Human: Difference between revisions

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|distinctions=

|lifespan=

|techlevel=~~Tier3~~ <ref name="bestiarum"/>

|techlevel=Tier 3 <ref name="bestiarum"/>

|notable-group=

*[[Unified Earth Government]]

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The 18th through 20th centuries were times of drastic change for countries known as the "Industrial Revolution". As an unintended result of major political and economic ramifications due to the rise of constitutional governments and refined capitalist resource management techniques, important inventions such as the automobile, electrical devices like the radio, and aircraft went into widespread use at previously unheard of rates for human innovations. Revolutionary progress in humanity's understanding of medicine and chemistry was also being made during this era of turning points. Such important chemical engineering advancements included anesthesia which dramatically enhanced all surgical practices, and plastics that could cheaply fulfill an enormous amount of material roles (with the better preservation of food being one of its greatest functions). Prior to such chemical and medical advances, average humans at the beginning of this time span could expect a lifespan of approximately 45 years, but towards its end, thanks to the introduction of antibiotics and other medicines combined with better food production and preservation, the age-old scourge of widespread plague and starvation was becoming virtually a thing of the past, and enabling people to live well beyond 80 and even into 100 years of age.

Essentially, ~~Mankind~~ was growing ever more efficient in how it applied itself to previous sciences and arts, and the art of the military would prove no exception to this pattern. There would be a rapid change in armed conflicts, starkly different from the primitive melee-oriented wars of the past; after two massive [[World War II|wars]] within the first 50 years of the 20th century, humanity saw the invention of such technologies as superior firearms and automatic weapons, [[radar]], tanks, missiles, jet engines, and ultimately the [[Nuclear weapon|atomic bomb]], which became the most powerful weapon then known. Atomic bombs ultimately led to nuclear warheads, which eventually became key components in human arsenals in the brutal war against the Covenant.

Essentially, mankind was growing ever more efficient in how it applied itself to previous sciences and arts, and the art of the military would prove no exception to this pattern. There would be a rapid change in armed conflicts, starkly different from the primitive melee-oriented wars of the past; after two massive [[World War II|wars]] within the first 50 years of the 20th century, humanity saw the invention of such technologies as superior firearms and automatic weapons, [[radar]], tanks, missiles, jet engines, and ultimately the [[Nuclear weapon|atomic bomb]], which became the most powerful weapon then known. Atomic bombs ultimately led to nuclear warheads, which eventually became key components in human arsenals in the brutal war against the Covenant.

[[File:United Nations.png|thumb|250px|The [[United Nations]] would become the architect of the consolidation of humanity under the Unified Earth Government.]]

In the next 60 years the superpower nations of the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (succeeded by the Commonwealth of Independent States) became highly competitive, leading to a period of military and cultural tension known as the "Cold War"; an arms race by which the lethality of humanity's relatively new warfare technologies would be further refined upon in their destructive potential and precision, complimented with ever evolving battlefield doctrines and tactics as both nations sought to intimidate the other, with the newly developed nuclear weapons playing a large part in this period. In the 1950s, the Soviet Union launched the earliest satellite and sent the first human, Yuri Gagarin, into space, officially making humans spacefaring and entering Tier 5 in the [[Technological Achievement Tiers]]. The United States successfully placed the first human, Neil Armstrong, on [[Luna|the Moon]], and eventually surpassed the Soviet Union's spacefaring and military production capabilities, leaving their doctrines as the ones that would heavily influence the [[UNSC]] in later centuries.

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===Anatomy and physiology===

[[File:1226010015 Humans2.jpg|250px|thumb|The [[Sangheili]] [[Arbiter]], [[Thel 'Vadam]], and a number of humans, including [[SPARTAN-II]] [[John-117]].]]

Humans are mammals, and are closely related to other large apes on the planet [[Earth]]. Like all placental mammals, they are warm blooded and give birth to live offspring, and nourish their offspring with milk. They have five fingers, one being an opposable thumb. This hand structure aided them in making tools early in their history.

Humans are mammals, and are closely related to other large apes on the planet [[Earth]]. Like all placental mammals, they are warm-blooded and give birth to live offspring, and nourish their offspring with milk. They have five fingers, one being an opposable thumb. This hand structure aided them in making tools early in their history.

Unlike [[Sangheili]], their circulatory system is closed and consists of one heart and a network of [[blood]] vessels. They have red blood due to their iron-based hemoglobin, as well as two lungs which breathe mainly a nitrogen-oxygen based atmosphere. Externally they have more hair than most Covenant species, but not nearly as much as [[Jiralhanae]]. They have an average sense of sight, but compared to Covenant species a poor sense of hearing and smell. They are omnivorous, meaning that they will eat both meats and plants, as well as consume high [[calcium]] foods, such as the milk of other animals.

