No Right Answer: Greatest Cybernetic Threat to Humanity Ever
- Thread starter Firefilm
- Start date
I guess that depends on how you define cyborg. If you count that guy wearing the 'EyeTap' as a cyborg then the Daleks would also qualify. If it requires a more thorough integration of electronics, than ya.ravenshrike said:The Daleks aren't cyborgs. Those are just basically powered armor peppermills. Also, Cybermen would win out over Cylons and Borg because they have access to time travel and dimensional rifting.Ukomba said:I'll go with the Cyber Cthulhu, Reapers. (There is an anime Mass Effect so it counts)
I would have said Borg years ago, but then Voyager happened.... I am surprised the Daleks or Cybermen didn't make the battle.
Just on that last comment, I wonder how many people who have begun to lap up the whole 'zombie' thing actually understand what facet of societal concern the monster is portraying. Because, to be honest, half the people I know who watch The Walking Dead have no idea. I'd like to believe you, man, but some people just lap up stuff in its simplicity, and don't understand the commentary being made. (The whole space marine thing in the Aliens movies had a similar problem).
I think with 7/9 the borg became humanized, and that takes away from the threatening atmosphere. But yeah, someone should have pulled reapers. Space cthulu is pretty high on the threatening factor.
It only gets worse from there.Abandon4093 said:
I'm in the same boat. My boss called off work (aka made me close the building) just so he could watch the last episode. He's hounded me for years to watch it so I did. I enjoyed it up until the point where it started to make no sense. The 5 mystery Cylons. The whole Sharon thing. The fact that ******spoiler********** Gaius "Fraking" Baltar somehow lives through the series. Starbuck is a woman for some reason. Apollo...fraking hate that guy past season 2. And the worst is how I said the word "fraking" for like 2 months after watching that show...
My god, these episodes are so much more *bearable* without that other guy with the beard. I didn't even have the urge to smash my speakers even once.
Phalanx scarier than both honestly... especially since Annihilation: Conquest where they do BOTH what the Borg do AND the Cylon...
That point about the Federation being a hard fight for the Borg is Completely incorrect. If you watched Next gen and Voyager, you would know that the Federation have an AWFUL track record against the borg. Wolf 359 - They sent a ton of ships at one cube, and the CUBE survived!
I'm happy you enjoyed the episode. I'm less happy that you enjoyed the episode specifically because I wasn't in it.Blood Brain Barrier said:
Don't worry it's fully fixable, just try not to shout hysterically at the top of your voice all the time. It's both annoying and patronising that you think we can't be interested in what you're saying without an excitedly animated display. Because I do enjoy what you guys say.Chris Pranger said:I'm happy you enjoyed the episode. I'm less happy that you enjoyed the episode specifically because I wasn't in it.Blood Brain Barrier said:
The Borg are way scarier, they don't fight, they just consume and spread like a virus, adapting and becoming stronger and stronger with each wave. Plus they still look recognizably human underneath all their cybernetics so that you never forget that they were once a person like you or me, who had his whole identity/personality overwritten. That's scary.
Also, on a purely technical level they're by far the most powerful, barring possibly the reapers.
Also, on a purely technical level they're by far the most powerful, barring possibly the reapers.
As far as cybernetic threats go, I'd have to say Replicators would win out.
Sure, Borg are scary, they'll take your life and the lives of everyone you care about and make you one of them (Then again... Seven of Nine makes them less scary...)
Then there's Cylons whom blend in so perfectly, even they don't realise that they're machines.
While Replicators don't care about humans at all, they're only interested in technology to replicate into even stronger armies. This coupled with the fact they take on the properties of the technology they feed upon (Meaning if they visit an area with better technology than earth, we're screwed) they also learn very quickly and can adapt to various situations and completely negate any weaknesses they have (Similar Hive-mind to Borg, except they can update software to update knowledge and defences for every Replicator)
They're also a pain to get rid of due to the ability for very small numbers of replicator pieces to replicate into an army very quickly.
Sure, Borg are scary, they'll take your life and the lives of everyone you care about and make you one of them (Then again... Seven of Nine makes them less scary...)
Then there's Cylons whom blend in so perfectly, even they don't realise that they're machines.
While Replicators don't care about humans at all, they're only interested in technology to replicate into even stronger armies. This coupled with the fact they take on the properties of the technology they feed upon (Meaning if they visit an area with better technology than earth, we're screwed) they also learn very quickly and can adapt to various situations and completely negate any weaknesses they have (Similar Hive-mind to Borg, except they can update software to update knowledge and defences for every Replicator)
They're also a pain to get rid of due to the ability for very small numbers of replicator pieces to replicate into an army very quickly.
