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The Cohen Loop Introduction copyright comidacomida 2014

Buenos Dias, class. I'm going to be your history teacher this year... you can call me Mr Ricky. Now, I know a lot of you are here for your first year at the Unity Centre and getting used to a new school isn't easy, but we are going to make things as fun for you as we can. This is a special school for special students, and I know you all have a lot of questions... and that's good, because there is no better way to learn than by asking questions.

Before the end of the day you will get to learn all about why your parents brought you here but in this class, today, right now, you get to learn why the center ITSELF is here. The Unity Centre is all about teaching dual-racial cohabitation... that means we teach Humans and Phins how to live together. Has anyone here ever seen a Phin?

You have? Did you see one on television or in person? In Hawaii? That DOES make sense, considering the Phins prefer water over land, and there's PLENTY of water in Hawaii. Hmm... I can see we already have a specialist on our hands. Well, don't worry, young lady... you'll still have plenty of chances to learn here at the Centre. Anyway, you're in MY class today to learn about history, and that's just what we're going to do.

So, to begin, I know that a lot of you have been wondering why your parents and grand parents are always arguing about how to write the year. Your grandparents keep telling you that it is two thousand, eighty seven, while your parents keep wanting to write it as thirty one. So... can anyone here tell me who's right? Who can tell me if your parents or your grandparents are correct?

Both? Yes! Very good, young lady. And does anyone know why we have two separate systems for tracking the year? No? Hmm... well, let me give you all a hint. If we are tracking the Common Era, it is 2087... but if we are looking at Thirty Seven AU, then that measures something else. Something happened just over three decades ago-- that's thirty years. Can anyone tell me what happened just over thirty years ago? I'll give you a hint... it has something to do with the Phins.

No... but that's a good guess. I'm pretty sure the Phins learned to speak a long time before that... we just couldn't understand them very well before we made the voice modulators they use now. Anyone else?

Close, but no... the voice modulators started being made in the beginning of 2055. How about someone else? What happened in 2056?

No... but that's a good try too. The Phins have only had coastal towns for about twenty years... but you're getting closer. Would someone else like to guess?

Very good. In the year 2056 CE, which we also call 0 AU, we signed an agreement with the Phins that allowed them to build cities out in the ocean here and they allowed us to build cities on the land there. And, since then, Phins have begun building some small cities on our coast, and we've been allowed to build some on theirs. Any questions?

Haha... no, young man... I don't know if Other-Earth has a Disneyworld... but that might be a great question to ask a Phin next time you see one. Alright, everyone... I'd like you to open your text books to page 11, and we'll begin discussing the first meeting of man and Phin, which happened in 2055 Common Era... also known as....?

Very good, young lady, 2 BU... or Two Before Unity. Now, we are going to take turns reading aloud from the book, starting with you in the corner... and we'll go right down the row from there.

-- Ricardo Jesus David Cortez, PhD Junior Cadet History Class at the Unity Centre Primary School, Spring Term, 31 AU (2087 CE)

* * * * * *

Alright, folks... settle down, settle down. I'm well aware that most of you in this class are looking to move on the Applied route to Advanced Applications or the liberal arts direction involving Cross-Culture Studies, but let me make this clear: Biology is a REQUIRED COURSE for ANY degree at the Unity Centre. I consider myself a very reasonable woman, but that only lasts as long as my temper... if you cause problems I will not hesitate to flunk you, which means you're either out of the program or you have to take a make-up course over the summer... and I will give you exactly ONE guess who teaches that course.

So... now that we have all that ugly business out of the way, I prefer to treat you like adults until you give me reason to do otherwise. With that in mind, please act like ones, and I ask that you don't snicker or giggle when we begin talking about the difference between human and Phin reproductive processes. I know the idea of a race with transitory sexual identity is an unfamiliar concept, but it remains one of the strongest unifying characteristics of their society (for those of you interested in Cross-Culture Studies), and needs to be taken into consideration for any joint racial projects (I'm looking at the Advanced Application students).

To compare Human and Phin biological functions we first have to discuss our similarities before we can discuss the differences and, to do that, we are going to review basic taxonomical classifications, starting with 'Mammal'; Domain, Eukaryota; Kingdom, Animalia; Phylum, Chordata; Class, Mamalia... and THAT is where we stop. Humans and Phins follow the same classifications up to this point. Differing at the level of Order, humans are Primates while Phins are Cetacea. However, genetically, we are far more similar than different.

Even though Our-Earth dolphins have 44 Chromosomes, both Humans and Phins have 46. Incidentally, primates on Other-Earth are known to have 50, which are 2 more than our own primates. There has not been enough study yet to determine what evolutionary differences took place after the Global Fision that caused organisms on Other-Earth to increase their Chromosome count. And that will be the focus of today: Post Global Fision evolutionary gap.

