Learning about our species is interesting enough, but wouldn’t it be more fun to learn about completely alien ones? By “alien” I mean comprehensive entity documents as from an anthropologist from another planet observing the human race. As we will soon be interacting with extraterrestrial civilizations and cultures, it helps to understand how they may interpret our entities. First, what are entity documents generally speaking? They outline each entity’s cultural relationship. This is used to create organizations that run parallel to the various sovereign societies around the world. Entity documents for corporations define existence, hierarchy, decision making processes, and so on. In the case of a corporation, articles of incorporation is one of the basic entity documents. This document creates the legal existence of a corporation as an artificial entity. Additional entity documents include by laws which is an internal document outlining the governing structure of the organization. It sets rules among the members. In “what are entity documents” our legal system defines these as artifacts of culture. Documents regarding organizations are usually put together by people who know the culture but does not get an outsider perspective of the meaning behind them. Off-worlders carefully assess these references of context, as they could mean anything in their own culture. As movies like “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” have shown, what is perfectly legal on Earth is not when taken out of context. To aliens, the main point behind the entire legal system is in paperwork, ownership, and hierarchy. Each legal entity on Earth can be fairly summarized as a “That which can be proven by documentation.” This leads to a question regarding what we do to potential visitors, that we consider legal, but could be perceived as seeming quite illogical. This is because in some cultures, “Where there is Hierarchy, there is law” and that is why iCollege is the platform for learning about many cultures. It shows the valid process behind our legal system. For example, if the following “What are entity documents” seem useless to aliens, they actually serve a purpose even if siloed systems. As a galactic citizen, you need to know: “Does the business have its own legal entity for litigation protection?” This is key in both human and extraterrestrial cultures because if there is no legal business entity, the owner and employees have no protection from losing investors or creditors. If the business does not have the protection, then no, there is no additional security in a contract. Nice try. In this sense, “What are entity documents” actually function as a lesson for aliens to understand our culture. Alien cultures will eventually have their own lessons. In our hastily developed society, the concepts of documentary evidence take place of trust. Because of their legal ramifications, entity documents are serious business. They are the means by which we conduct our economic interactions. Which is basically what we do everywhere. If used properly “What are entity documents” teach how societies use regulations perpetuate hierarchy and growth. Our legal system is simply a series of past experiences, which result in judicial enforcement. As such, a legal entity is an agglomeration of recorded experiences, which is why we have lots of documents. In a non-human example, on Tatooine, Jabba the Hutt hired a bounty hunter to bring Han Solo to him. During their arrest, it is probable that both parties signed an agreement. This is an example of what occurs when two bipedal humanoids interact as Sir Jabba is amoral. Because Hutt’s are organic, it is likely that the bounty hunter had to provide evidence of his qualifications. Guess what that evidence was. Words. Why do words matter? Not all cultures build their legal systems around paper, that’s why. In this case, Jabba the Hutt would have been pleased to hear that Han Solo killed himself. No contracts were broken, so Jabba and his Hoods could still use Solo’s ship. This is a prime example of contracts and designated owners. What are entity documents? They are an operational aspect of culture. What are the ones from other planets going to be like? We have to wait and see how advanced the species is to determine how they regulate themselves. There is also the issue of physical biology. For example if their epidermis requires sub dermal injections to combat a disease, there are bound to be transactions in that area. They are also likely to have a “Best Practices” for organ harvesting at the very least. In conclusion, these lessons about what are entity documents can help us understand what might come later. The learning platform known as iCollege allows us to understand these lessons by providing us with materials without overwhelming us. Eventually we will be able to define what needs to be understood to negotiate with other extraterrestrial cultures.

Exploring Prenuptial Agreements and Inheritance

Prenuptial agreements, or “prenups,” and inheritance laws are a common area of law that has been explored in iCivics more than once. What if we took a human concept and mixed it with something a little more extraterrestrial? Let’s look at the basic concepts of prenups and inheritance, but see how an alien would approach these agreements. As we know, prenups are premarital contracts that outline the division of assets and liabilities of couples in the event of death, divorce, or separation. Since death is treated as a separation of a marriage in certain cases, many prenups cover future inheritance as well. These agreements typically define what each party will get in the event of one partner’s death, and, in the absence of a prenup, property and legitimate children are generally inherited by a surviving spouse or biological children.

