Is The Nomais Third Eye Actually Special?

[@LB_]

My theory is that the interfaces that react to where you look are intended to react to the third eye, and normally their third eye is closed. The hatchling almost never closes their eyes and so those interfaces always count their "third" eye as being open, thus they always accidentally control the interfaces when looking at them. I mean, it has to be annoying to the Nomai to do that by accident, so they probably have a way to not do it unless they want to.

[@stardustbff490]

This is makes so much sense :0

[@Kav_Games]

Hahaha! This is also what i thought!

[@qwertyuiopoiuytrewp]

I'd like to comment that the number of eyes is like a tally for the order of which species came before the others. 2 eyes - The Strangers or "Owlks" 3 eyes - The Nomai 4 eyes - The Hearthians This theory especially makes sense when we realize that the Eye of the Universe... Is in the shape of just one eye. It came before the UNIVERSE itself.

[@M_1024]

One Eye to send the signal. Two eyes to block it. Three eyes to search for it. Four eyes to find it.

[@gingeybread1423]

​@@M_1024🤯

[@Qwerbey]

When I first played the game, I also came to the conclusion that their third eye was special, just in a much more mundane way: that it could see a different spectrum of light, maybe something like radio waves. This would still likely give it some significance in their culture, hence the mask thing. I also don't think there's a connection to staff, but I figured the staffs were something like a super multi-tool that they could use to build, and that's how Solanum could manipulate the stones. I do think the orbs were designed to be used by their third eye though.

[@spring.on.neptune]

The staff is probably connected with either their brains or their mask. I think the mask also has an important role in this

[@Cowboybeardie]

Yeah I also thought that

[@perfectapple]

I'm always like "IDK, not sure I buy that" when these videos start, and then pretty convinced by the end! Especially the idea of the sounds being connected to the vibrations that make the liquids move.

[@TheLoreExplorer]

:: D! I have to be sure to present it carefully but i try to think things through!

[@divinebeast033]

A personal theory of mine is that neither the Owlks or the Nomai have any spoken language. In the slide reels we don't see the owlks open their mouths to communicate, they just point at things or gesture at people. The Nomai text we find are clearly conversations between Nomai that are (in most cases) in the same room as each other, if they're right there with each other why not just speak out loud? When we meet the prisoner or Solanum they respond to our questions not with a verbal reaction to our unknown language but instead with silence then by seeing if we understand their methods of communication. As far as I can tell Owlks were very visual in their ways communicating information (hand gestures, visions, slide reels, paintings) while the Nomai were more text-based (scroll walls, writing on walls and floors, text recorders, message walls in the vessel). While the nomai did make wall paintings it was always paired with a correlating message on a wall and while the owlks did have a written language they didn't use it much as we only see it on signs and such. I think this does a good job of giving their respective cultures some uniqueness not only from each other but from the hearthians as well. The hearthians do write and they do take pictures but where they really shine is sound (verbal language, multiple types of intrument, signal scope). An interesting thing about signals in this game is that each species interprets them differently, the Nomai see the eye's signal as a symbol, the Owlks see it as a full on vision, and when the hearthian finally makes it to the eye their signal scope picks it up as a sound.

[@TheLoreExplorer]

We actually do have nomai recordings. That took place between a nomai on the surface of the interloper and ones in the core. They took place via radio. And we see symbols of them being what looks like vocal.

[@divinebeast033]

@@TheLoreExplorer I know I just find it strange that certain written conversations between the Nomai seemed very direct as if they occurred in person like the one between the children in the sunless city that were written on the floor. Why wouldn't the kids just talk out loud? Why would they feel the need to write it? It is just a theory though, so I do still acknowledge the possibility that they do have a spoken language. I just can't help but think otherwise.

[@divinebeast033]

@@TheLoreExplorer also correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the nomai recorders display text on their reel not audio?