While I haven't watched a lot of Star Trek or any BSG, I would still have to say that Skynet and the Terminators are the greatest threat to humanity. The Borg were dangerous, but they could be defeated. But in the Terminator universe, we know that Skynet wins. They succeed in wiping out most of humanity save for a small resistance force. They are already more successful then either the Borg or Cylons. And through at least the first three movies, all the efforts to avoid humankind's destruction prove futile. Judgement Day does happen. Ultimately, that seems like the most depressing part of the Terminator franchise, the humans are fighting a battle to which they know the results, the robots win.
And as for the social commentary argument, in the Terminator humankind is its own worst enemy and the architect of its own demise. And every time I see someone who can't read a map or navigate around a city without GPS, I start to think that the process has already begun.
And as for the social commentary argument, in the Terminator humankind is its own worst enemy and the architect of its own demise. And every time I see someone who can't read a map or navigate around a city without GPS, I start to think that the process has already begun.
Cylon vs Borg?
Borg are simple but effective. They assimilate and integrate the conquered into the Hive mind. They are ruthless but they lack motivation. Their only reason for existing is... because they exist. They are not more complicated than a bacteria who adapts, survives, replicates. They are the virus of the Universe. But they are weak... one one hand their programming is limited, they cannot create anything new, on the other their organic bodies are more of a nuisance. Voyager took great pains to turn them into something more interesting but their end is fitting. They are something less than "human".
Cylons? They are the best part of Battlestar Gallactica. One one hand you have the humanoid clones. I found these to be boring, confusing and limited as a concept. They are the greatest weakness of the Cylon, something made up for TV purposes only. I don't want to go into details, lest I spoil the fun. The fleshy robots? Now we're talking. Their ability to reincarnate (The Prestige style, with all the bad implications) makes them unique and highly fascinating. The episode SCAR from the second season is the only time we see this in action to it's full extent. It's my favorite episode of the show as it says so much about them. They still act as individuals and overcome their limitations. They have a motivation, other than killing humans. They are a religious bunch, trying to figure out what they are meant to do. In other words, they are more than "robots". They have free will and a sense of freedom.
So while Borgs are by nature a bad concept and are doomed to eventually fail, the Cylons have the tools to become something amazing. But Cylons are not something to be feared, as they also lack most of our human weaknesses. Cylons are creators, not destroyers. It's nice to imagine what they would've done on their own (without the war with humans), but I guess they would've turned into a benign race of explorers.
So what would be the greatest threat for us? By far, The Matrix. Watch Animatrix (The Second Renaissance) and you will probably come to agree with me. Yes, it's the old "Terminator" idea, but the story twist with the human batteries locked in a virtual existence is more then enough to make you believe it could actually already be true
Borg are simple but effective. They assimilate and integrate the conquered into the Hive mind. They are ruthless but they lack motivation. Their only reason for existing is... because they exist. They are not more complicated than a bacteria who adapts, survives, replicates. They are the virus of the Universe. But they are weak... one one hand their programming is limited, they cannot create anything new, on the other their organic bodies are more of a nuisance. Voyager took great pains to turn them into something more interesting but their end is fitting. They are something less than "human".
Cylons? They are the best part of Battlestar Gallactica. One one hand you have the humanoid clones. I found these to be boring, confusing and limited as a concept. They are the greatest weakness of the Cylon, something made up for TV purposes only. I don't want to go into details, lest I spoil the fun. The fleshy robots? Now we're talking. Their ability to reincarnate (The Prestige style, with all the bad implications) makes them unique and highly fascinating. The episode SCAR from the second season is the only time we see this in action to it's full extent. It's my favorite episode of the show as it says so much about them. They still act as individuals and overcome their limitations. They have a motivation, other than killing humans. They are a religious bunch, trying to figure out what they are meant to do. In other words, they are more than "robots". They have free will and a sense of freedom.
So while Borgs are by nature a bad concept and are doomed to eventually fail, the Cylons have the tools to become something amazing. But Cylons are not something to be feared, as they also lack most of our human weaknesses. Cylons are creators, not destroyers. It's nice to imagine what they would've done on their own (without the war with humans), but I guess they would've turned into a benign race of explorers.
So what would be the greatest threat for us? By far, The Matrix. Watch Animatrix (The Second Renaissance) and you will probably come to agree with me. Yes, it's the old "Terminator" idea, but the story twist with the human batteries locked in a virtual existence is more then enough to make you believe it could actually already be true