This means that every post-poned marriage ends with some distribution of property. Even Moonies and Scientologists, whose members are known for shunning relationships with their family and friends, will inherit each other’s property in the event that one of them dies. What can we learn from this about prenups and inheritance laws? Just like on Earth, aliens may have similar laws governing their marriages and inheritance. Let’s examine what they may be, based on some hypotheses. Similar to many Earth cultures, an alien’s prenup could work in a manner that the alien race would expect, and that is relatively similar to prenups of our day. For example, contract A could have the alien life forms set aside a portion of their assets for health care needs, while contract B would dictate the terms for which the surviving spouse could retain the donated property and assets until they die, if the alien or aliens were to die. In this scenario, the prenup would become a legally binding contract.

In other alien cultures, prenups may not exist at all, or hold no legal standing. For many aliens, legally binding contracts may only exist to prevent wars, but are not enforced or recognized by other alien races. In these societies, rather than prenups, there might be a structure that allows for free transfers of property. The assets and property that were once designated “prenuptial”, however, may become contested property in such a society. In this instance, either party could assert a claim to the property post-divorce, and inheritance rights would play a similar role to that of prenups in Earth culture; without a prenup, the law would tacitly award the property and assets to the deceased individual’s biological children and his or her spouse.

So, how can aliens and humans benefit from a prenup? We can summarize the benefits below: While prenups could serve similar purposes across the galaxy, if one of the alien parties dies without a prenup, the alien’s property could become contested property. In this case, the deceased party’s property may be inherited by his or her spouse and children, provided that they are biological in nature. As we know, if the comprehensive prenuptial agreement inheritance is not executed properly, or does not comply with the human state’s laws, it may fail, labeling the alien property as contested property.

Now, imagine that multiple planets decided to unite under one leadership. As the aliens traveled to other hypothetical planets and cultures, they would likely share details of their society’s laws with other planets and societies. In this scenario, the alien societies may create treaties governing prenuptial agreements. This treaty could apply to prenups, prenum contracts, and inheritance rights alike. In this case, the law governing prenuptial agreements to which each society subscribes would likely trump each “contract” that exists between alien and human prenups, as laws are not made in a vacuum.

Finally, in many Earth cultures, prenups are enforceable when cohabitation becomes the status quo for couples. Because prenups often become unenforceable when the parties begin to act as spouses do, in an alien culture this could impact the outcome of enforcement. Let us assume that the alien species in our example lives for a total of fifteen (15) Earth years, and can reproduce only four times during their life cycle. In such a society, prenups may be deemed invalid only after the alien has married (or “contracted”) four times within his or her life span. Humans, on the other hand, most often live for eighty-three years, on average, and procreate more frequently than four times. As it stands, aliens would not deem prenups valid after the sixth life cycle, but human beings would invalidate prenups after the fourth marriage, in such a society. Here, we have covered some basics of prenups and inheritance, as well as some possible approaches that aliens might take towards either marriage, prenups, divorce, or the inheritance of property from prior marriages. Next time you head out on your spaceship to outer space, think about how prenups and inheritance would be impacted in your theory of a galactic routine.

Imagine this: you’re preparing to lease a hair salon. You hope customers will flock to your salon in the galaxy with master stylists across the universe to fix their hair. The only thing standing in your way? A pesky lease agreement. But, never fear! With a little alien intelligence, you won’t have another hair-raising experience when negotiating your lease. But first, let’s get to know our friend, “Johnny-E,” and his people, “Beeblebrox.” Beeblebrox culture is a harmonious combination of logical reasoning and creative innovation. You may not be used to that on Earth, but Johnny-E and his friends are well-equipped for success because he takes his time to answer the tough questions, and ask the even tougher questions.

First, let’s talk about why a specialized lease for a hair salon is critical to success. It’s simple: Johnny-E has learned the hard way that a generic lease will Venus Flytrap him in the end. The more customized your lease agreement is to your business, the more protections you get down the line. Next, let’s address common Beeblebrox misconceptions about lease terms. They may be from another planet, but these aliens live, work, and breathe hair like all of us do. The most commonly misunderstood term by humans is “default.” Most hair salon owners don’t know what would happen should they miss a payment or misspell the name of the landlord.