[@Wither_Strike]

​@@TheLoreExplorerI know I'm late, but as I recall we don't actually get any audio. The 2 went down to the core and the one in the ship lost contact with them, but that might just imply visual contact. It's also possible the nomai recreated a smaller version of the text wall seen in the vessel that seems to allow different vessels to communicate, almost like a 5W radio you buy at a grocery store vs a 50KW FM radio

[@PloverTechOfficial]

My theory is that their third eye can see changes in electrons, which would help with taking memories (because memories are just stored electrical states) and it would also explain their extreme interest in everything quantum, because quantum uncertainty is caused by electrons clouds and such. Great video! I never gave the third eye much thought before this. Also just like add 5 more seconds to the video and it’s 22 minutes long…

[@PineJuice962]

Haven't been here in a minute, good to see you're still doing KZbin. You've grown quite a bit. I remember back when you were still below 100 subs, hope you keep growing

[@pablozurita2996]

I honestly think you're 100% right, although i assumed that their eye could see quantum instabilities, and exploit them to their liking

[@bramklinkenberg9140]

Added theory I just thought up on the spot. Could their third Eye sending and recieving signals be the reason why they called the signal they saw "the EYE of the universe"? I also want to point out that the nomai probably do not have the sense of hearing, as I believe Solanum is surprised by the hearthians way of communicating. This goes with your story that the third eye isn't an all powerful sense, it's just different than the senses we as humans know of.

[@TheLoreExplorer]

Bro. I was looking at symbolism trying to figure out things I could relate. It never occurred to me the Nomai were the ones who named the eye. It did look like an eye to them. But it still could be meaningful that’s the name they chose. I think they must hear. They leave recorders around. But these never play sound. We read them with our translator like usual. So they could’ve been recorded writings. They also mention talking to each other. But this could all be a hearthian translation. Though we do have a symbol of them opening their mouths and sound coming out. This could have been heard by their third eye. Great line of reasoning and addition to this theory. The only sad part is it seems most think we are insane for entertaining the idea. Lol. The only thing I disagree about is Solanum just doesn’t know our language to respond. And we cant emit signals with the translator. Only read text. But other than that. You made my belief in this a bit deeper! Thank you!

[@bramklinkenberg9140]

@@TheLoreExplorer Glad to be of help and to theorise with you :) I guess the Nomai at least 'speak' presented by your evidence. And by further inspection it appears that they also have ears. Your video also made me curious of how the Nomai had to teach how to use their Eye and the staff to their kids. Thinking back of the school in the Hanging city how they had a presentation for the class. (Did they have smaller staffs for kids?) Also thinking that the kids playing in the caves of Ember Twin had to have a staff with them seeing as they were writing on the walls. Also, since the Nomai just wrote any important discovery on the walls, that means that the Nomai of later generations would still be able to read the dangers that the crashed nomai went through to build a settlement. But maybe I'm diving into a different topic there 🙃 Anyways it's all really cool to think about. Thanks for making these videos Lore Explorer :)

[@TheLoreExplorer]

Nope. Youre right. But I dont think the kids needed staffs! They could like use their eyes and the vibrations to just write on the wall! Itd be like kids drawing with chalk on the wall lol! So sun to think about. Thanks for enjoying it!

[@noizepusher7594]

Great video idea as always LE!

[@cozyvase3985]

I love these videos, it’s so hard to find any outer wilds on the internet and I hope I get more videos

[@helleye311]

Funny you mention the sonic screwdriver, made me realise that the Nomai aren't that far off from the Time Lords. I mean besides the fact that most Time Lords just stayed on Gallifrey and Nomai actively go around exploring. Of course they're slighly less advanced since they don't have at-will time travel capabilities, but they still have some limited time travel at least (granted they discovered it months before going extinct in this system, and never actually used it, but it does work). Definitely not 1 to 1, but the vibe is similar. Probably not intended by the devs, or at best slightly inspired, but still pretty cool.

[@kezza596]

It actually never occurred to me that Solanum should not actually be able to see Hatchlings face or how many eyes they have...

[@thecommunistowl811]

It's really interesting to me how the nomai writing system is a very long line of squiggles whilst the strangers have an actual script. I theorize that the nomai wrote by kind of "reversing" the function of their third eye so instead of taking in information it emitted it and some portion of the nomai brains were able to translate information into these incredibly fast squiggles (kinda like how some humans can vibrate there eyes really quickly). And then the other nomai are able to trace these emitted signals and their brains are able to translate the information back to language. I have a further theory that on the world which they originally evolved in the nomai were prey animals, given their long sprinting legs and kinda spread eyes giving them a wide field of vision (predators have a focused vision for chasing prey, prey have wide vision for spotting predators) the third eye may have been used to communicate long distances without alerting nearby predators.