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===Forerunner connections===

Although ~~humans~~ and [[Forerunner]]s exhibit a number of anatomical and physical similarities, they ~~are distinct species and not genetically related, having~~ evolved independently on different worlds. However, the Forerunners themselves were intrigued by the similarities between their own race and humanity. Because of their similarities, some Forerunner scholars theorized that humans were a kindred species, created by the [[Precursor]]s in their own image, just as the Forerunners believed themselves to be.<ref name="cryptum"/>

Although the human and [[Forerunner]] genera exhibit a number of anatomical and physical similarities, they evolved independently on different worlds and are not genetically related. However, the Forerunners themselves were intrigued by the similarities between their own race and humanity. Because of their similarities, some Forerunner scholars theorized that humans were a kindred species, created by the [[Precursor]]s in their own image, just as the Forerunners believed themselves to be.<ref name="cryptum"/>

The Forerunners chose humans to become the inheritors of their technology along with Forerunners' sacred [[Mantle]], which they formerly believed to have inherited from the Precursors. The Forerunners re-encoded certain aspects of their technology (e.g. the [[activation index]]) to only respond to human DNA to stop their advanced technology getting into the hands of other races. In a mixture of guilt and hope, they passed the torch to humanity, in hope that in the future they would defeat the Flood again, which with some help, [[John-117]] did. The [[Librarian]] imprinted the human race with a [[geas]], a pattern of information hidden deep in the genetic code and passed on throughout generations.<ref name="cryptum"/> According to the Librarian, this imprint triggered the development of many technologies which proved critical to the survival of humanity after their contact with the Covenant, as well as containing several latent abilities.<ref>'''Halo 4''', campaign level ''[[Reclaimer (level)|Reclaimer]]''</ref> This may also explain the "natural" understanding of Forerunner interfaces some humans have demonstrated despite having no prior contact with Forerunner technology.<ref>'''Halo: The Flood''', ''page 84''</ref> Latent human memories and patterns extracted during the [[Conservation Measure]] were also implanted into the genetic code of future human generations.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 57''</ref><ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 379''</ref>

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On a superficial level, human culture has changed little since the 21st century. As before, humanity remains multicultural amongst its still marginally independent [[national government|nations]] on both [[Earth]] and the [[human colonies|colonies]], although on the whole it has been heavily influenced from what was once thought of as [[Wikipedia:Western culture|Western culture]]. The United Nations Space Command, in particular, draws heavily from the former [[Wikipedia:United States|United States of America]] in terms of military practices and tradition, combined with the continued adoption of [[English]] as humanity's ''lingua franca'', although [[:Category:Languages|other languages]] remain in use among human populations. Humans also continue to practice a number of [[religion]]s, although apart from several exceptions faith is largely considered a personal matter.

The UNSC's predominance casts a distinct air of militarism on most of humanity; military service and heroism are glorified to great lengths by UNSC propaganda, as well as the media~~; while~~ the press evidently enjoys some degree of freedom,<ref>'''[[Noble Team performance reports]]''' — ''Emile-A239''</ref> the media is heavily regulated by [[Office of Naval Intelligence#Section Two|ONI's Section II]]. The UNSC adopted its policy media control after the [[Inner Colony Wars]], when sensationalist news reports of the conflict spread mass panic and threatened to dismantle Earth's culture.<ref>'''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]''', ''[[Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa]]''</ref> This aspect of humanity strengthened with the UNSC's establishment as humanity's emergency government and the unfolding of the Human-Covenant War, and shows little signs of fading following the end of the war. These practices, combined with the UNSC's policy with the colonies, have elicited accusations of totalitarianism in elements of the population, and are often pointed out by [[Insurrectionist|colonial secessionists]] in their own propaganda.

The UNSC's predominance casts a distinct air of militarism on most of humanity; military service and heroism are glorified to great lengths by UNSC propaganda, as well as the media. While the press evidently enjoys some degree of freedom,<ref>'''[[Noble Team performance reports]]''' — ''Emile-A239''</ref> the media is heavily regulated by [[Office of Naval Intelligence#Section Two|ONI's Section II]]. The UNSC adopted its policy media control after the [[Inner Colony Wars]], when sensationalist news reports of the conflict spread mass panic and threatened to dismantle Earth's culture.<ref>'''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]''', ''[[Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa]]''</ref> This aspect of humanity strengthened with the UNSC's establishment as humanity's emergency government and the unfolding of the Human-Covenant War, and shows little signs of fading following the end of the war. These practices, combined with the UNSC's policy with the colonies, have elicited accusations of totalitarianism in elements of the population, and are often pointed out by [[Insurrectionist|colonial secessionists]] in their own propaganda.

