Psychlo
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Psychlo are the most prominent alien race in L. Ron Hubbard's science fiction novel, Battlefield Earth. They are a warlike species having conquered much of the known universe. The primary goal of this expansion is resource allocation. Their planet is honeycombed with mining tunnels. Psychlos are known throughout the universe for their love of torture and cruelty.
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[edit] Psychlo anatomy
The Psychlo are a humanoid bipedal species. Their primary distinction from humans lies in their massive bodies. Due to the high gravity of the Psychlo homeworld (also termed "Psychlo,") they are usually around nine feet tall, although some smaller-sized Psychlos measure only seven feet. They have furry bodies and large hands with talons instead of fingernails. In the place of eyebrows are mobile bones that likewise portray their facial expressions.
At the microscopic level, Psychlo bodies are not based on cellular biology, but are instead mostly composed of clumps of viruses, giving them a higher density and strength for their size. They can breathe only "breathe-gas," the native atmosphere of the planet Psychlo -- air is poisonous to them, so they must wear facemasks when walking about outside on Earth. Breathe-gas explodes when exposed to radiation, a point that comes up repeatedly throughout the storyline.
Psychlos are further distinguished in that their hands consist of eleven digits; five fingers on one hand and six on the other. The author contends that because of their extra digit, the Psychlos naturally developed a "base 11" positional notation system, the mathematics of which is the basis of the teleportation technology that enabled them to dominate the galaxy.
[edit] Psychlo 'brain capsules' - possible spoilers
Every Psychlo male has one or two metal capsules implanted in his brain at birth, which substantially alters his behavior. The first capsule, made of bronze, was intended to short-circuit the action and pleasure paths in the brain, making male Psychlos happy when they are working. In reality, though, the effect was to make them take pleasure in being cruel.
A second capsule, made of silver, is found in the brains of senior male engineers, mathematicians and technical types. Its effect is to protect the Psychlos' teleportation technology by short-circuiting and creating impulses for murder or suicide if an alien tries to get information about teleportation from a Psychlo.
Females have only one brain capsule, also made of silver; its effect is to cause the females to pass out and fall into a coma if anyone tries to teach them even basic mathematics, thereby further protecting the Psychlo teleportation technology (and, as a side effect, essentially barring females from holding any positions of authority).
[edit] See also
- Battlefield Earth (novel) (with discussion that the name "Psychlo" may derive from Scientology's disdain for psychiatrists)
- Battlefield Earth (film)
