[Mass Effect 3] The Underlying Principle

This is the last week of posts on the Mass Effect Trilogy. All this week we’re breaking down the epic finale in Mass Effect 3. This is perhaps the closest a review on this site has been written to the release of a game, so expect serious SPOILERS. Today we’re returning to a conversation about evolution when we look at the science-loving Salarians.

We’ve already discussed the Salarians’ scientific manipulation of the Krogans and this post will look a little closer at the Salarians and how they think. The Salarians are known for their scientific prowess across the galaxy. The Turians turned to them to develop the genophage and indeed it was the Salarians who “uplifted” the Krogans and advanced their race in the first place. In fact, the Salarians have made a habit of manipulating the progress of different species for various reasons. In the Mass Effect 3 mission on the Salarian homeworld, you battle through a science facility and learn a lot more about what they have going on. They use their advanced science skills to study various creatures and determine how they can be best utilized, or even if they are worthy to be “uplifted” (that is, to be artificially advanced along their evolutionary lines).

It seemed before as if the Salarians did this “uplifting” one time with the Krogans as a desperate measure to defeat the Rachni. As it turns out, they do this all the time. The facility where this mission takes place is a zoo/lab where the Salarians are working on the next hot organic item to use for their purposes. Gathering all these strange creatures together just to manipulate them, grow them, and then use them to do battle sounds kinda crazy. Actually, it sounds kinda like…

THRESHER MAW, I CHOOSE YOU!!

The Salarians are Pokemon trainers! I guess they decided to forget about respecting the natural order of things in favor of collecting one of everything, sticking them in uncomfortably small containers and using them for whatever they want. Perhaps comparing the Salarians to Pokemon trainers is a bit of a stretch since the Salarians seem to be attempting to do serious, scientific work for the good of the galaxy, but the comparison is still hilarious.

All of their manipulation and study of various species seem to come from a deep desire to understand the universe in general, and evolution specifically.  They even seem to have gone beyond the study of evolution to the ability to direct it. As has been stated before, this puts them in the category of “playing god” in the galactic sandbox. However, even the existence of this science facility in ME:3 shows that they there are still plenty of things they don’t understand.

A very profound insight comes from talking to Padok Wiks about his work when you encounter him on this level. He states that after all his work trying to study and understand evolution, he wants change his focus from manipulating species at the Pokemon Lab to understanding the “underlying principle” driving evolution. Well isn’t that interesting. All this work devoted to a theory of how life comes about in the universe and his conclusion is that there’s something else underneath that theory that seems to be guiding the course of life.

This illustrates one path from an evolutionary view of live to a creationist view. Evolution does a great job of providing one possible explanation of how life works. It does not, however, answer the question of why. If you follow evolutionary thinking to it’s extreme, you see that our very existence is dependent on chance and it leads to plenty more questions.

We evolved from lesser animals. Those animals evolved from lower lifeforms. Those lifeforms just happened to come about through progressively more complex adaptations. The Earth itself became a suitable environment for life by chance. The debris and particles that formed Earth first came together through cosmic coincidence after the Big Bang. The Big Bang is what set everything off in the first place. So…what happened before the Big Bang? If that was the start of everything, was the universe just empty? So are we to believe that all life and matter originated from a single entity? Somehow when you follow evolution back to it’s logical origin, you get something that sounds awfully similar to monotheism. Interesting.

Perhaps that is what Padok Wiks realized would be the logical explanation for all life. Or maybe the “underlying principle” really is an intelligent creator. (Within the story he’s likely referring to the bigger reveal at the end of the game, but we’ll get to that in another post.) His scientific inquiry led him to something beyond measurable science. How often does that happen in our scientific pursuits? If science is truly curious about all possible explanations, why does a single, intelligent creator get dismissed as religious nonsense so easily?

Paul reasoned for faith in God in Acts 17 by quoting a secular source when he said, “In him we live and move and have our being.” If God is real, then his truth will penetrate even our feeble human attempts to explain life apart from him. An honest and open pursuit of science will lead to the “underlying principle” of God’s truth.