Much like the cultural changes wrought by the colonization of the Earth in the past, space colonization has its own unpredictable effects on the cultures of colonial populations. While some colony worlds are multicultural from the beginning, others receive the majority of their colonists from a given region or nation on Earth, which often makes its own mark on the development of the colony's own culture. As populations settle new worlds, cultures distort and sometimes amalgamate; however, it is common for the locals to consciously hold on to their Earth cultural heritage. This often takes the form of naming the colony world's locales after the native region or local mythology of its inhabitants. Examples of such worlds include [[Reach]], colonized by Hungarian settlers, [[Madrigal]], with its predominantly Hispanic population, or [[Harvest]], which fashioned its culture after the [[URNA|American]]-[[Scandinavia]]n ancestry of the majority of its colonists. Over time, colonial cultures tend to retain several very conspicuous traits of their roots while others are forgotten or altered; cultures essentially become "parodies" of what they used to be.<ref>'''Halo: Mortal Dictata''', ''page 13''</ref> Meanwhile, many of the Outer Colonies, especially those with settlers from highly varied and unregulated backgrounds,<ref name="history">'''Halo: Evolutions''', "The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole", ''page 428-429''</ref> appear as more chaotic hodgepodges of cultures with no single distinct origin culture in evidence. This has become all the more pronounced on independent worlds such as [[Venezia]] after the Human-Covenant War as former client species of the Covenant intermingle with the local human populations.<ref>'''Halo: Mortal Dictata'''</ref>

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[[File:H4 Skyline.png|thumb|250px|The city of [[Mindoro]] on the human colony of [[Cascade]].]]

Having possessed [[slipspace]] travel for over two centuries, humanity's sphere of influence has expanded to cover a sizable region of space surrounding their [[Sol system|home system]]. These colonies are roughly divided amongst the [[Inner Colonies]] and [[Outer Colonies]]; the former consisting of the 210 worlds colonized between [[2362]] and [[2390]], and the Outer Colonies encompassing all colonies established afterward. At its height, around the [[2490]]'s, human space encompassed 800 worlds, ranging from thriving hubs of commerce and military to various lesser worlds which mostly existed to provide the core worlds with resources and foodstuffs, as well as yet smaller outposts and settlements.<ref name="xbox"/>

Having possessed [[slipspace]] travel for over two centuries, humanity's sphere of influence has expanded to cover a sizable region of space surrounding their [[Sol system|home system]]. These colonies are roughly divided amongst the [[Inner Colonies]] and [[Outer Colonies]]; the former consisting of the 210 worlds colonized between [[2362]] and [[2390]], and the Outer Colonies encompassing all colonies established afterward. At its height, around the [[2490]]'s, human space encompassed 800 worlds, ranging from thriving hubs of commerce and military to various lesser worlds which mostly existed to provide the core worlds with resources and foodstuffs, as well as yet smaller outposts and settlements. A significant number of these worlds were [[glassing|glassed]] by the Covenant over the course of the Human-Covenant War.<ref name="xbox"/>

While all colonies are formally represented equally within the [[Unified Earth Government]], the true power is often perceived to rest on the Inner Colonies and Earth. This has led to widespread separatism and even [[Insurrection|civil war]], and many Outer Colonies have declared themselves independent from the UEG over the decades. Because many of the colonies are invaluable to the core worlds due to the resources they produce, the UEG has historically sought to maintain its control over them by any means necessary, including military intervention, which in turn provoked the colonial ~~secessionists~~ all the more.<ref name="xbox"/>

While all colonies are formally represented equally within the [[Unified Earth Government]], the true power is often perceived to rest on the Inner Colonies and Earth. This has led to widespread separatism and even [[Insurrection|civil war]], and many Outer Colonies have declared themselves independent from the UEG over the decades. Because many of the colonies are invaluable to the core worlds due to the resources they produce, the UEG has historically sought to maintain its control over them by any means necessary, including military intervention, which in turn provoked the colonial insurgents all the more.<ref name="xbox"/>

===Population===

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Prior to the [[human-Forerunner wars]], humanity had [[Prehistoric human civilization|achieved]] a remarkably advanced technological state, having developed interstellar travel, colonized thousands of worlds outside of their solar system,<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 129''</ref> and even having an understanding of [[Precursor]] technology. However, all records and examples of this former technology were obliterated following their war with the Forerunners. Humanity managed to develop rudimentary technology such as steam power roughly nine thousand years after their defeat.<ref name="cryptum"/> Unfortunately, this technological and cultural development proved to be in vain: during a phase after the [[Conservation Measure]]'s [[reintroduction]] stage, aptly termed as the [[dark time]],<ref name="bestiarum"/> the species regressed back into hunter-gatherers for over 90,000 years until the development of the modern human civilizations first began.

