THE OFFICIAL Jim Lee TF Universe T E C H N I C A L F A Q ------------------------------------------------------------------ Written by: Jim Lee (of course!) jimlee@princeton.edu http://www.princeton.edu/~jimlee/tf.html ------------------------------------------------------------------ DISCLAIMER The aim of this FAQ is to inform the public and myself of how the Transformers Universe works (according to me!) on a rational and semi-scientific basis. This FAQ is purely for informational purposes and the author does not accept any responsibility for any harm or damage caused to anyone or anything because of the content of this FAQ (however unlikely that may be). TRADEMARK INFORMATION All specific names included herein are trademarks and are so acknowledged: Hasbro, Inc. Any trademarks not mentioned here are still hypothetically acknowledged. COPYRIGHT This article is copyright 1997, Jim Lee. All rights reserved. Feel free to keep a copy on your websites or whatever, as long as I am credited as the author. (It is my version of the Transformers, after all.) INTRODUCTION Have you ever been in the midst of an epic battle between good and evil, when all of a sudden you say, "Hey, how can Megatron be a huge 'con, but turn into a little gun?" Well I don't know about you, but when this happened, it threw my tidy little Transformers world for a big loop-de-loop and killed my enjoyment of the Transformers. This FAQ is my attempt to record all the justifications and plausible reasons I could come up with for anything and everything that crossed my Transformer-obsessed mind. Enjoy it, and if you don't, well, go chew on a microchip! CHANGES FROM PREVIOUS VERSION - 5/26/97 nothing yet! FAQ AVAILABILITY The Technical FAQ can be obtained from my website, the Temple of Primus, at http://www.princeton.edu/~jimlee/tf.html. Well, at least until I drop out of school! For extra reading, check the real FAQ by Steve Stonebraker. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Anatomy 1. Why are Transformers humanoid in form? 2. But why do they have specialized organs (i.e. Do they really have tongues like the G2 comic showed?) 3. Why do (most) Transformers have 5 fingers? 4. Is a Transformer's brain in its robot head or its vehicle cockpit? 5. Are there female Transformers? II. Physiology 1. How do Transformers like Megatron and Soundwave change size? 1.1. Explanation of subspace theory 1.2. The case against subspace 1.3. Variable quanta theory 1.4. Justification of variable quanta theory 2. Can all Transformers change their sizes? 3. How do Transformers "feel"? 4. How do Transformers remember? III. Communication 1. Why do Transformers "speak" at all? Can't they communicate via radio waves or something? 2. How do Transformers always/sometimes/never know each other's names? IV. Linguistics 1. How did the Transformers get their names? 2. Ok, I can buy that, but what kind of Cybertronian translation would Bumblebee, Beachcomber, and other Transformers with Earth-specific names have then? 3. What about the Transformers that have fancier names like Optimus Prime and Megatron? V. Weapons of War and Destruction! GET ON WITH IT I. ANATOMY 1. Why are Transformers humanoid in form? As with all life, the Transformers are evolving. And as evidenced by the likes of Ravage, Laserbeak, and Sky Lynx, not all Transformers are humanoid in form. However, it may be argued that the humanoid form is more versatile than, say, a quadrupedal form. For example, Ravage probably has difficulty operating computer panels because of its lack of versatile appendages. Why not a quadrupedal form with arms then? Of course, this would also work. However, it would mean the consumption of extra body resources to keep fully operational. Thus, evolution might favor the most efficient, yet versatile body forms. This argument works on the same principle as to why humans have evolved as a bipedal species rather than quadrupedal animals like dogs and cats. This evolution would have been accelerated by the Transformer civil war. As the war wore on, it would stand to reason that only the strongest and ablest Transformers would survive, thus explaining the predominance of bipedal Transformers. (Which only makes the talents of the quadrupedal Transformers that much more impressive.) Thus, in my view, I see Transformers such as Ravage and Steeljaw as earlier stages in evolution. Shockwave as well because of its gun arm. Then perhaps Omega Supreme with its claw, and then eventually fully versatile hands. Note: this does NOT mean that these Transformers are older than the others. No more so than a newly born lizard could be said to be more "advanced" than a 10 year old human. They simply represent different levels of evolution. 2. But why do they have specialized organs (i.e. Do they really have tongues like the G2 comic showed?) Yes, Transformers do have specialized organs such as noses, tongues, teeth, eyes. One of the definitions of life is that an external stimulus is registered, and an organism reacts to it, whether it be a pinprick to the skin, or the stupor of alcohol. However, there is a limit as to how much information an organism can process. For example, why do we only see in the short electromagnetic bandwidth that we do? Why can't we see in infrared like dogs? Or hear as well as bats? Transformer evolution has followed the same reasoning. Despite the wonder of their technology, a Transformer can only process so much information. It would further benefit an organism if there existed specialized organs that could process certain information better than other parts of the body. For example, our nose can breathe better than our skin, even though our skin surface is made up of millions of pores. But a tongue, you say? Hmm... Well, it IS a really freak occurrence of convergent evolution, yes, but it's not impossible. 