Questions:

What is your understanding of the beginning of life?

Do unanswered “big questions” drive you towards or away from God?

How off base is my simple explanation of evolution and the origin of the universe? Please correct me.

Bonus picture:

I wanted a second picture in this post to fit the Mass Effect/Pokemon connection. Google Images did not disappoint.

In the next post we’ll finally tackle the dramatic and controversial ending to this final chapter of the Mass Effect trilogy.

[Mass Effect: Races] The Krogan and Salarians

This is Mass Effect March! In honor of the release of Mass Effect 3, this entire month is devoted to digging into this epic trilogy. We’ll explore the different races, themes, and some major story arcs. At the end of the month we’ll cap things off with a week of posts on Mass Effect 3 to see how everything is resolved (or not). Today’s post looks at the Krogan, the Salarians and why you shouldn’t try to play god.

The Rachni War, as mentioned in the previous post, was won primarily by the Krogan who drove the Rachni to (near) extinction. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that the war was won by the use of the Krogan. The Salarians took the relatively primitive Krogan from the harsh environment on their homeworld and planted them on a nicer planet so that they could expand their war-driven society. Once their population grew, the Salarians came back and said, “Hey by the way, now that you’re all powerful and stuff, how bout you go take out those Rachni for us.” So they did. When they were done with the Rachni, they decided that being free to roam around and kill stuff is pretty great, so then they became the new threat to replace the Rachni. The Salarians pulled out their magic science wand again and came up with a clever, yet dastardly plan for keeping the Krogan under control.

Source

Thus enters the Krogan Genophage, a major subplot in both stories. The Turians deployed this bioweapon, but don’t be fooled, the Salarians were behind it. The genophage does not cause full sterility, but rather induces rampant stillbirths in Krogan females. This was done to put a cap on their population numbers. It is hard to conceive of a worse fate to place on a species- making them suffer through one failed pregnancy after another in the hopes of having just one child. The genophage is essentially a forced genetic abortion.

There are many problems with this whole situation, some of which you can impact through Commander Shepard’s decisions. The first problem came when the Krogan were bred like dogs for the sole purpose of massing an army. An entire species was devalued and objectified as nothing more than a tool of war. Then those responsible added insult to injury once they realized the consequences of their actions. They used science to craft a biological curse on an entire species. There is an overall lack of appreciation for the sanctity of life in this situation.

All your genes are belong to us.

The Salarians have a scientific arrogance that is only barely checked by any kind of morality. This complex issue is fleshed out more with Mordin Solus in Mass Effect 2. He took part in an attempt to improve the genophage and struggles with guilt over that decision. Through him and his assistant Maelon (who appears in Mordin’s loyalty mission), we are able to see how these two Salarians acknowledge their mistakes in attempting to play god amongst the species of the universe.

Our reality has not been much better at times. The sense of superiority that some of us humans have had throughout our history shows that we too will use science to justify the giving and taking of life. This is an issue that has not yet been resolved- there are continuing debates about abortion, cloning, and gene manipulation. The science may not all be there yet, but the moral problems of having that power awaits us in the future.

The good news is that no matter how much we may screw each other up, there is a God who cares equally for all kinds of people. He created each race of people and his heart seeks to have each one of them reconciled to himself. We humans want to fight amongst each other to see who’s superior, but God shows no partiality for we are all his. The picture we’re given in Revelation shows that when all is said and done, the gathering in heaven will consist of those “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.”

Questions:

What group have you seen devalued? Who’s the “Krogan” of our society that gets pushed around?

In what ways have you seen science “playing god” in our modern age?

Will we ever be able to genetically create dinosaurs?

We’ll dip into Mass Effect 2 next time and look at the death and resurrection of Commander Shepard.