In early stages, human technology and knowledge advanced through simple trial and error in an inefficient manner, hampering faster progress. Although humans had developed writing very early on in their history, it ~~wasn't~~ until the invention of printing that information and ideas could be mass-communicated in an effective manner. The development of the scientific method in later conjunction with improved and more efficient capitalistic resource management techniques during the lessons of the [[Wikipedia:Industrial Revolution|Industrial Revolution]] resulted in stark accelerations in the development of technologies and the acquisition of knowledge. New technologies were experimented and explored with advanced knowledge of underlying principles as talented individuals were better organized and better supplied, allowing extremely accurate and fast improvements to be made with minimized trials and costs. Such methods of thought and organization are a hallmark of humanity which differs from the Covenant who, lacking proper researching methods, would simply copy and reverse-engineer technology from ancient Forerunner artifacts via the [[Huragok]], whilst generally having no understanding of the underlying concepts themselves. Thus it it was said that the Covenant are "imitative" while the humans are "innovative" as the war progressed.<ref>'''Halo: The Flood''', ''page 132''</ref>

In early stages, human technology and knowledge advanced through simple trial and error in an inefficient manner, hampering faster progress. Although humans had developed writing very early on in their history, it was not until the invention of printing that information and ideas could be mass-communicated in an effective manner. The development of the scientific method in later conjunction with improved and more efficient capitalistic resource management techniques during the lessons of the [[Wikipedia:Industrial Revolution|Industrial Revolution]] resulted in stark accelerations in the development of technologies and the acquisition of knowledge. New technologies were experimented and explored with advanced knowledge of underlying principles as talented individuals were better organized and better supplied, allowing extremely accurate and fast improvements to be made with minimized trials and costs. Such methods of thought and organization are a hallmark of humanity which differs from the Covenant who, lacking proper researching methods, would simply copy and reverse-engineer technology from ancient Forerunner artifacts via the [[Huragok]], whilst generally having no understanding of the underlying concepts themselves. Thus it it was said that the Covenant are "imitative" while the humans are "innovative" as the war progressed.<ref>'''Halo: The Flood''', ''page 132''</ref>

By the 26th century, human technology has not advanced equally for every concept previously explored. The most basic technologies (such as the ballistic weaponry and the wheel) have undergone few principal changes, the explanation for this being their proven reliability over centuries of use. The technology worked and so did not require heavy alteration or major changes. However, certain significant advancements have been made in other fields, such as [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]]s that allow ships to reach other star systems, as well as the creation of highly sophisticated [[Artificial intelligence|AI]]s that can serve to fulfill a versatile amount of roles. In addition, humans have also developed various forms of [[nanotechnology]] which allows many advances impossible with conventional engineering.

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Although the UNSC still relies heavily on human combatants, [[:Category:UNSC drones|robotic drones]] are used in combat to a certain extent, often providing fire support or [[bee-net|real-time reconnaissance]] on the battlefield. Examples of UNSC drones include the [[F-99 Wombat]], the [[MAKO drone|MAKO]] and [[ARGUS drone]]s.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 16''</ref>

In civilian society, automated systems—sometimes controlled by the subprocesses of a larger ~~AI such as the [[Superintendent]]—have~~ found uses in [[roadware|piloting civilian vehicles]] as well as performing most manual labor in [[JOTUN Heavy Industries|agriculture]] and industry~~, sometimes in a planetary scale (such as [[Mack]]'s management of [[Harvest]]'s agricultural operations)~~.<ref>'''Halo Encyclopedia''', ''page 42'' (2011)</ref>

In civilian society, automated systems—sometimes controlled by the subprocesses of a larger AI—have found uses in [[roadware|piloting civilian vehicles]] as well as performing most manual labor in [[JOTUN Heavy Industries|agriculture]] and industry.<ref>'''Halo Encyclopedia''', ''page 42'' (2011)</ref> The scale of AI-driven automation ranges from single cities to entire worlds; the former sometimes operated by a "dumb" AI such as the [[Superintendent]] while "smart" AI [[Mack]]'s oversight of [[Harvest]]'s agricultural operations is an example of the latter.