As you may all be aware, the current theory regarding the similarity between Our-Earth and Other-Earth has to do with an event scientists are calling Global Fision-- at one time our two separate Earths were a singular whole. Fossil records by Human and Phin paleontologists suggest our Earths diverged around the Miocene period-- between 5 to 23 million years ago... and while there are as many opinions of how it happened we will not be discussing that in this class. What we DO know is that our separate Earths continued evolving separately, which is why we are the dominant species on Our-Earth and the Phins became the same for Other-Earth.

While there are many superficial differences between animals that appear on both Earths, one of the greatest is the change in how genetic material is passed from one generation to the next. Being from Our-Earth, you are all obviously familiar with sexual reproduction and, if not, then you are incredibly sheltered and haven't been through Health class. The majority of species on Other-Earth only have a single sex. Before you start saying that's impossible, I would like to point out that there are several evolutionary examples of that right here on Our-Earth... and I'm not referring just to hermaphrodites-- organisms that are both male and female.

Non-reproducing Phins are all male, and they spend almost all of their life this way, with the exception of a gestational period. As with dolphins from Our-Earth, Phins have urogenital slit, which means neither primary nor secondary external sexual characteristics are obvious to the untrained eye, so the differentiation is not considered significant. After copulation, the Phin that receives the other's semen becomes pregnant, and his body changes to accommodate the growing fetus. In this way, Phins are in a state of what is known as sequential hermaphrodism; they are males that can become females but at no time are they both sexes at once.

As for how each Phin enters into a sexual relationship, it appears to be a matter of reference. Some Phins may only impregnate, some may choose only to be impregnated, and some may take both roles at different points in their life. However, once the child is born and weaned, the birthing Phin's body always returns to a male form. In this way, Phins are considered both Protandry and Protogyny-- they change sexes from male to female, and from female to male.

Working in groups of three, I want everyone to review chapter seven, which discusses sequential hermaphrodism among organisms from Our-Earth. Groups A & B will focus on fish, Groups C & D are going to review gastropoda, and Groups E, F, & G will cover plants. Before the end of the class period I want each group to nominate a speaker, who will be presenting their findings to everyone here.

-- Maryann Griffith, PhD Comparitive Biology Lecture at the Unity Centre Secondary School, Spring Term, 31 AU (2087 CE)

* * * * * *

Hello, and welcome to your first day of Sociology. Like any University program, we are going to be discussing social behavior, its origins, development, organizations, and institutions. Unlike most other University programs, the Unity Centre reaches out beyond just the study of HUMAN social science. You have all been accepted into the program based on your firm grasp and understanding of concepts presented in standard Sociology and for your aptitude in social research using qualitative and quantitative techniques.

To begin, I need a show of hands-- how many here speak more than one language. Alright... most of you-- good. I want all of you with your hands up to move to THIS side of the room... and everyone else, you're welcome to leave. Thank you. You're dismissed. It's alright... we will wait for you to pick up your things. You may report to the Chief Adviser for secondary placement. I appreciate your interest in the program, but you can wait one more year and return with a better skill set. In Sociology, this is referred to as 'us' versus 'them'... and you are most certainly 'them'. Goodbye.

Now... for those of you left, let me start by saying thank you for being so kind as to have read the course requirements. I would NOW like for anyone who speaks more than TWO languages to move to the back of the room... go ahead and spread out. Everyone else please move to the front of the room, up here. Excellent-- thank you. Now, finally... out of everyone in this area that speaks three or more languages, I want you to raise your hand if you can understand Phin. Everyone else, please look at these three as they are going to be the team leaders for each of the class's exercises.

So... since we have that settled, let's get started. First, I'm glad to see that there's so much interest in Convergent Studies. For those of you who aren't familiar with the concept, Convergent Studies focuses on examining both Human and Phin social structures, philosophy, sociolinguistics, and interpersonal communication. Just as with traditional Sociology we will be examining how activities are affected by interplay between social structure and individual agency in both Humans and in Phins.

Today, for the purpose of comparing similarities and examining the vast differences we will be exploring two primary concepts for both societies. Those concepts are gender equality and social stratification. Please make sure you take notes as future lessons will build upon these concepts. Since everyone here is well versed in Human Sociology, we will be using that understanding as a starting point to determine parallels and exploring disconnects.

As you are all assuredly aware, like Humans, Phins have family groups with distinct gender roles. Despite the western philosophy of gender equality, our race, in general, still sees men as bread earners and women as the caretaker of the home. While Humanity as a whole has taken great strides in equalizing the roles of men and women, there is still a lasting social expectation that suggests this gender assignment as the 'correct' way. Even in families where both parents work it is still common to see these roles, though to a lesser extent.

As the female sex is a temporary condition among the Phins, there is no such social stigma subscribed to preconceived gender roles. With Phins, just as it is with Humans the parent who carries the baby to term is expected to be the one to give birth, so to are they expected to nurse the child and maintain care of the child. If this was a role they were not interested in then they would not have become pregnant-- they would have preferred to impregnate the other partner. Likewise, a Phin who was not interested in acting as provider would not choose for their partner to be the one to carry their child.