[Portal 2] Cave Johnson: Combustible Lemons

This week’s series on Portal 2 will focus on the three main characters- GLaDOS, Wheatley, and Cave Johnson. We’ll look at their unique journeys and what we can learn from them in this test chamber we call life. In this final installment we’ll get to know the founder and visionary leader of Aperture Science, Cave Johnson.

Cave Johnson is a product of the American Dream. He started as a lowly shower curtain ring salesman (which I’m convinced is a reference to Planes, Trains, and Automobiles), and with a dream, some elbow grease, and a lot of grit he created one of the greatest science and engineering companies- Aperture Science. To fully describe Cave Johnson, let’s look at some similar well-known characters.

Howard Hughes

"Yeah, I just bought this plane on an impulse, to match my jacket."

Hughes was a wealthy visionary who had his hand in a little bit of everything throughout his life- aviation, business, Hollywood, medicine. Like Hughes, Cave Johnson has an innate entrepreneurial spirit matched only by a wide range of interests and crazy ideas. Also like Hughes, Cave Johnson eventually became sickly and mentally unstable.

John Hammond

"Well, I made dinosaurs. What should I blow my ridiculous wealth on next?"

Another man with too much money and crazy ideas was John Hammond. He was known for saying “spared no expense,” meaning that things like “costs” and “bills” were of no concern to him. Cave Johnson likewise has no concept of money: “Now, the beancounters told me we literally could not afford to buy $7 worth of moon rocks, much less 70 million. Bought ‘em anyway.” That’s an interesting accounting trick, Mr. Johnson.

Andrew Ryan

"Would you kindly create a utopia without regard for ethics or safety?"

The builder of Rapture and creator of a new utopia had some very radical ideas about science, politics, and morality. What sets Andrew Ryan apart is that he fully realized those wild ideas. When his plan wasn’t possible anywhere within normal civilization, he just built and entire city underwater so he could do whatever the heck he wanted anyway. Cave Johnson would agree with Ryan’s blatant disregard for a conventional approach: “Science isn’t about why, it’s about why not! You ask: why is so much of our science dangerous? I say: why not marry safe science if you love it so much. In fact, why not invent a special safety door that won’t hit you in the butt on the way out, because you are fired.”

Doc Brown

"This device is designed to contain my craziness....and my hair."

It’s hard not to love Emmett “Doc” Brown, the bumbling hero scientist of the Back to the Future movies. The only thing crazier than his hair is his pure devotion to one thing- science.

Hopefully those legendary figures provide a clear picture of the man that is Cave Johnson. But perhaps the best way to describe Cave Johnson comes through his assistant Caroline. He states that she is “married- to science!” and it has been theorized that Caroline is actually his wife. Thus Cave Johnson is, at his core, all about science.

Before we get to that, there’s another important figure worth mentioning in this conversation. This historical figure had crazy amounts of wealth and power and he pursued one thing in his life- wisdom. This man was the great king Solomon. After years of philandering, accumulating wealth, and even giving generously to others, he found that it was ultimately all in vain and it did not bring him true pleasure. He wrote a few books that made it into the Bible, including Proverbs (which we discussed in the last post). He also wrote Ecclesiastes, which is a much darker book, likely written during his emo years. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon’s theme verse is this: “‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.’” He’s quite the downer, but Solomon would have quite a bit to say to Cave Johnson.

Cave Johnson was so devoted to science that he spent decades building test chambers and running subjects through them. If you notice from his dialogue as you move chronologically forward through Aperture’s History, Cave had to resort to test subjects of decreasing quality as the company fell into ruin. He started off welcoming astronauts, war heroes and Olympians. Then he had to use just any remotely competent scientist. Then he brought in homeless people for $60 a pop. Finally, he just made his own employees run the tests. Which, of course, made it difficult to keep employees….alive.

To Cave’s single-minded pursuit of science, Solomon might say, “My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.” We can see near the end of Cave’s life he had done a lot of tests and has little to show for it but weariness.