===Medical advances and biotechnology===

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@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 |distinctions=
 |lifespan=
-|techlevel=Tier3 <ref name="bestiarum"/>
+|techlevel=Tier 3 <ref name="bestiarum"/>
 |notable-group=
 *[[Unified Earth Government]]
@@ Line 63: / Line 63: @@
 The 18th through 20th centuries were times of drastic change for countries known as the "Industrial Revolution". As an unintended result of major political and economic ramifications due to the rise of constitutional governments and refined capitalist resource management techniques, important inventions such as the automobile, electrical devices like the radio, and aircraft went into widespread use at previously unheard of rates for human innovations. Revolutionary progress in humanity's understanding of medicine and chemistry was also being made during this era of turning points. Such important chemical engineering advancements included anesthesia which dramatically enhanced all surgical practices, and plastics that could cheaply fulfill an enormous amount of material roles (with the better preservation of food being one of its greatest functions). Prior to such chemical and medical advances, average humans at the beginning of this time span could expect a lifespan of approximately 45 years, but towards its end, thanks to the introduction of antibiotics and other medicines combined with better food production and preservation, the age-old scourge of widespread plague and starvation was becoming virtually a thing of the past, and enabling people to live well beyond 80 and even into 100 years of age.
-Essentially, Mankind was growing ever more efficient in how it applied itself to previous sciences and arts, and the art of the military would prove no exception to this pattern. There would be a rapid change in armed conflicts, starkly different from the primitive melee-oriented wars of the past; after two massive [[World War II|wars]] within the first 50 years of the 20th century, humanity saw the invention of such technologies as superior firearms and automatic weapons, [[radar]], tanks, missiles, jet engines, and ultimately the [[Nuclear weapon|atomic bomb]], which became the most powerful weapon then known. Atomic bombs ultimately led to nuclear warheads, which eventually became key components in human arsenals in the brutal war against the Covenant.
+Essentially, mankind was growing ever more efficient in how it applied itself to previous sciences and arts, and the art of the military would prove no exception to this pattern. There would be a rapid change in armed conflicts, starkly different from the primitive melee-oriented wars of the past; after two massive [[World War II|wars]] within the first 50 years of the 20th century, humanity saw the invention of such technologies as superior firearms and automatic weapons, [[radar]], tanks, missiles, jet engines, and ultimately the [[Nuclear weapon|atomic bomb]], which became the most powerful weapon then known. Atomic bombs ultimately led to nuclear warheads, which eventually became key components in human arsenals in the brutal war against the Covenant.
 [[File:United Nations.png|thumb|250px|The [[United Nations]] would become the architect of the consolidation of humanity under the Unified Earth Government.]]
 In the next 60 years the superpower nations of the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (succeeded by the Commonwealth of Independent States) became highly competitive, leading to a period of military and cultural tension known as the "Cold War"; an arms race by which the lethality of humanity's relatively new warfare technologies would be further refined upon in their destructive potential and precision, complimented with ever evolving battlefield doctrines and tactics as both nations sought to intimidate the other, with the newly developed nuclear weapons playing a large part in this period. In the 1950s, the Soviet Union launched the earliest satellite and sent the first human, Yuri Gagarin, into space, officially making humans spacefaring and entering Tier 5 in the [[Technological Achievement Tiers]]. The United States successfully placed the first human, Neil Armstrong, on [[Luna|the Moon]], and eventually surpassed the Soviet Union's spacefaring and military production capabilities, leaving their doctrines as the ones that would heavily influence the [[UNSC]] in later centuries.
@@ Line 100: / Line 100: @@
 ===Anatomy and physiology===
 [[File:1226010015 Humans2.jpg|250px|thumb|The [[Sangheili]] [[Arbiter]], [[Thel 'Vadam]], and a number of humans, including [[SPARTAN-II]] [[John-117]].]]
-Humans are mammals, and are closely related to other large apes on the planet [[Earth]]. Like all placental mammals, they are warm blooded and give birth to live offspring, and nourish their offspring with milk. They have five fingers, one being an opposable thumb. This hand structure aided them in making tools early in their history.
+Humans are mammals, and are closely related to other large apes on the planet [[Earth]]. Like all placental mammals, they are warm-blooded and give birth to live offspring, and nourish their offspring with milk. They have five fingers, one being an opposable thumb. This hand structure aided them in making tools early in their history.
 Unlike [[Sangheili]], their circulatory system is closed and consists of one heart and a network of [[blood]] vessels. They have red blood due to their iron-based hemoglobin, as well as two lungs which breathe mainly a nitrogen-oxygen based atmosphere. Externally they have more hair than most Covenant species, but not nearly as much as [[Jiralhanae]]. They have an average sense of sight, but compared to Covenant species a poor sense of hearing and smell. They are omnivorous, meaning that they will eat both meats and plants, as well as consume high [[calcium]] foods, such as the milk of other animals.
