Re: Civilization without fire

At 01:47 -0800 29.12.1999, Barry Garcia wrote:
>
>Obviously, they can last as long as they have oxygenated water in their
>mantles (is that the correct word for the saclike body?), as the gills are
>within the saclike body. Unfortunately, they are often very flat and
>squishy when out on land (if you have seen when fishermen catch them in
>their nets, and throw them on deck, they tend to look like blobs).  Maybe,
>they could develop ways to have easy access to water on them (like a tank
>filled with water?). Of course, they would have to overcome the problems
>of decreased mobility on land, perhaps they evolve enough they form a
>shell like Natiluses do? Perhaps they use could make use of amphibious
>vertibrates to get around on land (maybe a symbiotic relationship)?
>>
Obviously they could, theoretically, construct some kind of inverse
diver's-gear to go on land (water-filled sack of some fish-skin), but my
guess is that if they co-existed with aerobic beings possessing a
fire-technology they would simply trade what they needed, in return for
helping with building bridges, over-seas transportation and the like.

Again, if they never met such a species, would they feel the need for fire
technology?  I think not.


/BP

 B.Philip Jonsson  <bpj@...> <melroch@...>
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