Culture in the Zambarau Concord

Culture
The culture of the Zambarau Concord has always been very diverse. Some people think that the cosmopolitan nature of the Zambarau Concord is drowning out and assimilating most unique cultures, yet at the same time others say that unique cultures are thriving and being actively encouraged by the populance.

Ubiquitous Computing
The ubiquitous computing network is a network made up of all of the co-operative computer networks in the whole Concord. It allows workers to use ubiquitous computing to access information and live their lives more smoothly. For example, a worker could be completing a piece of work at a hotel (displayed on the window of their room) - afterward they leave the hotel and get onto a maglev for a day out - the touch-sensitive table on the maglev train detect them biometrically and immediately bring up what they were working on before; if the worker decides to move seats the image dissappears from the table they were sitting at and onto the back of the seat in front of them.

No passwords or login procedures are required to use the network because it is a single giant computer network which only allows the user to access their own information. However, many people still prefer to put some sort of security procedure onto their data. There is no radio or television in the Zambarau Concord (thought he Astatines used to have something similar to radio); all media and enternainment is accessed through this network.

Segregation
Due to their wildly different planets of origin, none of the races in the Zambarau Concord can share the same environment, this issue has been termed 'segregation.' One of the few exceptions to this is the Zambarau themselves, who are able to switch parts of their genome on and off, or grow a protective shell, to survive in alien environments. Also, the varying temperatures and pressures on the Kakranukh homeworld mean that at certain altitudes many races only need a breathing mask as life support.

The main method of getting around segregation has been the use of virtual reality (sometimes similar to contact lenses) or neural implants to have alien collegues around as a virtual presence. Many spacecraft and space stations are separated into several different sections each containing an environment suitable for a different race. Both the Zambarau and the Drones have explained that segregation could be eliminated if mass genetic modification took place to adapt all races to a single environment, or if everybody had their consciousness downloaded into IntraCon. Both propositions have been politely declined by the other members of the Concord.

Clothing
There is a wide range of dress available in the Zambarau Concord, each specialised for different races.
 * The Astatines often wear sleeves or bandages over their tentacles and sometimes have a 'hat.'


 * The Chondrites prefer to stick rocks to themselves or paint themselves with rocky minerals to show off the different types of asteriods they have ventured to.


 * The Kakranukh sometimes use special dyes to give themselves interesting patterns or colours on their panels. Conventional clothes would crush their delicate frames.
 * The Sceen generally don't wear clothes, but sometimes glue various functional objects onto their shells.
 * The Zambarau don't wear clothes, but grow various different colours and flourishes for aesthetic effect.

Religions
There are many different religions and belief systems in the Zambarau Concord, some more popular or prevalent than others, but this section mainly focuses on a less well known but very important fact; the Zambarau are deeply religious. They rarely show it or mention it but this is considered one of the reasons for their sometimes erratic behaviour.

Zambarau Musings
The Zambarau follow more of a philosophy than a religion; which has built up over millions of years of patient Zambarau meditation and discussion. The basics will be laid out here. Since Asili (nature) has engineered all creatures capable of emotion (or something similar) to experience happiness in doing things that Asili wants them to do (food, safety, etc.), then the ultimate goal in life must surely be to become as happy as possible. This persuit of happiness is called 'Neema'.

If a civilized being were to continue to follow Neema then their ultimate goal in life would be to plug their mind into a machine that simulated a life of perfect happiness in which all of their dreams come true. Very few races would be willing to do so; this is because the act of doing something in real life now matters, rather than just reaping the rewards. Civilized species must therefore have transcended beyond Asili. The Zambarau say that this means that civilized species, rather than persuing Neema, must now follow a much more ambiguous goal called Msukumo. Sometimes the Msukumo equivalent of Asili is mentioned, called 'Kujitawala.'

This is the bare-bones of the Zambarau religion. It is in fact much more deep and complicated, leading to the mentioning of 'chains of hypothetical virtual worlds;' the Zambarau also claim that their religion 'shows philosophical proof that nothing exists and everything matters' and that 'everything is true.' Most other races just think that, like most other things that the Zambarau do, the Zambarau religion is wierd and confusing.