are transformers alive?

Discussion in 'Transformers General Discussion' started by shadowsfm, May 27, 2013.

  1. shadowsfm

    shadowsfm Well-Known Member

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    i had an arguement with my bother. he says, to be defined as alive, a species needs to be able to reproduce
     
  2. Escargon

    Escargon Meh.

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    Yes, they have a spark, which makes them alive.

    And they do reproduce too. Here's the wiki article on it:

    http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Reproduction

    Though not in the same way as you and me.
     
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  3. Endgamelikespie

    Endgamelikespie Well-Known Member

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    -They have sparks, which are basically their souls.

    -They feel pain and feel all the emotions humans can.

    -They DO reproduce.

    -By your brothers' logic, those that are sterile are not "alive". Some creatures (Like mules.) and even humans are born sterile. What does that make them? Undead?

    So yes, cybertronians are living beings.
     
  4. daitarn red

    daitarn red bionic hero

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    primus created 13 ancient tfs
     
  5. WilyMech

    WilyMech Well-Known Member

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    Tell your brother that the definition of life form is changing. I mean the normal enviroments for extreme lifeforms do not fit with biological fact. Basically they are alive.
     
  6. Aernaroth

    Aernaroth <b><font color=blue>I voted for Super_Megatron and Veteran

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    Cybertronians currently meet all generally accepted critieria to be considered "alive". In fact, being living, sentient beings rather than just automatons or piloted machines has been central to the brand since the very beginning.

    Transformers

    1) Regulate their internal systems to maintain homeostasis: through things like going into stasis-lock, self-repairs, and even some of their automatic adaptation systems.

    2) Take in energy and excrete waste: either through energon or through other fuels, and the waste products can be smoke, or excess energy

    3) Grow: While many transformers do not grow in the physical sense, development has been seen to occur in cybertronians, both at the mental and at the physical level (especially in terms of from protoform to "adult")

    4) Adapt to their environment: Through reformatting

    5) Respond to stimuli: Transformers feel pain, communicate, and perceive their world around them, forming responsive actions (both voluntary and involtuntary) as a result.

    6) Reproduce: Depending on continuity, cybertronians can reproduce through budding, construction, hatching, etc. etc. etc.


    The only criteria they don't meet is being composed of cells, and I don't really like that one, since it assumes all life we will ever encounter will share that trait of terran organisms.




    The definition of life isn't changing in regards to the criteria I've stated above, and even extreme-zone life forms are still relatively close to other known forms of life. Only effectively minor details regarding life processes have been recently observed to not apply in some life forms (such as the metabolism of arsenic instead of phosphorous, when phosphorous is insufficiently available).
     
    Last edited: May 27, 2013
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  7. shadowsfm

    shadowsfm Well-Known Member

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    after thinking about it, maybe they are like worker bees. where the queen bee is vector sigma, when it comes to reproduction?
     
  8. SPLIT LIP

    SPLIT LIP Be strong enough to be gentle

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    They do reproduce. While the means are never explained completely or the same in every continuity, there is always some form of reproduction. There are old and young Transformers, Transformers who have ancestors and decendants. They are alive, and reproduce. They think, fell, have unique personalities and have many, many biological parallels.
     
  9. WilyMech

    WilyMech Well-Known Member

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    Answer is no. I don't think that the accurate scenario. The drones are female but infertile or even an asexual function. I don't see a hive mentality in Transformers as a species. I mean if you look at Hive mentality go to the Borg.


    I like the fact is not well defined in reproduction.
     
  10. LegendAntihero

    LegendAntihero Banned

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    This is what I'm thinking. It's like their heart.
     
  11. shadowsfm

    shadowsfm Well-Known Member

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    sentient and alive isn't the same thing
     
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  12. MECHADOOM

    MECHADOOM I'm Doombot and I know it

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    Not all alive things are sentient. However, all sentient things are alive. So I would say that Transformers are alive. In their fictional plane of existence.
     
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  13. shadowsfm

    shadowsfm Well-Known Member

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    how does data from star trek fit in?
     
  14. MECHADOOM

    MECHADOOM I'm Doombot and I know it

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    He fits in right HERE.
     
  15. Tyrant

    Tyrant Zombie

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    I always figured that Data became alive as he became sentient. He had to evolve and it was a process. Wasn't that the goal of his creator? Maybe a hardcore Trek fan can answer that better.
     
  16. Digilaut

    Digilaut Well-Known Member

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    No, because they're characters of fiction. ;) 


    I wasn't aware being able to reproduce was a requirement for a species being counted as alive, though. Viable, maybe.
     
  17. Girl Pants

    Girl Pants Well-Known Member

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    G1 was called "Super Robot Lifeform: Transformer" in Japan.

    /thread
     
  18. Gingerchris

    Gingerchris Telly-headed Tyrant

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    I wouldn't equate a heart to a soul. What would that mean for all the people that have had heart transplants or are currently living on artificial hearts?

    Sparks are probably more like tangible souls.

    But even then we've seen sparks manipulated to alter the TF's thinking or give life to another TF. So I'm not sure I would really even equate a spark to a soul.
     
  19. General Magnus

    General Magnus Da Custodes of the Emprah

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    They have shown to be able of though, emotions and even create art of their own prior to the war.

    They are alive.
     
  20. MaxxieOD

    MaxxieOD Jazz is my homebot

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    In response to Aernaroth, weren't protoforms in BW made entirely of nanobots? That would be similar to cells, and sometimes I thought maybe a Cybertronians entire body was nanobots that functioned similar to our cells. Was a random thought.

    Anyways, yes they are alive, as it's been the core of TFs themselves, and one of the big reasons why I love the fiction.
     
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