Human (Babylon 5)

Humans are one of the many races in the fictional Babylon 5 universe. Their homeworld is Earth. Humans are considered one of the younger races in the galaxy but is currently a Galactic Superpower.

Homeworld

In the television series Babylon 5 Earth is the homeworld of the Human race. Of the other worlds shown in detail in the series, Earth most closely resembles Centauri Prime, the home of the Centauri, both worlds having blue skies, large oceans and a few scattered continents as well as numerous islands of various sizes. While there are ice caps on Earth, they are much smaller than Minbar which has a generally cooler climate in comparison. However, like Minbar, Centauri Prime, and the Narn homeworld, the Earth has an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere. At the time when the series is set (between 2258 and 2262) the planet supports a population of 10 billion, with the capital located in Geneva, Switzerland.

Government

The Earth Alliance, founded in 2085, is the government of Earth and its colonies. Earthgov , the name of the government, is based on Earth in the capital city of Geneva. The head of their government is a president, and it has a legislative body called the Earth senate.

The transition of Earthgov from a democratic, post-war government to an authoritarian, millitaristic one is a major theme of the show. Series 2 shows the Earth Alliance getting involved in various disputes and millatry actions (see for example GROPOS and The Fall of Night. The crisis eventually comes in Series 3 when Babylon 5 becomes independent of Earthgov, leading to a confrontation between the station and an expeditionary force sent by President Clark (see Severed Dreams). Throughout Series 2 and 3 there are numerous allusions to George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty Four, such as the use of newspeak (as used by political officer Julie Musante in Voices_of_Authority), and the Ministry of Peace with its Nightwatch, essentially a brigade of spies and enforcers operating separately from traditional law enforcement.

Religion

One of the features of humanity that the show does highlight, and to some degree contrast with the alien civilizations, is the existence of a large number of religions, none of which can claim to be the dominant belief system (see the Season 1 episode, The Parliament of Dreams).

Biological

Humans in Babylon 5 are identical to humans of today, with one major difference: telepathic abilities appeared in humans around 2160 and exist in around 1 in 1,000 individuals. No verifiable telepaths were known before this time, and their sudden appearance may have been caused by interference at the genetic level by the Vorlons (see Z'ha'dum). About 1 in 10,000 telepaths also have telekinetic abilities as well, though half of such individuals are also insane (Mind War).

Throughout the series, humans are characterised by their adaptability, their willingness to form communities with other (i.e., alien) species, and their stubborness in the face of opposition, even overwhelming odds. Although the series is much less 'human-centric' than, say, Star Trek, with the Narns and Centauri in particular offering much of the drama and pathos that makes the series so compelling, there is still an element of 'humans are special' in places. The link between human and Minbari souls is one manifestation of this, and another is the revelation that humans acquire First One status some time in the next million years (shown in the Season 4 episode, The Deconstruction of Falling Stars).

While not the strongest of species, humans are much tougher animals than are usually credited. Humans can go days without water and weeks without food. They can survive cold temperatures to a far greater degree than other races such as the Drazi , or high temperature environments that would kill a Minbari in as little as a day. Their ability to adapt is probably the human race's most powerful genetic trait.