounts for the need for snacks and yet at the same time the ability to survive for long times without those snacks.

 

[KSK]

4 hours ago, Uuky said:

Interesting reading.

In my own lore, the origin of the Kerbals is the KSC. Kerbals are a kind of drones helping it to acheive its own goal.  I should write about it. Or talk to a therapist :p

Thanks!

And you should totally write about that if you have the time and inclination! Sounds like an interesting idea that you could take in many different ways, right up to full on Giger horror if you felt like it.

Edited March 4, 2023 by KSK

[Just Jim]

4 hours ago, Uuky said:

In my own lore, the origin of the Kerbals is the KSC. Kerbals are a kind of drones helping it to acheive its own goal.  I should write about it. Or talk to a therapist :p

 

18 minutes ago, KSK said:

And you should totally write about that if you have the time and inclination! Sounds like an interesting idea that you could take in many different ways, right up to full on Giger horror if you felt like it.

Yes!!!  I totally agree with @KSK. You should write it.
I started out as a fan-fiction writer. But obviously I don't have time now that I'm the KSP2 writer. So I'm passing on the torch to everyone here, so to speak.
There are already a few new KSP2 fan-fiction mission reports started.... Yaaaa!!!
Please, feel free to join the fun. 

That goes for everyone!!!   

[Nazalassa]

Come on, Kerbals are obviously space bushes...

[Kerbalsaurus]

The colony theory has been added to the OP!

[Fullmetal Analyst]

23 hours ago, Kerbalsaurus said:

This has been a debate for years now in the KSP community. What are Kerbals? Some people theorize that they’re plants, some people theorize they’re fungi, some people theorize they;'re animals, and some people people have even theorized that colonies of organisms! I have built off these theories, and here’s what I’ve come up with so far.

THE PLANT THEORY

It’s a tiny bit bizarre to think Kerbals are entirely plants. They do eat other things, and have a brain (albeit not much of one). But I do have theory that could still incorporate photosynthesis. In real life, there’s an animal called Elysia Chlorotica, or Emerald Green Sea Slug, that can photosynthesize. This is because they eat algae. From the algae, they take their genes and chloroplasts via specialized pouches in their intestines. This then allows them to photosynthesize. They can go months without food. Kerbals might do the same thing

Kerbals are obviously very food driven. And they probably eat a lot. Perhaps they too have specialized pouches in their intestines, which collect genes and chloroplasts from, let’s say, veggie snacks? Now, obviously, Kerbals are bigger than sea slugs. So perhaps they’re able to photosynthesize for several years at a time, and that’s what makes them able to be in space for so long.

THE COLONY THEORY

Kerbals could possibly be not one organism, but multiple put together to form one massive, moving colony. A real life example could also be drawn from this one too. The Portuguese Man O’ War is often thought of as a jellyfish, but it’s actually a massive floating colony with organisms that work together to feed themselves. If Kerbals are like this, it’d explain why they can live pretty much forever.

Plants photosynthesize to make food for a Kerbal, and fungi and bacteria decompose dead matter and reproduce to replenish the shape of the colony, making the Kerbal, once again, a pretty much immortal being.

THE FUNGI THEORY

Fungi is indeed a very good theory too. Kerbals look a lot like fungus, with their flat and round heads. So the idea that they’re fungus isn’t too far off. Perhaps they evolved from a fungus with some kind of fuzz on top of it, that slowly became able to walk and move, and it eventually became an animal. It still maintained its fungal features, though. Fungi though, however, are heterotrophs, and feed off dead organisms. So unless Kerbals feed off their souls, the fungus theory isn’t too strong.

THE ANIMAL THEORY

Kerbals are most likely animals. They are quite clearly some kind of mobile heterotroph. But they are very specialized animals. I think think the fact that their semi-autotrophic makes the most sense. But, perhaps you think something else.

 

Note to mods: I don’t know if this fits in KSP 1 discussion, KSP 2 discussion, or KSP fan works. Put it where you think it goes.

THE HUMAN THEORY

humans, after 10000 years of evolution and woke veganism etc. will become kerbals xD

7 hours ago, Just Jim said:

You should write it.

dont do it, its a trap, i literally got banned from the ksp discord for writing ksp lore and "posting walls of text" lol

 

[coyotesfrontier]

I like to think that they are macroscopic single-celled organisms, like minions from despicable me.

All of their organelles are housed in their heads, their "bodies" are actually just an modification of the flagellum.

[WasatchWind]

Everyone has been saying there are no cities on Kerbin, but that is not entirely true. Was landing an orbital craft and there was a very obvious city texture in a mountain valley I found, so there's at least some civilization on Kerbin.

[Fullmetal Analyst]

2 hours ago, WasatchWind said:

Everyone has been saying there are no cities on Kerbin, but that is not entirely true. Was landing an orbital craft and there was a very obvious city texture in a mountain valley I found, so there's at least some civilization on Kerbin.

pics or it didnt happen

[Kerbalsaurus]

10 hours ago, WasatchWind said:

Everyone has been saying there are no cities on Kerbin, but that is not entirely true. Was landing an orbital craft and there was a very obvious city texture in a mountain valley I found, so there's at least some civilization on Kerbin.

