THE SCIENCE IN THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS

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THE SCIENCE IN THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS

• SONJA DEŽMAN

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SCIENCES

• NATURAL SCIENCES
• Astronomy
• Physics
• Mathematics
• Biology
• Geology
• Meteorology

• SOCIAL SCIENCES
• Geography
• History
• Linguistics
• Cultural studies
• Psychology

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MAYOR IMPORTANCE

• ASTRONOMY life on other planets, planet Winter,
  space travel
• PHYSYCS time jumps, twin paradox
• BIOLOGY androgyny, hibernation

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LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS

• MARS
• OUR SOLAR SYSTEM (Sun, 9 planets, Moons)
• MILKY WAY
• (200 400 billion stars)
• THE OBSERVABLE UNIVERSE
• (more than a 100 billion galaxies)

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ALPHA CENTAURI

• Closest solar system
• (4.35 light years)
• Alpha Centauri A , Alpha Centauri B, Alpha
  Centauri C Proxima
• A 5 tests, B 4 tests, C 0 tests

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TESTS FOR LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS

• The stars stability
• The spectral type of the star (G-type)
• Stable conditions
• Stars age
• Enough heavy elements (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen,
  iron)
• Planets!!!

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SPACE TRAVEL AND HIBERNATION

• Earth ? Alpha Centauri 18000 years (4200 years)

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HIBERNATION

• Hibernation used by animals
• (bats, squirrels, hedgehogs,
• bears, etc. saves energy, lowers
• body temp., slows down breathing
• and metabolism)
• Coincidental hibernation (snow, cold water,
  freezing temp.)
• Real hibernation (air filled with hydrogen
  sulphide vs cryonics)

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TWIN PARADOX, TIME JUMPS
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PLANET WINTER vs PLANET EARTH

• EARTH
• Period of rotation 23.9345 hours
• 1 year 365.25 days
• 1 month 30/31 days
• 12 months
• Adjustement in 4 years
• 1 day 24 hours
• Moon the same face

• WINTER/GETHEN
• Period of rotation 23.08 hours
• 1 year 364 days
• 1 month 26 days
• 14 months
• Adjustement in 200 years
• 1 day 10 hours
• Moon the same face

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GETHENIANS

• sexual cycle 26 28 days
• 21 22 days sexualy inactive, 18th day hormonal
  changes, 22nd or 23rd day kemmer
• 1st phase of kemmer androgyns, 2nd phase of
  kemmer changing into man or woman, 3rd phase of
  kemmer 2-5 days
• pregnancy 8.4 months, lactation period 6-8 months

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ANDROGYNY / HERMAPHRODISM

• THREE BILOGICAL PHENOMENA

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MALE and FEMALE

• HAMLET fish (both sexes a pair takes turns in
  mating)
• EARTHWORMS (a single sex at a time protective
  mechanisms against self fertilization)
• BANANA SLUGS (self fertilization is often
  practiced)

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MALE?FEMALE, FEMALE?MALE

• CLOWNFISH (harems, male ? female)
• WRASSES reef fish (females ? grow up ? males OR
  males and females ? supermale)

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ABNORMALITIES IN PRIMATES

• the primate is either genetically male or female,
  but has external organs resembling those of the
  opposite sex
• 1 of mammals
• humans altered shortly after birth
• neither set of organs is functional

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• LIGHT IS THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS
• AND DARKNESS THE RIGHT HAND OF LIGHT.
• TWO ARE ONE, LIFE AND DEATH, LYING
• TOGETHER LIKE LOVERS IN KEMMER,
• LIKE HANDS JOINED TOGETHER,
• LIKE THE END AND THE WAY.