Queue Location

[Ekirä]

I've always imagined that the Na'vi neural tendrils would come out of their skull right around where our skulls have that upwards 'curve' at the base (I don't know what it's called ). And from looking at this handy diagram of an Avatar's skull, it looks like it does come out right there.

Spoiler

But then I was looking at Neytiri's queue and it looks like her tendrils come out of her head much higher up. I couldn't find a great picture, but this is the best I got.

Spoiler

Maybe it's just another difference between Avatar and Na'vi anatomy?

[Eyamsiyu]

Yeah, it's as you see.  I think this has already been discussed, but I'm not sure if you were here at LN.org when we covered it.

[Ekirä]

Yeah, it's as you see.  I think this has already been discussed, but I'm not sure if you were here at LN.org when we covered it.

Ngaytxoa. I didn't see it anywhere, so I thought I'd bring it up.

[Eyamsiyu]

Well, maybe mods cleaned out the old one.

But yes, it is a difference in the anatomy.  You are observant.

[Sireayä mokri]

Yeah, Na'vi have their queues begining at the top of their heads. Actually, when I first read about that I thought about "anatomy" of subtle body in Yoga - that's the top of the head where the energy channels end. Maybe there is really a connection here

[Eyamsiyu]

... Maybe there is really a connection here

HAHA, that's a knee slapper! *slaps elbow*

[Sireayä mokri]

HAHA, that's a knee slapper! *slaps elbow*

   Why I thought about it in the first place: Cameron said that Na'vi are blue because of Hindu gods (like Vishnu) so I think he could take something else from there

[Eyamsiyu]

... *whoosh* someone didn't get both jokes...

Anyway, yes, I do agree with that statement. 

[kewnya txamew'itan]

Alternatively, the queue might be a cultural thing to cover the tswin and is braided from higher up the head before the tswin joins it. In the picture of Neytiri there's something wrapped around her queue at about where the tswin would come out, maybe this is worn to protect the bare bit before it joins the queue. Or it could be a difference in anatomy. Occam's razor suggests the difference argument is more valid but to make a more accurate judgement we'd need to get a picture of the back of Jake's head (and, if possible, the other avatars) to compare against Neytiri.

[Eyamsiyu]

I can summarize this all in three words: only Cameron knows.

[Key'ìl Nekxetse]

And the artists who made the 3D models!

[Ekirä]

Alternatively, the queue might be a cultural thing to cover the tswin and is braided from higher up the head before the tswin joins it.

Yes, I did think of that. But what first made me notice the difference was when I was watching the SE, I saw her queue flying out behind her pretty high up on her head. I tried really hard to find where I saw it so I could take a screenshot, but I don't remember.....

[kewnya txamew'itan]

I haven't seen the SE yet so I am not in possession of all the facts.

[Ekirä]

I haven't seen the SE yet so I am not in possession of all the facts.

I don't think it was even in one of the added scenes, I only noticed it because it was in 3D and much better quality than my DVD.

[Zefanaya]

Well, maybe mods cleaned out the old one.

But yes, it is a difference in the anatomy.  You are observant.

If I recall I received a request from a mod to lock the thread, a few weeks after that I think it went down, when Seabass and the Admin team were doing some reorganizing. If the Biology thread is still in the archives you can find out more about the Queue (somone let me know what the Na'vi name for that part of the body is, my lexicon is out of date and my iPhone 4 (sucks) will not let me open the new .pdf of the lexicon)). Eywa ngahu.

[Muzer]

tswin

[Zefanaya]

tswin

Irayo.

[DutchNavi]

Alternatively, the queue might be a cultural thing to cover the tswin and is braided from higher up the head before the tswin joins it. In the picture of Neytiri there's something wrapped around her queue at about where the tswin would come out, maybe this is worn to protect the bare bit before it joins the queue.

Thank you kewnya txamew'itan, this seems to me the most likely explanation. Here is an example where you can see the place where the braid and tswin join:

Spoiler

     

It also doesn't seem logical for me that Avatars and Na'vi have different locations where their tswin enters the skull. A different location would mean that if an Avatar and a Na'vi make tsaheylu with each other, that their experience would be very different and probably wouldn't be a harmonious one.

[Eyamsiyu]

Well, there is the possibility that the brain stem of a Na'vi connects at a different part of the brain than the Avatar ones do...

Either way, the experience details may be different... but overall experience must have been the same...

[Zefanaya]

Well, there is the possibility that the brain stem of a Na'vi connects at a different part of the brain than the Avatar ones do...

Either way, the experience details may be different... but overall experience must have been the same...

It would make since that even thought the position is different it would be overall the same. If you move you Ethernet cable from one plug to another you get the same connection. I believe that e tswin or queue is lower on an Avatar because the mix if human DNA. In the

Spoiler

Grace death scene we saw that the let's call them roots that Eywa used to connect to here clustered together at the base of the skull, that is also one of the major nerve centers if I recall correctly, so in the Na'vi the major center could be closer to the top of the head.

Eywa ngahu.