Where were those city textures? Did you have mods installed, because I don't think there's any city texture in the game.

[tg626]

Kraken larvae.

[S_Coriolis]

Here's my take on that: Kerbals are lichens, a mix of algae or cyanobacteria and fungi.

-The algae part gives them their distinctive color while the fungi gives them structural integrity.
-Lichens can live thousands of years as the Kerbals.
-The algae part can photosynthesize while the fungi part can absorb radiation of outer space, the fungi could also decompose snacks.
-Fungi are made of chitin, the same material as crab exoskeleton, not only could their teeth be made of chitin, Kerbals could also have a hard shell to resist shocks and a squishy mushroomy interior lacking organs, making them able to withstand large g-force.
-Lichens are extremely resiliant to dehydration, they can dry completely and be rehydrated, Kerbals could hibernate that way during long interplanetary missions. The ESA has exposed lichen to the vacuum of space for 15 days and they were still alive (do not try that one with Kerbals).
-Finally, lichens reproduce from divided body parts or with diaspores. When Kerbals explode, they release "smoke", I suggest that that "smoke" is in fact diaspores of the former Kerbal and if we collect it we could regrow the same Kerbal (explaining why some Kerbals return to the KSC after they exploded).

Thanks for listening to my Jeb-Talk 

[VlonaldKerman]

Kernels are lettuce.

[Fullmetal Analyst]

kerbals are minions, mutated from space radiation

[Jacke]

On 3/4/2023 at 3:27 AM, Jacke said:

Kerbals are Little Green Men and Women who are crazy about Space and Rockets.

I actually had a profound insight a couple of days ago where I went deeper.

This explains so much.   Why the physics of the Kerbal universe are crazy.  Why the Kerbals are Little Green People who can survive indefinitely in space.  Even return unharmed after apparently perishing.

Because KSP is the Kerbal Afterlife.

Who knows what Kerbals looked like before?  But they must have been crazy about rockets and space.  Because that's all they do now.  Over and over again.

Edited March 22, 2023 by Jacke

[Kerbalsaurus]

9 hours ago, Jacke said:

I actually had a profound insight a couple of days ago where I went deeper.

This explains so much.   Why the physics of the Kerbal universe are crazy.  Why the Kerbals are Little Green People who can survive indefinitely in space.  Even return unharmed after apparently perishing.

Because KSP is the Kerbal Afterlife.

Who knows what Kerbals looked like before?  But they must have been crazy about rockets and space.  Because that's all they do now.  Over and over again.

I feel like the "they're all dead theory" is kind of weak, though.

[obney kerman]

Kerbals are the distilled physical embodiment of the abstract concept of spaceflight. Kerbals are attempts by a higher consciousness to create spacefaring sentient life, with mixed results. Kerbals are bryozoan colonies which have grown and evolved enough to be indistinguishable from a single large organism. Kerbals are narrative constructs designed to fit into baseline archetypes of daredevil pilot, mad scientist, or trusty engineer, among others. Kerbals are homunculi created by human alchemists in pursuit of immortality. Kerbals are fungi, or lizards, or maybe just plants.

On 3/4/2023 at 5:46 AM, Uuky said:

In my own lore, the origin of the Kerbals is the KSC. Kerbals are a kind of drones helping it to acheive its own goal.  I should write about it. Or talk to a therapist :p

No reason you can't do both! And honestly, this concept is FASCINATING to me and if you wrote it, I would love to read it. Does that mean we're basically playing as the KSC? So many fun implications...

[Jacke]

9 hours ago, Kerbalsaurus said:

I feel like the "they're all dead theory" is kind of weak, though.

Kerbals aren't dead in the same way we become dead.

They have an actual Afterlife that we're watching and controlling.  A Kerbal Valhǫll / Fólkvangr where Kerbals snack, drink, then go out to launch aircraft and rockets, perhaps die, then rise to do it all again.  It's the best explanation I've thought of to understand it all.

[Lyneira]

My headcanon now is that they're like lizards (or at least reptilian) who have figured out how to regulate their body temperature with technology! Their suits allow them to be either active or dormant for long periods without requiring anything. And they're able to stick to any smooth surface and walk around on it in space, with boots they've adapted from their own feet!

Mlem.

Spoiler

 

Edited March 23, 2023 by Lyneira
Explain why their boots stick to things

[steve58]

moldy Twinkies

 

[Uuky]

On 3/22/2023 at 9:27 PM, obney kerman said:

No reason you can't do both! 

Yeah definitely! Especially the therapist part. There's a lot to unpack on my side :p

On 3/22/2023 at 9:27 PM, obney kerman said:

And honestly, this concept is FASCINATING to me and if you wrote it, I would love to read it

I'm no writer and english isn't my mother tongue but with some help from novelAI or something similar... why not. That's tempting for the least.  

[jnbspace]

On 3/5/2023 at 12:00 PM, Kerbalsaurus said:

Where were those city textures? Did you have mods installed, because I don't think there's any city texture in the game.

There are some archaeological city textures around. In the mountains near the desert launch pad one can find this ...

Not strictly a "city" texture but definitely signs of some kind of civilization.

 

Edited March 26, 2023 by jnbspace
replaced with daylight image