At the same time, it suggests that their names really are so alien that no English equivalent is possible. Naming them all the same makes it clear the names are arbitrary. Key to this mentality is scrip , which makes selection for fitness a democratic social function. The institution of scrip is largely what shapes how this society is structured. The mentality associated with Gennie is also distinguished by seeing itself as a product primarily of genes.
Self knowledge is seen as coming primarily out of knowledge of ones genetic inheritance.
Genome All the genetic code of a species, including all variations between individuals. The World Figure Gennie represents the idea that their genomes code for living creatures entirely, including us. Geos Geos is the first of the World Figures to be discovered. Geos represents early nineteenth century Lyellian geology, which is not really a product of evolutionary processes but deserves note for its important role in leading to Darwin's theories about the origin of species. Our technology collapses and is lost forever.