Gina Johnson
In the Alien franchise, Ellen Ripley is a character who spends time in hypersleep or cryosleep. Between the first two Alien films, she was in hypersleep for 57 years, and her lack of ageing during this time is a central conceit of the films. It is suggested that she ages very slowly or not at all during hypersleep. In Alien 3, it is implied that she was only in hypersleep for a few weeks between the end of the second film and the start of the third.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Time spent in hypersleep between Alien and Aliens | 57 years |
| Time spent in hypersleep between Aliens and Alien 3 | A few weeks |
| Total time spent in hypersleep | 57 years and a few weeks |
| Objective age at the end of Alien 3 | 87 years |
| Experienced time for the events of Alien 1 through 3 | Less than a year |
| Total time awake across the three films | 2 months and 2 days or 62 days |
| Total subjective consciousness time since encountering Internecivus Raptus | 2 months or 66 days |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Between Alien and Aliens, Ripley was in hypersleep for 57 years
Lt. Ellen Louise Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver, is the original protagonist of the Alien film series. Between the first two films in the series, *Alien* and *Aliens*, Ripley was in hypersleep for 57 years.
In *Alien*, Ripley is a warrant officer aboard the Nostromo, a spaceship en route to Earth from Thedus. After an unknown creature infiltrates the Nostromo and kills the rest of the crew, Ripley escapes, but not before putting herself in stasis for the return trip to Earth.
Ripley wakes up 57 years later, having barely aged. Her daughter has died of old age, and Ripley herself looks much younger than her daughter did before her death. This is because hypersleep massively retards the aging process. While a year in hypersleep is equivalent to centuries in real-time, those in hypersleep age at a very slow rate, perhaps one-eighth of the normal rate.
In *Aliens*, Ripley accompanies a group of Colonial Marines to LV-426, where her crew first encountered the Alien eggs. After a group of Aliens wipe out almost all of the marines, Ripley escapes the planet with Corporal Dwayne Hicks, the android Bishop, and Newt, a young girl who is the last surviving colonist.
Ripley is in hypersleep again between *Aliens* and *Alien 3* for some amount of time. In *Alien 3*, Ripley is 87 years old, taking into account her date of birth and the date of the film.
Fast Breathing in Babies: When to Worry?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![Alien Quadrilogy : Alien / Aliens / Alien 3 / Alien Resurrection [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/911FvxXZw6L._AC_UY218_.jpg)
Hypersleep massively retards the ageing process
Hypersleep, also known as cryosleep, is a fictional technology in the Alien universe that allows humans to enter a state of suspended animation or hibernation. In reality, cryosleep is not yet possible for humans, but it is a developing technology that could be key to future space exploration.
In the Alien films, Ripley uses hypersleep pods to survive long periods of time in space without ageing. Between the first two Alien films, she was in hypersleep for 57 years but did not appear to age significantly. This is because hypersleep massively retards the ageing process. It is suggested that a year in hypersleep is equivalent to centuries in real-time, allowing space travellers to remain relatively young despite the passage of time.
The concept of hypersleep is based on the idea of hibernation, where an animal's metabolism slows down, and body temperature, heart rate, and brain activity decrease. In the case of hypersleep, the human body is further slowed down to a state of near standstill, with cell replication and other bodily functions grinding to a halt. This prevents the person from ageing and also reduces the need for food and living space during long space voyages.
While the exact amount of time Ripley spent in hypersleep between Alien and Alien 3 is not explicitly stated, it is implied that it was only a few weeks. Therefore, taking into account her time in hypersleep between the first two films, Ripley's subjective age at the end of Alien 3 is estimated to be 87 years. However, her objective age, which considers the time difference between her birth date and the date of the film, would be over 200 years.
Dental Work and Cavities: Safe for Sleeping 4-Year-Olds?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The time between Alien and Alien 3 is hard to determine
Firstly, it is important to distinguish between Ripley's objective age and her subjective age. Her objective age refers to the difference between her birth date and the date of the film, while her subjective age takes into account time dilation and hypersleep.
Between the events of the first Alien film and Aliens, Ripley was in hypersleep for 57 years. This is supported by a line of dialogue in Aliens, where Ripley states that a Xenomorph wiped out her entire crew in less than 24 hours. If we assume that the crew only ate two meals during this time (based on what we see on camera), we can estimate that Ripley was awake for at least 48 hours before the Xenomorph attack.
After being rescued and undergoing a formal inquest, Ripley spends some time living on Earth. The exact duration of her stay is not specified, but it is suggested that it could have been a couple of weeks or months. During this time, she finds a job on the cargo docks and experiences recurring nightmares.