This does, of course, bring about the important question of what happens during cases of rape, but we will be discussing that later in the year. What I WILL say for now is that there are situations in which Phins, just like with Humans may become parents without being emotionally and mentally prepared. In cases such as this, the mated pair do not usually remain a couple for long, resulting in the pregnant Phin to be forced to provide for his-- or, at this point, HER baby alone or, rather, with the assistance of government programs.

In most cases, the Phin that did not undergo pregnancy is identified and required to act as financial caretaker of the pregnant partner even if they are no longer a pair. This financial aid continues until the birthing parent of the child has resumed his primary sexual identity, at which point the assistance programs take over. While this had once carried a great social stigma for both parties, this has become a much more common phenomenon for the Phins over the last hundred years and is not considered to be in such bad taste, though it is still looked down upon by many traditionalists.

Our first topic of discussion revolved around differences in gender roles in a species with only one sex. We are going to make things easier now as we discuss social stratification, which is far easier to understand among Phins than among Humans, who equate social standing with mutable traits such as education, finances, and titles. Among the Phins, they have a distinct and defined social status based on an individual's breed.

To Human observation, at first glance, this division may seem something more akin to prejudice, but, when we look deeper, we begin to understand how and why this separation exists. We're going to split the class into three groups based on the team leaders we've already identified. This team will be reviewing the social placement for the Album Phins; the team over here will explore the class structure of the Longos Phins; and our last team will consider where the Amplus Phins fit into their society.

We will gather together as a class again in forty minutes to discuss these social classes, and then examine exceptions to Phin societal standards including how some individuals transcend class and what barriers they are required to overcome. I'll give you five minutes to form your groups... go ahead and begin.

-- Lindsay Carrington, PhD Addressing 1st Year Sociology Class at Unity Centre University, Spring Term, 31 AU (2087 CE)

* * * * * *

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Advanced Physics. I see that we have a full room of 200, but never fear-- before the end of this semester I assume we will have less than fifty. While you might expect me to start out this lecture by referencing wavefunction, probability amplitudes, or wave-partical duality, I would, like the subject itself, prefer to throw you for a loop and start off in an entirely different direction.

If the average person were to be asked what the highest point on Earth would be, chances are, if they were asked before 2053 they would have said Mount Everest. While that answer is true if you are looking at the highest point above sea level, you would be wrong if the purpose of the question were to discover the point on Earth furthest from its core. In that case, the answer would be Chimborazo, a tall peak in Ecuador.

The Earth isn't a perfect sphere, you see, and is actually wider around the Equator than it is at either of its poles. To this end, even though Chimborazo is not as tall as Mount Everest, there is still more distance separating it from the center of the Earth. Oddly enough, it had always been a well respected feat to climb Mount Everest, while very few people even knew the name 'Chimborazo' until the middle of the 21st century.

Likewise, while the Mariana Trench had always been considered to have included the lowest point below sea level, the location closest to the center of the Earth was actually found to be beneath the Arctic Ocean... for exactly the same reason: less ground between it and the core. What exactly does this lesson in geography have to do with Physics? Everything.

There is an energy field that travels between the points closest to and farthest from the Earth's center, and that is called the Cohen Loop, after the Theoretical Physicist Nathan Cohen. He will come up again many times in today's lecture. It was Cohen, in the mid 21st century who first proposed that it existed and, later, proved it. By subjecting the flow of energy to electro-magnetic pulses, scientists were able to create 'tags' within the energy readings flowing into and out of these locations.

Amazingly, a tag that went into one arm of the Cohen Loop took exactly 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 41 seconds to manifest at the opposite contact point. Even more coincidental, if a tag was placed on an energy signature leaving at one point, it could be read passing into the other contact point after precisely the same duration. So what why is that time significant? The answer is because that is exactly the same amount of time it takes the Earth to complete one full rotation around on its axis.

Considering the passage of time between the placement of a tag and picking it up again in the loop, this raised a much more important question: if these electromagnetic disturbances in the Cohen Loop traveled along the metaphorical 'circle', and the energy flow traveled both into and out of the two contact points simultaneously, how did that energy get from one location to the next? Oddly enough, although scientists were able to discern the rough geographical route of the energy from Chimborazo to Location B72, all attempts to study energy flowing from Location B72 to Chimborazo met with failure.

The energy signature, it seemed, took a strangely indirect path to the North Pole: it went south. Its path took it across Antarctica before coming up through India, Western China, Kazakhstan, and Russia. It eventually plunged into the Arctic Ocean-- from there, scientists used mathematical equations to further predict its route before finally connecting the loop to Location B27. Of course... those measurements didn't create the theorized 'loop'... it was, in fact, one very large arch. This, of course, left a very important question: where did the energy go when it traveled from Location B72 to Chimborazo?

Considering the answer to that question involved the discovery of Other-Earth and the Phins, it is safe to say that the answer would change everything.

-- Phillip Grant Simpson, PhD Advanced Physics at the Unity Centre Advanced Studies Hall, Spring Term, 31 AU (2087 CE)