3. Why do Transformers have 5 fingers? Unlike tongues, there does exist a fairly believable reason that so many Transformers have 5 digits on their hands. As explained in any basic biology book, it is surmised that to utilize tools, primates had to develop an opposeable thumb digit. The same reasoning may be applied to the Transformers. Unfortunately, I don't know if it was ever proven as to whether or not 4 fingers and 1 thumb are better than, say, 3 fingers and 1 thumb. If it hasn't, then chalk that up to convergent evolution as well... 4. Is a Transformer's brain in its robot head or its vehicle cockpit? Yes. :) Evidence from the comic and cartoon continuity point to both. I surmise that on Cybertron, the "cockpit" housed the majority of the sensory area in vehicle form and the head in robot form. In other words, they had two sets of sensory processors, though not equal in capacity. For example, in vehicle mode, olfactory sensors aren't as important as visual and surface sensors to see where you're going and who's shooting at you. In robot mode, you probably get a more "dilute" sense of vision because instead of using radar or its Cybertronian equivalent, you're looking in your immediate vicinity. As far as where the "brain" is, I'd say it's in the robot head. In other words, a Transformer would be more likely to die if it gets shot in the head than in its windshield. 5. Are there female Transformers? NO. As the Transformers do not reproduce sexually, there is no need for female Transformers. To be fair, this means that there are also no MALE Transformers, either. There are just Transformers. Period. Why then do they refer to each other as "he" or "she"? Simple. When the Ark explored Earth after being reawakened in 1984, it studied Earth languages as explained in Section IV (below). From its study, it determined that living beings were usually referred to by the pronouns "he" or "she," and inanimate, genderless objects as "it." The idea of sexual differentiation among species being a foreign concept, the Ark was unable to differentiate between the two and used them interchangeably at first. After the Transformers met Sparkplug, and noticed he referred to his son as "he," they adopted this for themselves. After spending more time with humans, the Transformers came to understand the differences between human genders, and simply adopted the gender their personality seemed to match most. The fact that the "female" Transformers have somewhat feminine shapes is thus purely coincidental, and perhaps a reason a particular Transformer might identify itself as female. Generalizing the male physique as more "rugged," the same is true for the "male" Transformers. II. PHYSIOLOGY 1. How do Transformers like Megatron and Soundwave change size? In both the show and comic, Transformers such as Megatron and Soundwave shrink down from tall robotic modes to small human-scaled mechanical forms such as guns and tape decks. How do they do this? The current prevailing theory is subspace. However, this idea is refuted below and the idea of variable quanta is supported. 1.1. Explanation of subspace theory Subspace theory puts for the idea that Transformers shunt mass into a pocket of space known as subspace. This applies both to body mass, as well as to weapons and other accessories (you know, those pieces we always lose). Each Transformer has its own individual pocket of subspace in which it can store anything it chooses. A way of looking at it is that a three-dimensional object may rotate itself such that it reveals the smallest surface area possible in two-dimensions. To a two-dimensional being, then, it would have changed in mass. Subspace just says additionally that not only shape can be changed, but _mass_ can be changed in this sort of fashion. No theoretical explanation is put forth -- it's pseudoscience. 1.2. The case against subspace Subspace theory is wrong in my TF universe. Why, you ask? Especially when it's the most commonly held belief on a.t.t? Several reasons. Assume Transformers have the ability to shunt mass to a subspace pocket. The consensus is that this applies to weapons/accessories as well. It follows then that Transformers can use this ability on inanimate objects such as guns, armor, etc. This being the case, why would Transformers bother shooting each other in a war? Just get near your enemy, and shunt his butt into subspace. If you've got total control over your subspace pocket, he can't get out! Ahh, you can imagine the answers to this question...they have a unilateral pact not to do this, they can't shunt THAT much mass. Well, who's to say how much mass one can or can't shunt. Prime's trailer is bigger than him, for chrissake!. And when Omega Supreme's rocket half takes off, assumeably subspace theory says he folds his track into subspace -- a good half of himself. Or, one might say they never thought of this. Well, as Blades says, "War's a dirty game." In 4 million years plus of fighting, I'd think someone would do it if they could. 