[@FuzzyImages]

Man, knowing this it really feels like the nomai were a hand picked player 1 who was meant to cross the finish line, but because one big mishap, now we the back up player, just manage to make it within the timer

[@yoni5919]

Finally the last question is answered, thank god!

[@Beanybag2]

I think the interloper's ghost matter killing off the nomai was surprisingly similar to the inhabitants of the stranger all having their lights extinguished. And that there's a lot of interesting symmetry and similarities between different shapes, like the interloper and an angler fish. I think there's some self-symmetry in the story and that the number of eyes represents the iteration or age of a species. Each eye represents an additional perspective traveling with you thru which to view reality. You had the blind angler fish. Then two eyes with the Stranger's inhabitants. There eyes with the Nomai. And four eyes with the Hearthians. The Nomai were shown building spaceships by stacking skeletons in the ending with Solunum. And that tells me that each predecessor species may have died out, but left behind some clues for those that followed in their wake, they gave their lives for the knowledge they left behind. As for which beings had one eye.. I think it might have been the beings that we find dead in dark bramble perhaps? I don't know much about them.

[@TheLoreExplorer]

The beings we find dead in dark bramble are the nomai though? You’re forgetting one important thing. THE eye. That’s the one eye. Anglers don’t count.

[@CerberusConstellation]

New lore explorer video hell yea

[@Gati303]

6:30 or maybe she just read the mines text where they talked about them or she went to the mines and saw them

[@TheLoreExplorer]

except she is stuck in time. Those fish still exist in her mind. So even though , yes , she knows about the fish. It would never occur to her they couldve evolved in the past few minutes....or has it been a few years? Anyway , she openly wonders if "you also came from another star system". So she doesnt connect you with the fish species already inhabiting it. In short, no. She has no way to connect those fish(she thinks should still be alive) to a random being in a suit.

[@Gati303]

@@TheLoreExplorer oh, i never though of that, you are totaly right. Also thanks for your content, is always fun to wathc and really intersting, i sometimes pause the video to start thinking about what you just said and what you do is amazing!!!!! Great work❤️

[@Higher-Ground]

I just thought that Solunum just guessed that the other being right in front of her was the evolved version of the hearthians from so long ago.

[@TheLoreExplorer]

Thats a reasonable guess given its true. But it isnt. For her its hasnt been so long ago. She cant tell if its been minutes or years. But she certainly knows no fish could evolve into a space fairing society so quickly. I think she even wonders where we come from.

[@pumpkin_pants3828]

@@TheLoreExplorer yeah she wonders if we also came from another system so she probably has no idea how much time has passed

[@iTzNikkitty]

I feel like it's possible that their third is special only in the sense that it could probably allow them to see the full range of the light spectrum. Though it would certainly make sense symbolically if it also had some sort of telepathic or telekinetic ability attached to it. At the same time though, I do lean more toward my first theory. To us it may seem like it wouldn't be substantial enough to assign a lot of symbolic importance to it, but you gotta realize, science is basically the Nomai's religion. It's what their entire culture and a lot of their art is based around. Having a third eye that can perceive the whole spectrum of light on its own would be substantially important for guiding their scientific observations, so they would likely assign a lot of cultural significance to it.

[@InvasionAnimation]

Nomai kind of remind me of goats. I think they can use their vocal coords in combination with their 3rd eye to manipulate stuff.

[@starryeyedsystem]

excellent content as always, dude!!

[@Squin52X]

3:50 What is this "hewman" artist you speak of? :;)

[@9zxn]

i always thought it was just allowing them too see further on the color/light spectrum, but your theory makes a lot of sense aswell, maybe its a mix of both?

