The Halo book series the Forerunner Saga features an ancient spacefaring human civilization

For those of you who aren't familiar with the Halo series, its about future humanity fighting an extraterrestrial empire called the Covenant.

Anyways, the book series took place thousands of years before the events of the game where the Forerunners (an advanced alien civilization) were the dominant forces in the galaxy.

Interestingly the book mentioned how there was an ancient advanced space faring human civilization that got dismantled by the Forerunners.

Here's what happened:

Prehistoric Humanity somehow manage to achieve spaceflight in the distant past and spread among the stars. From there, they were able to create a powerful civilization and conquered a large portion of the Milky Way Galaxy. However, they soon got into conflict with the Forerunners, an alien civilization that rivaled their own.

They fought a war for thousands of years but however, after many bitter losses, humanity took a final stand in their capital world. (not Earth)

After the war, the Forerunners decided to punish humanity by not only devolving them to hunter gathers but also wipe out traces of human civilization. This explains why by the time of the events in the game humanity couldn't find evidence of their ancient advanced civilization.

I wonder what if something similar happened? I mean a lot of people argued that if humanity managed to achieved a highly advanced technologically advanced civilization in the past we would find traces of it but what if an alien civilization wiped out traces of human civilization? It would explain why we only find a few evidence in the present day.

Like any good story, when the writers create them they think "What might have happened" even if its a fictional account, they take whatever is somewhat plausible [granted a healthy suspension of belief or lack of knowledge], almost the same as any Ancient Alien story, or one that comes to mind, Stargate. Here's the idea that the Egyptian gods were Aliens. A kid watching that movie might think it could all be real, a kid who grew up might come to write a very similar story.

In any case, Joe Staten was I think one of the main writers on Halo. Although Bungie's themes have been similar since Pathways into Darkness and Marathon. If you are interested in the underpinnings of Halo, it would be worth looking into some of their past works.

Thanks! I have always loved the Halo story as much or more than the gameplay itself. It is the reason I have not liked the later RedvsBlue Multiplayer, throw out some crap to make a buck games that they have become. 45min and the Campaign is done, all that is left is red vs blue, gamers are Richard Noggins, I hate this! Rage! Rage Quit!!

It is an awesome story and they forgot that. The Animated Movie was really good too! Told a lot more of these story.

a reply to: boncho

But at least the Forerunner saga has a plausible explanation on why ancient humanity didn't leave any traces of its advanced civilization.

If you watch Ancient Aliens I personally believed its a bit off.

a reply to: starwarsisreal

The Authors had plenty to choose from, there is a cult in the US that believe the earth was once the capital planet of an interstellar empire and that it will one day arise again, they also believe that there leader is the reincarnation of one of there ancient emperors/empress and they practice mental contact with supposed UFO being's.

Then there is the Author of more than one pulp fiction novel L'Ron Hubbard whom said "If you want fame and power then start your own religion" so he did and called it Scientology, other than founding a crackpot cult that actively recruit's the famous and the wealthy (like several other cult's) he also wrote many sci fi pulp fiction novels in which Humanity on earth were merely the idiot descendants of a lost colony or crashed space ship.

The crashed space ship idea was used by the Hitch Hikers guide to Galaxy, the earth was colonised by a cruie liner full of morons that had been tricked into going on a voyage by the more intelligent members of there society and crash landed on earth.

The intro to Battlestar Galactica the original series is one of my favourites that talks about many people believing man kind began out there among the stars and how today our cousins may still be out there.

Then you have all the Ancient astronaut theory's that don't all say we recieved technology from somewhere else but some say we came from somewhere else.

The moon is at exacly the right distance for us to see it as appearing the same size as the sun yet it is both 400 times smaller and 400 times closer to us.
www.odeion.org...

Are we alien, could the moon have been once intended to act as an artificial sun with some kind of crystal projection system providing radiance and heat that would orbit the earth as it made an interstellar journey like a giant space craft, is the earth a natural body, all strange but valid questions even if they are far out there and wacked out.

If so is there a control centre somewhere? and are there people searching for it in the interests of there own power.

a reply to: LABTECH767

The moon is at exacly the right distance for us to see it as appearing the same size as the sun yet it is both 400 times smaller and 400 times closer to us.

A false claim, often repeated.

The distance of the Moon from Earth varies, depending on the time of the month, from 364,397 km to 406,731 km, with an average of 384,748 km.

The distance of the Earth from the Sun also varies, depending on the time of year, from 152,097,701 km to 147,098,074km, with an average of 149,597,887.5 km.

So the ratio of the two orbits varies from 417 to 361 (a 15% variance), with an average of 388. The ratio of the sizes of the Sun and the Moon is about 400 so yes, occasionally the ratio of the distances is the same as the ratio in sizes but most of the time it is not.

a reply to: Phage

And it is slowly drifting away from us, an act which will see it slowly accelerate away with potentially catachlysmic consequences for life as we know it as some believe the earths axis will then shift to a cyclic 45 degree tilt, I don't but think it will still be devastating.