In the film Aliens, Ripley joins the investigation team and returns to LV-426. The events of the film likely take place over the course of about one day, as Hicks guesses that Ripley has been awake for "twenty-four hours" at one point.
Between the end of Aliens and the start of Alien 3, Ripley is in hypersleep again for some time. The novelisation of Alien 3 suggests that Fiorina is only a few days' travel from Gateway, implying that Ripley was only in hypersleep for a few weeks. However, one source suggests that she was reawakened twenty years later, which contradicts the idea of a few weeks' hypersleep.
In Alien 3, the total time Ripley is awake is estimated to be around 48 hours, or two days. This is based on the gestation time of a baby queen Xenomorph and the general flow of events in the film.
Therefore, the total subjective time experienced by Ripley from the events of Alien to Alien 3 is estimated to be around two months and a few days, or approximately 66 days. This includes the time she was awake and in direct contact with Xenomorphs in all three films.
However, it is important to note that these are rough estimates and the exact timeline is left ambiguous in the films. The time between Alien and Alien 3 is influenced by factors such as hypersleep, time dilation, and the unspecified duration of Ripley's stay on Earth.
Kittens' Sleep Patterns: A Guide for Owners
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![ZNÖCUETÖD Cold Face Eye Mask Ice Pack Reduce Facial Puff, Dark Circles, Gel Beads Hot Heat Cold Compress Pack, Face SPA for Woman Sleeping, Pressure, Headaches, Skin Care, Post Laser Care[Blue]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71J157-uKML._AC_UL320_.jpg)
Cryosleep or hypersleep is used for long journeys in slow ships
Cryosleep or hypersleep is a technology used for long-distance space travel. In the Alien franchise, it is used to enable long journeys in slow ships. The technology is also featured in other science fiction stories, such as the novel Project Hail Mary and the film Passengers.
In the Alien films, the character Ripley uses hypersleep pods to survive long periods of time in space. Between the events of the first and second films, she is in hypersleep for 57 years. The character does not physically age during this time, appearing only slightly older in the sequel. This is explained as a side effect of hypersleep, which massively retards the aging process.
Cryosleep or hypersleep is presented as a solution to the challenges of long-distance space travel. It can reduce the need for food, water, oxygen, and living space, making spaceships more compact and less expensive to build and propel through space. It can also help protect astronauts' physical and mental health by reducing the time they are awake during long journeys, thereby decreasing their exposure to cosmic rays and the negative effects of low gravity.
While cryosleep is currently the stuff of science fiction, some believe that it could become a reality in the future. It is speculated that cryosleep technology could be used for early manned missions to Mars in the 2030s. However, there are concerns about the potential side effects and ethical implications of such technology.
Kittens' Sleep Patterns: How Much is Normal?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The Alien setting has FTL travel of varying speeds
The Alien franchise features faster-than-light (FTL) travel, which allows human ships to traverse interstellar distances in a matter of weeks or months. However, the specific mechanisms and speeds of FTL travel in the Alien universe are not clearly defined and may vary.
In the films, the exact speed of FTL travel is not crucial to the plot and is often left vague. For example, in the time between the first two Alien films, Ripley is adrift in an escape pod for 57 years, yet her daughter is already dead in her 60s when Ripley is found. This implies that FTL travel was not widely available during this period, as her daughter would have expected never to see her again if it were. However, by the time of the events in Alien 3, FTL travel has advanced significantly, with Ripley only spending a few weeks in hypersleep between the end of Aliens and the start of Alien 3.
The varying speeds of FTL travel in the Alien universe are also depicted in the novels and technical manuals associated with the franchise. One example is the Einstein Drive, which enables travel from Earth to Saturn in a few weeks. Another is the Gravity Drive, which can achieve even faster speeds by creating a distortion in space-time, allowing starships to enter a state of non-existence and travel much faster than conventional FTL. However, the Gravity Drive is still in its experimental phase and primarily found on high-end exploration ships.
The varying speeds of FTL travel in the Alien setting have important implications for the characters' experiences of time dilation and the need for cryosleep or hypersleep during long journeys. For instance, a journey to LV-426 that would take three weeks at near-light speeds would result in a much longer-experienced journey time for the crew due to time dilation. As a result, they would require cold sleep or hypersleep to avoid wasting a significant portion of their lifespan on travel. Similarly, even with FTL travel, a 33-lightyear trip would still take over 6 and a half years each way, necessitating the use of stasis or hypersleep to conserve resources and manage the crew's lifespan.
Sleep Strategies for Your 3-Year-Old Toddler
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
It is estimated that Ripley is 87 years old at the end of Alien 3.
Hypersleep causes humans to either stop aging or age at a very slow rate. A year in hypersleep is equivalent to centuries in real-time.
It is estimated that no more than a year passes between the events of the first three Alien movies.