[@zesty5890]

On one hand, yes absolutely their third eye has some special purpose and absolutely they are telekinetic. On the other, I doubt it's all linked to that eye, and there's a lot more happening in the background which isn't mentioned in game. It's most likely an extremely sensitive sensory tool that either has always been tuned to detect different information than the other two, or was at some point engineered to detect wavelengths outside of their normal visible spectrum. They designed their technology along with this specialisation, and judging from the outgoing messages of the Vessel, may have been designed with some latencies and fallbacks in mind to accomodate other species to use (or their tech is so refined in design that certain functions are inherently 'adaptive') which was preserved in later reconstructions of tech by the survivors and their descendants either by virtue of not knowing how to build/design without these things included, or again, by virtue of this universal functionality being an inherent part of the design. There does seem to be a bit of blurring between hardware and software in their techology with the ship computer linking up to the ATP simply by being partially built out of salvaged Nomai tech, but without knowing more about how it all works, it's hard to say how their technology ties into their third eye. I know I already went on a bit of a tangent but even more unrelated, a video just on Nomai generic biology, abilities, and such would be very interesting. Like, how the White Hole Station implies that they can survive unprotected in space for a time. And how they probably didn't get motion sickness or vertigo judging from all the grav floors/crystals that disorient us (assuming Hearthians act as a true 1:1 stand-in for humans in-fiction, or close to). And despite having weaker skeletons compared to Hearthian, were still able to have a small settlement on Giants Deep with its extreme gravity apparently unaided (like. there were apparently children living on Statue Island?). Much to think about

[@jsby523]

Nomai: masters of sound Owlks: masters of light Hearthians: masters of marshmallow

[@Krossyonfn]

This makes a lot of sense to me but if they're third eye could see almost anything than how didn't they detect ghost matter? Idk if ghost matter was out of the light spectrum for them but i just find it hard to think that a camera made by the hearthians would be able to see it while they evolved the third eye from exploring space for who knows how long. Just a thought.

[@oriolejb9774]

Hey lore explorer: two things. One, I agree with everything you said but then couldn't the nomai have possibly (and this is kind of a stretch) seen the eye's signal from several points of the ship and used that to triangulate the eye's position? I understand that they were in a hurry and probably not thinking straight but if they could/were, they probably could have recorded the seen data on their staffs. Second, I think it would be interesting to theorize on the nomai before the signal blocker. Being such an intelligent species, you would think that they would have given more consideration to the possible consequences of warping without knowing their surroundings and it makes me wonder if they maybe knew that the eye existed before the signal was blocked. And yes, I do acknowledge that they saw that the signal was older than the universe but I still feel like there was some other pull to do that.

[@TheLoreExplorer]

I dont think they triangulated it. I guess its possible but I think being so close to each other would negate the paralax or whatever its called wouldnt be enough to find it. I think they just warped to its source. Which seemingly happened to bounce through dark bramble. Escalls logic was pretty tight too. "We have never seen anything like this. This signal showed up suddenly. It could disappear just as suddenly". And it did. They just had bad luck.

[@TayambaMwanza]

That piano version of the theme song where did you get it?

[@TheLoreExplorer]

The ending outro? That was a "gift" a subscriber sent me. I very much appreciated it.

[@Staticsceptre]

This isn’t relevant to this specific video, but here’s a thought: what if instead of using the vessel to warp to the eye, we instead try to warp to the source of the transmission from the last nomai in the universe?

[@nickster5207]

And here I thought the third eye just functioned like a fancy microscope, allowing them to observe the very building blocks of the universe in real time. I gathered this from the fact that on the sun station, when they tried to detonate the sun, their recordings specifically pointed out they could spot any changes with their third eye. As in they looked at a roaring ball of fire and could tell they didn't alter it's state in any way. Just a shower revelation, so yea.

[@Zdude3313Z]

hey i thouht of a mod calld outer wilds echoes of the eye return of the nomai

[@FranklinThe1]

they know we have four eyes in the game because they knew we're the fish from timber hearth right? Well he does ask if we come from the solar system or from outside so probably not.

[@TheLoreExplorer]

No. Solanum still thinks those fish are alive. Shes locked in time. She says she doesnt know where we come from. But she hopes she doesnt mind if she thinks of us as friends.

[@FranklinThe1]

@@TheLoreExplorer oh right. Thx lore

[@FranklinThe1]

Outer wide 😫😏