I see the earth and the moon as a symbiotic planetary system, womans mentrual cycles as you know are synchonized to lunar cycles, not all in sync but affected by them nevertheless, (and if you put a group of woman together there menstrual cycles naturally synchronise maybe through pheromone's causing biological synchronisation that may have been important in pre history tribal hunter days when there were probably more woman than men as the men probably had a higher mortality rate hunting for food meaning that the strong survivors had a pick and fertile ladys whose bodys were keyed to emit pheromones that the males find sexually attractive as you know.

Still I would not call it a false claim just erronous out by a variable few percent and thank you for that information, very close though is'nt it without an accurate yard stick that is.

originally posted by: LABTECH767
And it is slowly drifting away from us, an act which will see it slowly accelerate away with potentially catachlysmic consequences for life as we know it as some believe the earths axis will then shift to a cyclic 45 degree tilt, I don't but think it will still be devastating.

The sun will have swollen to red giant size long before the moon's recession would have impacted life on earth.

womans mentrual cycles as you know are synchonized to lunar cycles, not all in sync but affected by them nevertheless...

That is an urban legend:

Even though the average length of the human menstrual cycle is similar to that of the lunar cycle, in modern society there is no relation between the two. The relationship is believed to be a coincidence.
Adams, Cecil, "What's the link between the moon and menstruation?"
Abell, George O.; Barry Singer (1983). Science and the Paranormal: Probing the Existence of the Supernatural. Scribner Book Company. ISBN 0-684-17820-6.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Not exactly the sun will likey go red giant between 3.5 to 4.5 billion years into the future, the moon may leave the earth well before that, even within one billion years as the further it get's away the weaker the mutual gravitational attraction becomes and the faster the moon accelerates.

Then again Angromeda will come careering into the milky way in about 2.2 billion years though a solar system disruption is not likely it does still remain a possiblity.

I am sure our residant expert can clarify more on these matter's so over to Phage.

One final note even though the sun will not go supergiant in that time life on earth will either adapt or die out as within two billion years life as we know it may not be able to survive as the sun will likely get hotter in that time anyway, it was cooler in the past and the long stable period may not be that stable anyway, indeed the earth it is believed may have undergone a series of successife super massive ice ages collectively called the Snow Ball earth theory which is gaining credance and acceptance, it postulates that between 2.2 billion BC and 750 million BC (just 100 million years before the cambrien explosion) that the earth may have suffered several total freezing period during wich the ice caps may have even reached the equator and joined leaving only the deep sea thermal vent's and deep crust to harbour bacterial survivors throughout that period.

originally posted by: LABTECH767
Not exactly...

Yeah, exactly:

However, the slowdown of Earth's rotation is not occurring fast enough for the rotation to lengthen to a month before other effects change the situation: approximately 2.3 billion years from now, the increase of the Sun's radiation will have caused Earth's oceans to evaporate,[14] removing the bulk of the tidal friction and acceleration. Source

a reply to: LABTECH767

Not exactly the sun will likey go red giant between 3.5 to 4.5 billion years into the future, the moon may leave the earth well before that, even within one billion years as the further it get's away the weaker the mutual gravitational attraction becomes and the faster the moon accelerates.

The Earth will be uninhabitable in about 1.5 billion years due to increased solar irradiance. The Moon will still be there, stabilizing the Earth's rotation but there will be no liquid water on the surface.

The Moon will never leave Earth. As a result of the tidal forces which are causing it to increase its orbital distance, it is slowing the Earth's rotation. Eventually, the Moon will continue to orbit the Earth and, just as the Moon only shows one face to Earth, the Earth will show one face to the Moon. The two will be tidally locked to each other and the Moon will cease to increase the radius of its orbit. If there were anyone there to see it, the Moon would be visible for only half the planet and a day will be very, very long.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Obstinate and worthy of a star, I disagree though totally and remember it remains theoretical for the moment and theory is not fact, there is even growing belief among quantum physicists that the percieved laws of the universe may not be the fixed laws they seem and this effects everything.

What do you know of membrane theory and it's implications for cosmology.

If the universe is the result of two (or more) brains colliding and we are that third brain that is a combination of the other two (or more) then as they collision may rebound as these brains seperate the law's of our universal membrane (superfield - not supergravity - or even superstring CAN tie in to this) may actually be in flux, over time we try to measure change based in immutable law's of physics but if those laws are not immutable then our observations lack a vital criteria to make them valid and that is another base like a time base, a base that shows the projecion on variable universal constant's and potential vanished previous laws or rules of existance that may but now no longer apply to periods in our percieved past.

originally posted by: LABTECH767
Obstinate and worthy of a star, I disagree though totally and remember it remains theoretical for the moment...

It is not 'theoretical', is a mathematical fact. You even had another poster explain the same thing.

What do you know of membrane theory and it's implications for cosmology.