1.3. Variable quanta theory Ok, you say. Then what's your half-baked idea? Well, actually it's not mine. It's the Nixtr's. :) Variable quanta theory states that Transformers change size by compacting the subatomic structure of their bodies. A large portion of every atom is space. Electrons move around the nucleus -- ok, this is high school chemistry here. What if that space could be removed? Volume would then change. Ahh, but what about mass you say? The classic counterpoint to this idea? Volume could be compacted but multi-ton robots would still retain their incredibly large masses, and thus a normal human would not be able to lift or handle them? It has also been pointed out that this violates Planck's constant. All well and good. But what if mass is not retained? That is, mass in the strictest sense. Mass, by common definition, is the amount of matter in an object. But how does one "know" how much mass is in something? By comparing it to something else of known mass. Thus, though a man could lift a large girder in space with his finger, he might not be able to change its motion due to his smaller mass (and thus lower momentum, assuming both are at relatively the same speed). But what if this shrinking isn't actually a contraction of atomic space, but on an even smaller scale? Particle physics has shown us that protons are composed of yet smaller particles, quarks. It is not inconceivable that quarks have yet further substructure. Most attempts to "disprove" variable quanta have focused on physical "laws," and yet it would be arrogant to say that the unified field theory is the end all, be all of physics. In MY universe, then, as matter is contracted at the subatomic level, other forces besides the four fundamental forces come into play. Yes, forces that have yet to be discovered. Perhaps the elusive graviton particle exists, and at such close compaction of subparticles, has the effect of reversing what we might perceive as "mass." 1.4. Justification of variable quanta theory Ok, why go through this lengthy discussion. The point I'm trying to make is that while many claim that subspace theory is elegant and explains it all, one can say the same about variable quanta theory. Subspace theory is elegant because there's nothing to explain because we CAN'T explain it. Whereas tighter packing of material is something that is conceivable in our minds, in a sense. The problem comes about because we feel we can disprove variable quanta theory with CURRENT ideas. I personally think that Transformers having the ability to compact parts of their body makes a good deal more sense than having the ability to put anything they want into their own magical pocket. It explains why the war wasn't over in two nanoseconds as well. As for weapons and accessories, either they are compacted as a result of being within the locality of some field that causes the shrinking of their bodies, or the weapons are stored inside them ala Robocop's gun being stored in his thigh. 2. Can all Transformers change their sizes? NO. If they all could do it, surely they would, for it would be a definite advantage in battle (e.g. shrink down to avoid a swing of an axe or sword, go between opponent's legs, enlarge, and take off opponent's head module). While only some Transformers have the ability to change size, these same Transformers may not have the ability to control how much they change size. Thus, Megatron may not be able to become a medium tall Megatron, and so forth. Again it is possible that others may be able to. Not all humans can pat their tummies and rotate their hands over their heads at the same time. And of those who can, not all of them can control it enough to be able to stop and switch on a dime. The fact that not all Transformers can change their sizes also supports the idea of Transformer evolution. Of the oldest Transformers, some could do it (i.e. Megatron, cassettes, Soundwave). After four million years of evolution, those who had this ability and could control it survived and became much more widespread. When the Micromasters were introduced in the comic series, they said they downsized to be more energy efficient. In this case, the Transformers turned the tables and shrunk the size of their _robot_ modes, a clever tactic that may have selected for their survival. A larger vehicular form may have been retained for utilitarian purposes. (It's much harder to run over a Decepticon when you're the size of his foot.) 3. How do Transformers "feel"? It is necessary for any organism to "feel" in order to understand the stimulus that is disturbing it so that it may respond accordingly. While Transformers can't feel in the sense that their skin gets deformed easily by pressure, they do have other means. Pressure in their metal skin can lead to electrical currents which could be detected by their nervous system. Their bodies would then be able to categorize sensations as painful, pleasurable, or what not. In addition, they probably do not have full physical body sensation. For example, when one develops a scab, sense of touch is lost there. With Transformers, the problem is compounded by the nature of their bodies. They have wheels, extra armor plating, etc. The Transformer would probably be unable to "feel" a tire. Rather, it would detect the tire's status through sensors hooked up the hubcaps or whatever part was connected to the tire. In other words, tires and parts like it can be likened to jewelry people never remove (e.g. you can feel your wedding ring, but you don't feel THROUGH the ring even though it's a part of you [well supposedly...]). For the individual who is working on his own Transformer in the garage in this century, the sensors would most likely be piezoelectric. Piezoelectric sensors are ceramic materials that conduct electrical current when pressurized. It's what the navy and army are so crazy about for smart materials. Cool, huh? 4. How do Transformers remember? It would seem that all Transformers, not just Soundwave, should have a photographic memory. To some extent, this is true. As sensory input is digitally processed, memories should be