Doug Jones talks about his species in EW

[Sakonna]

Eh. Still not convinced of the whole "sense the coming of death"-schtick. Depends how they are doing it. Ominous feelings of danger by superhuman observation is okay. If it's precise pregognition of death it needs to get the hell out of scifi and into the fantasy realm. Sadly, current signs point to the latter...

I dunno, I feel like Trek already has laid the groundwork for this. The anomaly in "All Good Things" -- Q's whole challenge to Picard in that was getting him to open his mind to the possibility that events can resonate backwards in time, not just forwards. There's also Guinan's perceptual abilities across time and space and parallel timelines -- I don't see why a universe where that is believable couldn't also support a being that can sense impending death (though it would create some Troi-style obstacles for the writers).

His line in the trailer "My people were biologically determined for one purpose alone...to sense the coming of death" could easily refer to having a heightened sense of survival that makes them more aware than the average human when certain situations are dangerous.

It might have everything to do with gathering all information at hand and determining risk factors and might have nothing at all to do with a supernatural sixth sense.

That being said, I think this interpretation of the line is probably the correct one.

 

[Anglachel]

They were faster. In "That Which Survives", the Enterprise is able to cover a thousand light-years in roughly twelve hours. In The Final Frontier, they were able to get from Earth to Nimbus III then to the center of the galaxy in a few hours. In "Where No One Has Gone Before", Data quotes travel times that would have the Enterprise-D travelling ten thousand light-years per year.

Distance has never stood in the way of a Trek story.

The historical records edited out those parts.

 

[Anglachel]

Also, I'm guessing Lt. Saru's planet isn't a member of the Federation; with one species hunting the other and all.

There just seems to be so many stories that can be explored there.

 

[Mudd]

Funny, he didn't appear psychotic or otherwise insane.

He wasn't laughing.

 

[RAMA]

Wonder if they're connected to Tosk from DS9's "Captive Pursuit"?

No, Tosk were bred for prey but in the context of a hunt. Kelpiens seem to have evolved naturally as a secondary, weaker species.

 

[JamesRye]

..the ability to sense immediate mortal peril.

Hrm. That’s...not a thing. “Mortal peril” does not emit unique energy signatures that can be detected with a specialized sense. Having heightened senses beyond the human (or other alien) norm, the ability to detect some other portion of the electromagnetic spectrum or some other fundamental force such as gravity, even an instinctive ability to interpolate fragmentary data from the environment to gain an impression of danger - okay, sure, fine. But “sensing mortal peril” is not something a species in an ostensibly science fiction show should be able to do

He senses what, his own death? Or other people’s?

Other people are dying…like…all the time. So yeah, I can sense death too. Some’s dying right…now. And now. Big whoop. Great superpower. You’re Bono.

If he’s sensing his own death then presumably he’s going to be wrong in every episode except one. Again, that’s a stupid power.

So, he has evolved to sense death. How can that happen – scientifically speaking. What is the sensory input? Dogs can sense cancer in their owner through smell. Touch can reveal much as can sound and sight. How would such a sense work in the vacuum of space. Is Star Trek hard science fiction or just space adventure?

Hopefully Saru is speaking metaphorically in the trailer. He’s not really sensing death in their situation, but is inferring it from the evidence to hand.

Clutches desperately at straws…

 

[JasonJ]

..the ability to sense immediate mortal peril.

Hrm. That’s...not a thing. “Mortal peril” does not emit unique energy signatures that can be detected with a specialized sense. Having heightened senses beyond the human (or other alien) norm, the ability to detect some other portion of the electromagnetic spectrum or some other fundamental force such as gravity, even an instinctive ability to interpolate fragmentary data from the environment to gain an impression of danger - okay, sure, fine. But “sensing mortal peril” is not something a species in an ostensibly science fiction show should be able to do

He senses what, his own death? Or other people’s?

Other people are dying…like…all the time. So yeah, I can sense death too. Some’s dying right…now. And now. Big whoop. Great superpower. You’re Bono.

If he’s sensing his own death then presumably he’s going to be wrong in every episode except one. Again, that’s a stupid power.

So, he has evolved to sense death. How can that happen – scientifically speaking. What is the sensory input? Dogs can sense cancer in their owner through smell. Touch can reveal much as can sound and sight. How would such a sense work in the vacuum of space. Is Star Trek hard science fiction or just space adventure?

Hopefully Saru is speaking metaphorically in the trailer. He’s not really sensing death in their situation, but is inferring it from the evidence to hand.

Clutches desperately at straws…

While you're not super wrong here about how the science and biology of it works, I think you should be open the idea that perhaps the writers are introducing concepts of ESP, psyonic powers, or perhaps even abilities that reach into the supernatural or even into the spiritual realm. That would be an interesting, if not dangerous, road to take. But it would "explain" how Saru "senses death" approaching. Perhaps he has an energy connection with "The Force" some Trek-equivalent not yet explored that allows him to sense a future outcome. I don't know. No one does except in the minds of his creators. So I guess we'll see how that goes.