A decent amount but it is not even remotely relevant to this thread.

a reply to: Phage

Juse dipped back into the net and you are correct, it will leave though but not for about 50 billion or so years and that is about 45 billion years after we are destroyed by the sun anyway so on that point I was mistaken, at least in so far as the period of time I postulated based on something I read years ago.

Thank's for that phage.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: LABTECH767
Obstinate and worthy of a star, I disagree though totally and remember it remains theoretical for the moment...

It is not 'theoretical', is a mathematical fact. You even had another poster explain the same thing.

What do you know of membrane theory and it's implications for cosmology.

A decent amount but it is not even remotely relevant to this thread.

Good point, I still disagree but you point out a major point, it is not relavent to his thread so I shall leave it there and let's get this thread back on track, the poster has been patiant with us so far but the mod's may not be.

originally posted by: LABTECH767

Good point, I still disagree...

You still disagree that the moon's recession will impact life on earth prior to the oceans evaporating? After you just thanked Phage for correcting you and then looking it up yourself?

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Actually though neither of us will be here to see that I hope that the human race in some shape or form IS and that they can or have already by that time escaped the confines of the solar system and learned to live an extra planatery and extra solar existance.

There is actually a very good change we as a species will not survive the next 200 years though, even though with proper unified (not the easiest of thing's to bring to the party) planning and management the earth could actually sustain over 200 billion humans using architecture to mutliply the surface area of the planet available for habitation and cultivation, we would need to create new super strong materials though but imagine giant A frame pyramidal structures with Deck's forming elvated cultivated fields the space between them closer the higher up they go and some as habitation zone's, higher levels using transparrent layers to enact climate control, solar tracking mirrors and tapping geothermal energy sources to supplement the natural light and heat with artificial light and water irrigation cycling systems, entire citys occupying some decks while the rest of the decks of such pyramid frames hosting agricultural space.

But no there is no profit for the greedy so we shall simply go extinct or the extreme minority will launch a war of mass culling using pathogenic virus and bacterialogical weapons as well as maybe chemical weapons to at first attempt to lower birth rates into a population decrease (potentially killing us as a species anyway) and later simply enact mass genocide (by which time the unmanaged ecologys and environment will be and may already be beyond our current ability to save also causing our imminent demise).

So it all remains rather Academic does'nt it.

Of course a massive natural cataclysm may yet save us from ourselves and leave the innocent to repopulate but that is just damn unlikely and if there is any truth in the Dumb theory then certain elite will escape but they will do so at the cost of there footsoldiers whom will be left to die with the rest of us.

a reply to: starwarsisreal

You know, advancement by standards could mean different things.. Insight in humanity is an advancement, living as a primate is not.. Human technology isnt really that advanced, the time effort put in to make it better is something thats considered a technological advancement, but the real case, we are lazy, thats the reason...

The first computer was an amazing achievement by human standards..
Everything else just an achievement in physics and chemistry..

The first day we see a AI or a singularity, we signed our doom, but thats the next phase in evolution.

a reply to: LABTECH767

Do you have anything claim to the menstrual cycle, cause it seems actually logical..

originally posted by: starwarsisreal
For those of you who aren't familiar with the Halo series, its about future humanity fighting an extraterrestrial empire called the Covenant.

Anyways, the book series took place thousands of years before the events of the game where the Forerunners (an advanced alien civilization) were the dominant forces in the galaxy.

Interestingly the book mentioned how there was an ancient advanced space faring human civilization that got dismantled by the Forerunners.

Here's what happened:

Prehistoric Humanity somehow manage to achieve spaceflight in the distant past and spread among the stars. From there, they were able to create a powerful civilization and conquered a large portion of the Milky Way Galaxy. However, they soon got into conflict with the Forerunners, an alien civilization that rivaled their own.

They fought a war for thousands of years but however, after many bitter losses, humanity took a final stand in their capital world. (not Earth)

After the war, the Forerunners decided to punish humanity by not only devolving them to hunter gathers but also wipe out traces of human civilization. This explains why by the time of the events in the game humanity couldn't find evidence of their ancient advanced civilization.

I wonder what if something similar happened? I mean a lot of people argued that if humanity managed to achieved a highly advanced technologically advanced civilization in the past we would find traces of it but what if an alien civilization wiped out traces of human civilization? It would explain why we only find a few evidence in the present day.

They didn't purposely get into conflict with the forerunners. The humans were trying to save the galaxy from the flood, destroying any sentient life near the Flood. The ancient humans killed billions of forerunners on one planet alone. This caused humans to fight a 2 front war. They lost. Once the forerunners figured out what the humans were actually doing it was too late for the humans and for the forerunners. The forerunners then created the rings to genocide all sentient life in order to starve and destroy the flood. They reseeded each race with a downgraded pre-sentient version hoping someday they would re-evolve. The human case though was a more lienent punishment, as some forerunners wanted the race to go extinct, while some saved a few and reseeded a weak version on earth.
Why The humans did not or could not properly tell the forerunners what was happening is something I do not know.