What he does have to show for it is a bad case of moon dust poisoning. Cave’s most famous quote by far is his monologue about life handing him lemons. He had poured so much of his effort and wealth into science, only to end up financially ruined and physically wrecked. Solomon had something to say about those who sought only material things: “Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.” The Lemon Speech is great illustration of living (or dying) in much sickness and anger. At the end, life did indeed hand him lemons (“meaningless, meaningless!”), and he did not accept that fate well at all.

So what can we learn from Cave Johnson and his life? First, the idea of exploding lemons provides a hilarious image. Second, science is a terrible god. In fact, many things in life are terrible gods. Cave thought that he could become great through science, but in the end it became his undoing. Solomon tried many different things in order to find significance in his life. Both realized that their pursuits were in vain.

However, Solomon seemed to have figured things out at the end of his life, unlike our friend Cave Johnson. Solomon’s final thought in Ecclesiastes, after dwelling on all the meaningless in life is this: “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

Jesus said it a different way with this story: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock…But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

What foundation is your life on?

Can your house withstand the storm, or will it be burned to the ground….with the lemons?

That’s all for Portal 2…except for whatever YOU have to add in the comments. Come back next time for another topical series on the formation of identity in video games.

Halo 2: A Monument To All Your Sins

This week we’ll be looking at the themes of religion, truth, and heresy in Halo 2. This post will center on a pivotal scene that highlights the fundamental differences between the humans and the Covenant; between Master Chief and the Arbiter. Instead of a clumsy and wordy attempt at a recap, go here for a plot summary of the events.

“I am a monument to all your sins.”

This simple and ominous declaration is how Gravemind introduces himself to those he has ensnared near the end of Halo 2′s story. Through various circumstances, he has gathered together Master Chief, the Covenant Elite known as the Arbiter, 2401 Penitent Tangent (the A.I. for Delta Halo), and the recently Flood-assimilated Prophet of Regret.

This scene shows a comparison between two very different worldviews that are both now facing the problem of evil. On the one side is the Flood-form and overly zealous Prophet of Regret, along with the Arbiter. On the other is Penitent Tangent and the one he calls the Reclaimer, Master Chief.

Gravemind describes Master Chief by saying, “This one is machine and nerve, and has its mind concluded.” And of the Arbiter he says, “This one is but flesh and faith, and is the more deluded.” I guess they decided to give the ancient intelligent space parasite a poetic bent.

What we have here is the classic man of science/man of faith contrast. The “man of science” perspective held by Master Chief, Penitent Tangent, Jack Shephard, etc. holds to reason, knowledge and objectivity. On the opposing side is the Arbiter, the Prophet of Regret, John Locke, and all of the Covenant who believe in advancing through a moral and behavioral code by the power of ancient relics and rituals.

Gravemind may as well be the smoke monster. (Source)

When Gravemind identifies himself as “a monument to all your sins” he seems to be talking to both sides of this situation. For Master Chief and humanity, Gravemind is the remnant of the scourge that was responsible for wiping out humanity’s predecessors. Gravemind is the deep dark secret of the universe that’s hidden away, just like all sin. Even though it’s not easily seen, it stays underneath the surface, plotting evil and infecting everything it touches. But even though sin is staring Master Chief right in the face, their only solution is to use science to blow it up.

On the other hand is the seemingly useless religiosity of the Arbiter and the Covenant. During this scene, the Prophet of Regret thinks he can save them from Gravemind by using some amazing speech. He is quickly shot down by Penitent Tangent who flat out states that sermonizing will do nothing. Despite all their grand religious claims and posturing, the Covenant can’t avoid the fact that sin is outside of their control. They think that by activating the Halo rings they will bring salvation, but they will actually bring only destruction to everyone. Their impotence to adequately deal with the issue shows the delusion of their beliefs.

Even though the representatives of both of these worldviews face the same threat, the game clearly favors one side- the man of science. The Covenant are shown to be overly zealous, deluded, and entirely ignorant of what is going on around them.

In the next post we’ll look more closely at this picture of religion and hypocrisy as presented through the depiction of the Covenant Hierarchs.