@@ Line 110: / Line 110: @@
 ===Forerunner connections===
 {{Main|Reclaimer}}
-Although humans and [[Forerunner]]s exhibit a number of anatomical and physical similarities, they are distinct species and not genetically related, having evolved independently on different worlds. However, the Forerunners themselves were intrigued by the similarities between their own race and humanity. Because of their similarities, some Forerunner scholars theorized that humans were a kindred species, created by the [[Precursor]]s in their own image, just as the Forerunners believed themselves to be.<ref name="cryptum"/>
+Although the human and [[Forerunner]] genera exhibit a number of anatomical and physical similarities, they evolved independently on different worlds and are not genetically related. However, the Forerunners themselves were intrigued by the similarities between their own race and humanity. Because of their similarities, some Forerunner scholars theorized that humans were a kindred species, created by the [[Precursor]]s in their own image, just as the Forerunners believed themselves to be.<ref name="cryptum"/>
 The Forerunners chose humans to become the inheritors of their technology along with Forerunners' sacred [[Mantle]], which they formerly believed to have inherited from the Precursors. The Forerunners re-encoded certain aspects of their technology (e.g. the [[activation index]]) to only respond to human DNA to stop their advanced technology getting into the hands of other races. In a mixture of guilt and hope, they passed the torch to humanity, in hope that in the future they would defeat the Flood again, which with some help, [[John-117]] did. The [[Librarian]] imprinted the human race with a [[geas]], a pattern of information hidden deep in the genetic code and passed on throughout generations.<ref name="cryptum"/> According to the Librarian, this imprint triggered the development of many technologies which proved critical to the survival of humanity after their contact with the Covenant, as well as containing several latent abilities.<ref>'''Halo 4''', campaign level ''[[Reclaimer (level)|Reclaimer]]''</ref> This may also explain the "natural" understanding of Forerunner interfaces some humans have demonstrated despite having no prior contact with Forerunner technology.<ref>'''Halo: The Flood''', ''page 84''</ref> Latent human memories and patterns extracted during the [[Conservation Measure]] were also implanted into the genetic code of future human generations.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 57''</ref><ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 379''</ref>
@@ Line 119: / Line 119: @@
 On a superficial level, human culture has changed little since the 21st century. As before, humanity remains multicultural amongst its still marginally independent [[national government|nations]] on both [[Earth]] and the [[human colonies|colonies]], although on the whole it has been heavily influenced from what was once thought of as [[Wikipedia:Western culture|Western culture]]. The United Nations Space Command, in particular, draws heavily from the former [[Wikipedia:United States|United States of America]] in terms of military practices and tradition, combined with the continued adoption of [[English]] as humanity's ''lingua franca'', although [[:Category:Languages|other languages]] remain in use among human populations. Humans also continue to practice a number of [[religion]]s, although apart from several exceptions faith is largely considered a personal matter.
-The UNSC's predominance casts a distinct air of militarism on most of humanity; military service and heroism are glorified to great lengths by UNSC propaganda, as well as the media; while the press evidently enjoys some degree of freedom,<ref>'''[[Noble Team performance reports]]''' — ''Emile-A239''</ref> the media is heavily regulated by [[Office of Naval Intelligence#Section Two|ONI's Section II]]. The UNSC adopted its policy media control after the [[Inner Colony Wars]], when sensationalist news reports of the conflict spread mass panic and threatened to dismantle Earth's culture.<ref>'''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]''', ''[[Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa]]''</ref> This aspect of humanity strengthened with the UNSC's establishment as humanity's emergency government and the unfolding of the Human-Covenant War, and shows little signs of fading following the end of the war. These practices, combined with the UNSC's policy with the colonies, have elicited accusations of totalitarianism in elements of the population, and are often pointed out by [[Insurrectionist|colonial secessionists]] in their own propaganda.
+The UNSC's predominance casts a distinct air of militarism on most of humanity; military service and heroism are glorified to great lengths by UNSC propaganda, as well as the media. While the press evidently enjoys some degree of freedom,<ref>'''[[Noble Team performance reports]]''' — ''Emile-A239''</ref> the media is heavily regulated by [[Office of Naval Intelligence#Section Two|ONI's Section II]]. The UNSC adopted its policy media control after the [[Inner Colony Wars]], when sensationalist news reports of the conflict spread mass panic and threatened to dismantle Earth's culture.<ref>'''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]''', ''[[Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa]]''</ref> This aspect of humanity strengthened with the UNSC's establishment as humanity's emergency government and the unfolding of the Human-Covenant War, and shows little signs of fading following the end of the war. These practices, combined with the UNSC's policy with the colonies, have elicited accusations of totalitarianism in elements of the population, and are often pointed out by [[Insurrectionist|colonial secessionists]] in their own propaganda.