 

[cultcross]

I doubt it will be anything more supernatural than a heightened version of a prey species' survival instinct. Raised awareness of surroundings and perception of risk. A bit like you might expect your traditional Vulcan to be able to logically analyse a situation better than the Galactic average.

 

[Ovation]

Is Star Trek hard science fiction or just space adventure?

It's always been space adventure (with the occasional nod to "hard science").

 

[JasonJ]

I doubt it will be anything more supernatural than a heightened version of a prey species' survival instinct. Raised awareness of surroundings and perception of risk. A bit like you might expect your traditional Vulcan to be able to logically analyse a situation better than the Galactic average.

Honestly, I don't think they'll address the "how" at all. I don't need them to, personally. But if I had to come up with something, based on what we already know in-universe, I'd say that his species has evolved a connection to or perception of the space-time continuum, similar to what El Aurians like Guinan have demonstrated, that allows them to sense a death or loss of life like event being imminent.

 

[cultcross]

Like a million voices crying out in terror, and then suddenly silenced?

 

[EyalM]

Honestly, I don't think they'll address the "how" at all. I don't need them to, personally. But if I had to come up with something, based on what we already know in-universe, I'd say that his species has evolved a connection to or perception of the space-time continuum, similar to what El Aurians like Guinan have demonstrated, that allows them to sense a death or loss of life like event being imminent.

This raises some paradoxical issues. If you sense death is about to happen, and you take action to avoid it, then there is no death to trigger your "death sense" to begin with.....

 

[JasonJ]

This raises some paradoxical issues. If you sense death is about to happen, and you take action to avoid it, then there is no death to trigger you "death sense" to begin with.....

Absolutely correct. It also raises questions about free will, predestination, and self-fulfilling paradoxes as well. What if whatever you do to avoid death is what ultimately causes it? Is death the only thing that is unavoidable, pre-determined in some way? How is this so? If it is not, and death can be skirted, or prevented until a later time, how is that it can be sensed at all? Does he only sense a possible death approaching? An event that may likely result in deaths? Who's death? General death or death specifically of a person or group? Only for his own species?

Lots to think about on that one.

 

[Mudd]

Not much about Data made sense if you took the notion that he was a machine at all seriously. I realized that while watching "Datalore" when it first ran.

 

[Ganderplus]

Is anybody else more curious about the predator species? Are we talking about another sentient biped here? Or like...Dragons?

 

[JasonJ]

Is anybody else more curious about the predator species? Are we talking about another sentient biped here? Or like...Dragons?

Dude... if it's dragons, or snake-clowns, I'm all in.

If it's anything like the Yuatja, but not a blatent rip off, it would make for some interesting story too. I could see a mini-war/liberation of the Kelpiens story arc...

 

[Mr Awe]

The basis behind the character is fascinating. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it plays out. While the ability to sense impending death is interesting and grabbing attention, I also wonder about his other characteristics. How does an intelligent prey species behave? That foundation could produce a unique ST species--a type that hasn't really been explored in depth before. It's a great idea but, as always, it depends on the execution. But, it sounds like there's a lot of potential for this character to provide a different viewpoint rather than just "I sense death."

 

[EyalM]

I wonder if the predator species is still around.
If the predators are non sentient, than the prey should have dealt with the issue once they developed tools (weapons\defenses). In this case, the prey mentality might be left over instincts due to the race's history.
If the predators are sentient, then both sides can use tools and it's up to which species is more adapt tool maker. But this opens up a whole can of worms about sentient beings eating other sentient beings.

 

[cultcross]

Not much about Data made sense if you took the notion that he was a machine at all seriously. I realized that while watching "Datalore" when it first ran.

The 'emotionless' android who had all the emotions? Yeah, he made very little sense. The contractions thing bugged me for years. He can perfectly imitate Picard but isn't able to say "can't"?

 

[JamesRye]

His eyes should be on the sides of his head - like other prey species. I know he's an alien and all, but there's a very good reason why deer and bunnies have eyes there as it gives a wide field of views.

I hope it's not that Saru has some crazy psionic powers.
Science writer Martin Gardner wrote that the study of psionics is "even funnier than dianetics or Ray Palmer's Shaver stories" Roddenberry also seems to dissaprove, despite many TOS stories featuring such powers, in TNG, he banned stories about psi-forces or psychic powers," "swords and sorcery," "mad scientists, or stories in which technology is considered the villain."
Source:
http://leethomson.myzen.co.uk/Star_...ion/Star_Trek_-_The_Next_Generation_Bible.pdf

Mind you, in that same document, he didn't want Trek to be about war or battles - so yeah - the writers and producers have already disregarded his comments regarding what Trek should and should not focus on.