Language TRANSLATOR patent?

Nah, I think it only pertains to communicating with other human beings.

Well, one would think... but it must be in the timeline for a reason? I never looked at the nationality makeup of the crew, but is it possible that one of them would need this?

OH absolutely! Weyland is a massive global company that controls everything. Also that timeline I think that time line was more of a way to illustrate just how massive and advanced Weyland is. Whats really neat on there is the FTL (faster than light technology). I want to learn more about that.

That seems a headlong rush to a very specific conclusion..... It might be a mistake to interpret that Timeline as some kind of play-by-play outline of key points in the movie and that, just because issues are mentioned there, they will necessarily make an appearance – and that, if they do, it is with any great significance. I doubt that very much. 1 or 2 things that may have importance - and many, many others that have very little in terms of direct influence on the plot. I think, for the most part, it is all additional setting of background and tone with the aim of providing additional immersion as a reward for those who have chosen to go looking for it. When you see the movie and some character slips some little device into their ear, for example, (if they do), you will have the personal satisfaction of thinking "I know [i]exactly[/i] what that is because I read that Timeline like homework". That does not [i]necessarily[/i] mean that the device, or that piece of action will actually direct where the movie goes - or that the character will immediately run off screen-right to talk to an alien with it.

Phil, I thought the exact same when I read that bit in the timeline. If we are to have any communication with said SJ's, it would help to have a translation device for sure!

would seem so highly implausible to me because I wonder how they could ever have compiled a database of Xenomorph or SJ syntax when we know that by the time of Alien, there still hasn't been one done. It would have to be some fantatic creation created by the SJ's themselves from English or other earth language Syntax{s}.

The whole idea of such a thing is not plausible in ANY scenario really, whether it was human only or alien related. It sort of stands out in the list because it seems like it would be something that would be impossible for us to achieve... plus the whole thing stinks of Star Trek "universal translator" and that would really, really, blow.. (and I mean GOATS not chunks!)

Unless the aliens know say. sumerian language from previous visits, and they use the device to communicate.

I don't think it would be impossible, I just think we would end up hearing people in babelfish. God that would be awful. I don' t think, it, I think straight would be impossible that we would terminate people hearing above in babelfish. God, which would be terrible. That post, babelfished to german and back. UGH.

Hmmm.. Well could it be that this thing is part of DAVID?? Sort of like a gay butler in space... fluent in 6 million forms of communication?? OK, seriously, maybe Zedwardson had a point.. Maybe using the ancient astronaut idea as a hunch, perhaps Weyland Ind. has this thing pre-programmed to ancient Earth Human dialects (that are no longer spoken in present day), thinking that on the chance they do encounter "aliens" they would be able understand us.... and we them??