crystal clear. However, in the course of a lifetime, new experiences require storage. Transformer evolution has solved that problem through "fuzzing." As new experiences are accrued, old memories become fuzzed. The procedure is similar to that of storing computer images on the computer. You can have the perfect "gif" format, or the more fuzzy "jpg." While gifs store all the colors and patterns in a picture, jpgs decode the picture according to a algorithm that essentially says that the less clear the picture is, the less disk space it takes. A more recent example is wavelet technology (ask a comp sci guy for more details). Thus, in Transformers, older memories are fuzzed out until they eventually fade out. Naturally, important events may be stored in better condition. For example, I don't think any 'bot or 'con will forget the Unicron War, no matter how old they get. It's just the relatively unimportant ones that get degraded. This explains why old- timers like Kup often have trouble remembering exactly how they wormed their way out of previous predicaments. III. COMMUNICATION 1. Why do Transformers "speak" at all? Can't they communicate via radio waves or something? Yes, as metallic beings, Transformers can use their own bodies as electromagnetic wave transmitters. This method of communication would travel at the speed of light and thus theoretically surpass vocal speech in quality and speed. HOWEVER, by the very nature of this method, eavesdroping is very easy. The safeguard against this would be encryption. However, as hackers claim, every code is made to be broken. Thus, vocal communication demonstrates its utility. A spy would have to be in very close proximity to a conversation in order to eavesdrop. Thus, vocal communication came about as a means of localized communication that would be harder to eavesdrop on. So it would be a case of reverse convergent evolution, if such a term can be used. 2. How do Transformers always know each other's names? In the global conflict of the Transformers war, it would probably be necessary to identify yourself quickly as friend or foe on the battlefield. Besides their insignia, they have small emitters that broadcast, "Me Blaster, me Autobot" or something like that. And of course, should it be damaged, or deliberately stopped from broadcasting (like in a sneak attack), then the others might not know who the robot is. This explains why in some episodes, Transformers know right away who the other one is even though they haven't been back to Cybertron or Earth or what not, and in other cases they don't know jack who the other robot is. IV. LINGUISTICS 1. How did the Transformers get their names? The native language of the Transformers is Cybertronian, presumably a binary language of some sort, and thus the Transformers originally had only Cybertronian names. Before the activation of the Transformers on Earth, however, the Ark sent out a probe to investigate the native life predominant on the planet. Though the probe mistakenly took mechanical constructions as lifeforms, it would be able to discern the meaning of written language by observation. For example, it would note that a vehicular lifeform (a car) stops in front of a stop sign. Thus, the Ark could assign a meaning to the grouping of letters "s"- "t"-"o"-"p". As the probe circled the planet, it would note the similarities in the responses of "life" to different words (for languages other than English), and thus understand that different words could have similar meanings and model this as a function of planetary geographic location. The Transformers merely adopted a name more suitable for communication with life on this planet, as this was the original purpose for their adapting to Earth modes. Which explains why in Japan the Transformers have Japanese names. :) 2. Ok, I can buy that, but what kind of Cybertronian translation would Bumblebee, Beachcomber, and other Transformers with Earth-specific names have then? Though Cybertron is vastly different from Earth, there are surely analogies between surface terrain and lifeFORMS. In the case of Bumblebee, for example, there surely exist annoying little lifeforms whose only purpose in life is to sip energon. And as far as Beachcomber is concerned, it is likely that a solid, though porous, planet such as Cybertron must experience dynamic geological forces that shape its surface. Thus, Transformers such as Beachcomber have names that reflect related, if not exact, forms. 3. What about the Transformers that have fancier names like Optimus Prime and Megatron? The leaders of the Transformers were held in high reverence by their followers [Starscream excepted :> ]. It would make sense that they were given more elaborate names. Thus, leaders or commanders such as Ultra Magnus had longer honorifics. When the Ark probed Earth before reanimating the Transformers, it deciphered Earth languages and determined that a sizeable majority were descended from Latin and thus determined an appropriate translation. V. WEAPONS OF WAR AND DESTRUCTION! This section is devoted to explanations of how some of the Transformers' weapons may have worked. If you're curious about one, let me know. Here are some I bothered to think about. 1. Cliffjumper's glass gas The embrittlement of metal as hydrogen gas diffuses through the structure, with the kinetics somehow souped up 2. Starscream's null rays Essentially a glorified short circuit that disrupted electrical neural pathways. Same goes for Blaster's electroscrambler. 3. Grimlock's (and other Dinobot's) thermoswords The edge is a monofilament nearing one molecule in width, thus enabling it to cut through almost anything.