Re: Some FT background stuff (guidelines for writers)

At 17:17 11/02/98 -0500, you wrote:
SNIP  
>> One would presume that if your ship computing core was something
analogues
>> to an organic brain, you would ensure regular scans to detect such
>> anomolies.
>
>True. But such an organic technology might have expensive support 
>requirements and hence such tumors translate in high cost terms. PLUS 
>the brain is complex and do you really want to risk your core system 
>going wonky while you are 100 LY from home. 

	Then again, an organic computer is only going to get cancer if
its
cells have a replication system;  most brain tumours involve the support
system (glial cells etc.) rather than the neurons themselves, and these
could be replaced with non-cellular, essentially machine, components.

	Personally, I prefer human/whatever fighter pilots for the same
reason I prefer cinematic ship movement- fun.  Drone fighters don't have
the
same kind of involvement (unless they're fully sentient types such as
those
of the Culture).

Rob

"Rob Paul

Dept of Zoology
Oxford University
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(01865) 271124
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"Once again, villainy is rotting meat 
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