Drake’s Function: ET Expert Praises Spore

by Andrew Podolsky on September 5, 2008 at 11:03 am

We may have no idea what real aliens might look like, but some of us have a better idea than others. In a planetarium presentation that touched on Yoda, Alf, E.T. and xenomorphs, Spore creator Will Wright and extraterrestrial expert Frank Drake discussed their backgrounds, both personal and professional, and why Spore is the game that will inspire a generation of space cadets.

At the soon-to-be-opened California Academy of Sciences, set in the center of Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, EA held a black tie and feathers/spikes/wings soiree to celebrate the launch of Spore.

Will Wright’s speech, for the most part, focused on his own background and inspiration for making Spore, which is a story we’ve heard a bit about already (see David Jaffe’s recent video blog about how good intentions don’t guarantee a good game). Frank Drake’s talk was more impressive, if only because he doesn’t seem to care much about videogames, but was somehow convinced to whip up his own creature in Spore.

Drake’s creation, based on what he considers to be the most successful aspects of homo sapien combined with a few of his own ideas, is a tall, green, two mouthed, three eyed, four armed monster called “super sapien”. Like us, it can stand on two feet, keeping its head up high and away from danger. Unlike us, it has chlorophyll in its skin, a third eye in the back of its head, some extra limbs (for bringing in the groceries), and a second mouth directly over the stomach to avoid death by choking.

Drake’s a brilliant astronomer and theoretician who came up with the famous Drake Equation, and watching him play with Spore’s creature creator was amusing. He seemed genuinely convinced that Spore will influence a generation of kids to the wonders of science, but part of his argument was that modern science fiction doesn’t inspire kids, and that videogames that are not scientifically-based are not helping kids to become more creative.

While games like Spore, The Sims, and Sim City should be lauded for touching on aspects of science, sociology, and urban planning, other games offer academic value as well. I’ve learned a lot about tactics from playing Starcraft, history from Civilization, and the importance of the second amendment from Resident Evil 4. A lot of games have some scientific or historical basis, and even those that don’t (the dumb, fun, summer blockbusters of games) at least encourage creativity in the forms of art design, writing, and direction.

After the talk, we had a preview of the Academy’s stunning planetarium, which was hypnotic. Our “tour” of the universe included the solar system, Milky Way galaxy, and our nearby cluster of galaxies, all the way out to the Cosmic Background Radiation, or as it’s known in the scientific community, “God’s stinky fart”.

Spore, the next step in mankind’s quest for knowledge, comes out on Sunday.

Miscellaneous observations:

Private aside to the person with the digital camera and bright red flashbulb: When we’re all trying to enjoy the planetarium, STOP TAKING FLASH PHOTOGRAPHS EVERY TEN SECONDS, you inconsiderate asshat.

Also, some attendees were fascinated by the food, which is actually the exact wrong thing to focus on when you’re supposed to be evaluating videogames.

But hey, look, miniburgers! That was a cow once, right? Cows are animals, we eat them, it’s part of the great circle of life. It all ties together. Delicious food. Buy Spore.

Share This: