Robert Forward's Rocheworld alien creatures, dubbed flouwen by the crew, have a unique biology, and display intelligence and the ability to communicate with one another. Just how different are these intelligent creatures from humans?
Rocheworld: Flouwen Anatomy
Physiologically, the flouwen are very different. As described by the crew, they are
- 3 meters wide, 10 meters long, 1 meter thick, and about the same density of the ocean. Their unique characteristics are the color each one takes on, which also derives each’s name, such as Loud Red.
- The flouwen look like large “jellyfish” or “sea weed” and have “no discernible internal structure.”
- Loud whistles are their voices and sonar is their sight.
However, similarly to us, the flouwen do require sustenance to thrive and must have brains, for they are mathematically brilliant and can communicate.
Mathmatically Inclined, Child-Like Alien Jelly Fish
Sociologically, the flouwen are somewhat more similar to humans, though more so to a group of mathematically inclined children than to full-grown adults. The aliens display innocent and carefree characteristics. They seem to have no ill-will against anything, and enjoy playing and socializing with each other as if at recess.
The aliens are similar to human children in other ways. Emotionally, the beings are somewhat shallow when compared with the range and depth of human emotions. The prospect of surfing a good wave is enough break the aliens free from the amazing once-in-a-lifetime encounter with intelligent beings from another planet.
As they are mathematically inclined, the flouwen tend toward making decisions based on logic and probabilities and don’t normally dwell or hold grudges. One of the most interesting characteristics of the flouwen is their ability to transform their surface to a rock-hard layer and sit and think about math problems for centuries on end.
Evolution Contributes to Rocheworld’s Flouwen
The drastically different environmental conditions on Rocheworld as compared to Earth may be what contributed to the evolution of these intelligent creatures as different from humans.
- As they have no natural enemies, so the flouwen aren’t inclined to worry or caution.
- They appear naturally curious with no concept of death, which fits with a lack of natural enemies, as well as to their ageless, adaptable bodies.
- Their bodies are perfect for dwelling on planet dominated by ocean. See Rocheworld Weather for complete description of the planet's weather.
There aren’t many other creatures at all on Rocheworld, so the flouwen have evolved to be care-free and think only about logical math problems. Because all the creatures can share their thoughts and memories with one another, the chain of wisdom and logic amongst these creatures is never broken, hence the highly evolved mathematical thinking they possess.
Flouwen Communicate with Rocheworld Astronauts
With a logical language based on numbers, the humans and the aliens make up a common vocabulary and can communicate. While the 2 species are able to share quantities and somewhat describe things based on relations to logic, the communication breaks down in such instances as explaining politeness to the flouwen, which has no mathematical equivalent.
The communication also hits a wall from the flouwens’ side, namely in the scene when they attempt to explain the solution to Fermat’s conjecture to the humans.
It appears that the humans and flouwen bring out the best in each other in the novel. Both provide a good contrast to bring out new characteristics of each species though new scenarios.
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