 Much like the cultural changes wrought by the colonization of the Earth in the past, space colonization has its own unpredictable effects on the cultures of colonial populations. While some colony worlds are multicultural from the beginning, others receive the majority of their colonists from a given region or nation on Earth, which often makes its own mark on the development of the colony's own culture. As populations settle new worlds, cultures distort and sometimes amalgamate; however, it is common for the locals to consciously hold on to their Earth cultural heritage. This often takes the form of naming the colony world's locales after the native region or local mythology of its inhabitants. Examples of such worlds include [[Reach]], colonized by Hungarian settlers, [[Madrigal]], with its predominantly Hispanic population, or [[Harvest]], which fashioned its culture after the [[URNA|American]]-[[Scandinavia]]n ancestry of the majority of its colonists. Over time, colonial cultures tend to retain several very conspicuous traits of their roots while others are forgotten or altered; cultures essentially become "parodies" of what they used to be.<ref>'''Halo: Mortal Dictata''', ''page 13''</ref> Meanwhile, many of the Outer Colonies, especially those with settlers from highly varied and unregulated backgrounds,<ref name="history">'''Halo: Evolutions''', "The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole", ''page 428-429''</ref> appear as more chaotic hodgepodges of cultures with no single distinct origin culture in evidence. This has become all the more pronounced on independent worlds such as [[Venezia]] after the Human-Covenant War as former client species of the Covenant intermingle with the local human populations.<ref>'''Halo: Mortal Dictata'''</ref>
@@ Line 126: / Line 126: @@
 [[File:H4 Skyline.png|thumb|250px|The city of [[Mindoro]] on the human colony of [[Cascade]].]]
 {{Main|Earth|Human colonies}}
-Having possessed [[slipspace]] travel for over two centuries, humanity's sphere of influence has expanded to cover a sizable region of space surrounding their [[Sol system|home system]]. These colonies are roughly divided amongst the [[Inner Colonies]] and [[Outer Colonies]]; the former consisting of the 210 worlds colonized between [[2362]] and [[2390]], and the Outer Colonies encompassing all colonies established afterward. At its height, around the [[2490]]'s, human space encompassed 800 worlds, ranging from thriving hubs of commerce and military to various lesser worlds which mostly existed to provide the core worlds with resources and foodstuffs, as well as yet smaller outposts and settlements.<ref name="xbox"/>
+Having possessed [[slipspace]] travel for over two centuries, humanity's sphere of influence has expanded to cover a sizable region of space surrounding their [[Sol system|home system]]. These colonies are roughly divided amongst the [[Inner Colonies]] and [[Outer Colonies]]; the former consisting of the 210 worlds colonized between [[2362]] and [[2390]], and the Outer Colonies encompassing all colonies established afterward. At its height, around the [[2490]]'s, human space encompassed 800 worlds, ranging from thriving hubs of commerce and military to various lesser worlds which mostly existed to provide the core worlds with resources and foodstuffs, as well as yet smaller outposts and settlements. A significant number of these worlds were [[glassing|glassed]] by the Covenant over the course of the Human-Covenant War.<ref name="xbox"/>
-While all colonies are formally represented equally within the [[Unified Earth Government]], the true power is often perceived to rest on the Inner Colonies and Earth. This has led to widespread separatism and even [[Insurrection|civil war]], and many Outer Colonies have declared themselves independent from the UEG over the decades. Because many of the colonies are invaluable to the core worlds due to the resources they produce, the UEG has historically sought to maintain its control over them by any means necessary, including military intervention, which in turn provoked the colonial secessionists all the more.<ref name="xbox"/>
+While all colonies are formally represented equally within the [[Unified Earth Government]], the true power is often perceived to rest on the Inner Colonies and Earth. This has led to widespread separatism and even [[Insurrection|civil war]], and many Outer Colonies have declared themselves independent from the UEG over the decades. Because many of the colonies are invaluable to the core worlds due to the resources they produce, the UEG has historically sought to maintain its control over them by any means necessary, including military intervention, which in turn provoked the colonial insurgents all the more.<ref name="xbox"/>
 ===Population===
