Hypothetical Question

I have been re-reading the ENTIRE Honor Harrington series of novels, including the anthologies and works co-written with other authors.

Here is my hypothetical.

Alfred and his daughter Honor Harrington are "Genies" genetically modified for living on a higher gravity planet.  According to the books, Honor and her father are Meyerdahl Beta Genies.  In the books there were three Meyerdahl  modification groups, so we have Alpha, Beta and then we should have Gamma.

Meyerdahl Beta was also a modification for higher intelligence at the cost of higher aggression.  However it made Beta's mind glows, much more "tastier" to Tree-Cats.

Let us presume about the Meyerdahl Gamma shall we?

Because of the higher aggression of the Betas, and we know there was a follow on modification we shall assume to be the Gamma line, the next modification was to lessen the "Intelligence" booster function, also a slight increase to adapt to even higher gravities such as what would be found on San Martin.

So we have reduced the intelligence boost which would make the "Mind-Glows" murkier for Tree-Cats, plus an adaptation for a stronger skeletal system, meaning denser bones.  Denser bones gives us an increase of arthritis as the person ages plus also an increased incidence of anemia due to the denser bone structure, meaning reduced red blood cell production.

With those denser bones we should also find an increase in tone deafness.  The 3 bones in the inner ear will also be denser and could possibly fuse together bringing total deafness unless treated.  San Martin because of it's higher gravity has it's population living on the mountain tops because the air pressure down in the lower altitudes is so much higher it is actually dangerous.  So less cloud cover means higher UV and IR exposure.  So the Gamma adaptation should account for that which allows for a wider visible spectrum.  However for a highly technical society, it will mean that visual input may need to be corrected for similar to how color blindness is corrected.

So we have a person who is more inclined to develop arthritis and anemia as they get older, remember this was done pre-prolong therapies, so the person now would live 2-3 times longer than normal.

Would that person find themselves more at risk of mental dementia as well due to atherosclerosis and brain scarring as they get older?  Plus would an implanted device be necessary to assist and correct the auditory and visual senses?

Please leave a comment with your thoughts, I'd really like to get your input.

Prophecy

I'd like you to look around at what is happening in our country.  And then I want you to read a book.

A book by David Weber.

The book is in his long running series about Honor Harrington and the Honorverse.

Please read War of Honor.

And yes there are 3 links there.

Look at what is happening in our own country and read that book.

It is almost prophetic.

I pray however the final third of the book doesn't prove as prophetic as the first 2 thirds.

It is almost prophetic as "The Road to Damascus", which is another book I highly suggest you read and the look around at our country.

Does anyone else

look at the title of Erin Palette's blog and immediately think of a Treecat from David Weber's Honor Harrington Saga?

Lurking Rhythmically

Or am I the only one?