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 Prior to the [[human-Forerunner wars]], humanity had [[Prehistoric human civilization|achieved]] a remarkably advanced technological state, having developed interstellar travel, colonized thousands of worlds outside of their solar system,<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 129''</ref> and even having an understanding of [[Precursor]] technology. However, all records and examples of this former technology were obliterated following their war with the Forerunners. Humanity managed to develop rudimentary technology such as steam power roughly nine thousand years after their defeat.<ref name="cryptum"/> Unfortunately, this technological and cultural development proved to be in vain: during a phase after the [[Conservation Measure]]'s [[reintroduction]] stage, aptly termed as the [[dark time]],<ref name="bestiarum"/> the species regressed back into hunter-gatherers for over 90,000 years until the development of the modern human civilizations first began.
-In early stages, human technology and knowledge advanced through simple trial and error in an inefficient manner, hampering faster progress. Although humans had developed writing very early on in their history, it wasn't until the invention of printing that information and ideas could be mass-communicated in an effective manner. The development of the scientific method in later conjunction with improved and more efficient capitalistic resource management techniques during the lessons of the [[Wikipedia:Industrial Revolution|Industrial Revolution]] resulted in stark accelerations in the development of technologies and the acquisition of knowledge. New technologies were experimented and explored with advanced knowledge of underlying principles as talented individuals were better organized and better supplied, allowing extremely accurate and fast improvements to be made with minimized trials and costs. Such methods of thought and organization are a hallmark of humanity which differs from the Covenant who, lacking proper researching methods, would simply copy and reverse-engineer technology from ancient Forerunner artifacts via the [[Huragok]], whilst generally having no understanding of the underlying concepts themselves. Thus it it was said that the Covenant are "imitative" while the humans are "innovative" as the war progressed.<ref>'''Halo: The Flood''', ''page 132''</ref>
+In early stages, human technology and knowledge advanced through simple trial and error in an inefficient manner, hampering faster progress. Although humans had developed writing very early on in their history, it was not until the invention of printing that information and ideas could be mass-communicated in an effective manner. The development of the scientific method in later conjunction with improved and more efficient capitalistic resource management techniques during the lessons of the [[Wikipedia:Industrial Revolution|Industrial Revolution]] resulted in stark accelerations in the development of technologies and the acquisition of knowledge. New technologies were experimented and explored with advanced knowledge of underlying principles as talented individuals were better organized and better supplied, allowing extremely accurate and fast improvements to be made with minimized trials and costs. Such methods of thought and organization are a hallmark of humanity which differs from the Covenant who, lacking proper researching methods, would simply copy and reverse-engineer technology from ancient Forerunner artifacts via the [[Huragok]], whilst generally having no understanding of the underlying concepts themselves. Thus it it was said that the Covenant are "imitative" while the humans are "innovative" as the war progressed.<ref>'''Halo: The Flood''', ''page 132''</ref>
 By the 26th century, human technology has not advanced equally for every concept previously explored. The most basic technologies (such as the ballistic weaponry and the wheel) have undergone few principal changes, the explanation for this being their proven reliability over centuries of use. The technology worked and so did not require heavy alteration or major changes. However, certain significant advancements have been made in other fields, such as [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]]s that allow ships to reach other star systems, as well as the creation of highly sophisticated [[Artificial intelligence|AI]]s that can serve to fulfill a versatile amount of roles. In addition, humans have also developed various forms of [[nanotechnology]] which allows many advances impossible with conventional engineering.
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 Although the UNSC still relies heavily on human combatants, [[:Category:UNSC drones|robotic drones]] are used in combat to a certain extent, often providing fire support or [[bee-net|real-time reconnaissance]] on the battlefield. Examples of UNSC drones include the [[F-99 Wombat]], the [[MAKO drone|MAKO]] and [[ARGUS drone]]s.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 16''</ref>
-In civilian society, automated systems—sometimes controlled by the subprocesses of a larger AI such as the [[Superintendent]]—have found uses in [[roadware|piloting civilian vehicles]] as well as performing most manual labor in [[JOTUN Heavy Industries|agriculture]] and industry, sometimes in a planetary scale (such as [[Mack]]'s management of [[Harvest]]'s agricultural operations).<ref>'''Halo Encyclopedia''', ''page 42'' (2011)</ref>
+In civilian society, automated systems—sometimes controlled by the subprocesses of a larger AI—have found uses in [[roadware|piloting civilian vehicles]] as well as performing most manual labor in [[JOTUN Heavy Industries|agriculture]] and industry.<ref>'''Halo Encyclopedia''', ''page 42'' (2011)</ref> The scale of AI-driven automation ranges from single cities to entire worlds; the former sometimes operated by a "dumb" AI such as the [[Superintendent]] while "smart" AI [[Mack]]'s oversight of [[Harvest]]'s agricultural operations is an example of the latter.
 ===Medical advances and biotechnology===