So, what type of alien vocabulary should one be familiar with when negotiating a lease? For example, “exclusivity clause,” which is possibly one of the most important terms for a hair salon owner. Without it, your landlord could rent out the suite down the hall to your competitor who charges half of what you do. Beeblebrox hair salon leases usually have the following factors: Location, location, location. Now, don’t start thinking like a human. Beeblebrox tenants are similar to Earth’s “Blue Devils,” or “Dukes.” To Beeblebrox, being in a shopping center is the one key factor to business success. Samsung and many other major retailers across the galaxy require stores to be within 100 feet of each other. You might ask yourself, “Why?” The answer is in their mind, which is that they want to reach every household on the planet.

Finally, here are some tips to drive success and avoid problems on a hair salon lease: Does this seem alien to you? Remember, the goal is to walk away thinking it was a little difficult to understand and you had to do some digging to get to the bottom of the meta-facts. If you have any questions regarding your own hair salon lease agreement, call an attorney with commercial experience to help guide you.

iCollege is a podcast on the intersection of human culture and engagement with the law. Podcasted panel discussions with lawyers and other professionals from a variety of fields, addressing law and regulation in sometimes unexpected realms, and always through the lens of human culture.

How might an alien intelligence observe and react to California emissions regulations for vehicles from other states? What if this intelligence were not only able to view all the regulations and past violations, but also actively test the laws for conformity? Given the number of automobiles on the roadways, this intelligence would have ample opportunity. Tune in to hear more about the question of how to treat California emissions laws for out of state vehicles, and the much more interesting question of how much further afield, literally, they might have gone in seeking answers. California emissions laws for out of state vehicles have been a source of conflict for many, both within California and outside of its borders. In order to understand these conflict, we must first understand the hoop that a vehicle must jump through to enter California roads legally. If a vehicle is originally manufactured to meet California emissions standards, it can legally enter the state without any special permits. In short, it has a sticker to prove its compliance with California emissions standards. If the vehicle is not made to meet those standards, however, things become complicated very rapidly. California emissions laws for out of state vehicles will likely cause no end of grief to non-compliant vehicles. These will be pulled over much more frequently, often for no reason other than that they are non-compliant. What happens when a vehicle gets pulled over? What, in fact, even qualifies as a non-compliant vehicle? The subject is far more complex than one might think. To begin with, one needs to understand California emissions standards, which are notoriously stringent. They are perhaps some of the most stringent in the world, second only to what one might find in some places in Northern Europe. This means that a given car in Georgia might not meet California emissions standards. For instance, even if a car was originally manufactured to meet European emissions standards (which would stand it in good stead in California), the car would still have to pass an emissions test when entering the state – and this means passing a stricter emissions test at that. On top of all of this, there is yet another layer that vehicles must negotiate to arrive in California. There are, very simply, far more non-compliant vehicles on the road than there are compliant ones. This, it would appear, would present a problem. How can California emissions laws for out of state vehicles be enforced in such a manner that the mere existence of non-compliant vehicles on the road does not result in the instant failure of the environment? After all, enough vehicles are burning fossil fuels that the air is not exactly perfectly clean anyway. The answer is that, yes, there are a lot of non-compliant vehicles on the road, but the emissions laws are set up in a way that keeps the net amount of environmental impact minimal. Here is how: What this means in practice is that, as long as the traffic is moving, a non-compliant vehicle is almost free to travel along the roads of California. But once traffic becomes stationary? Well, then that may be an issue. Let us say that there is an accident on I-5. Well, as traffic in California generally moves quite fast, this would likely be an unusual event. I-5 may come to a standstill unless it is a major accident, but there is one thing we can assume: cars will be going very slowly, if at all. And if you notice slow traffic on I-5, well, you can assume at that point that there has been an accident. But where did that accident take place? And is it anywhere where the traffic will be placid for several minutes at best? That is the beauty of California emissions laws for out of state vehicles. Even when traffic is moving very slowly, a non-compliant vehicle can often move through California with no trouble whatsoever. When traffic does cease, however, and begins to build up on California highways and byways, then it is time to act.

Understanding Bedroom Requirements in Washington State

These interesting times we live in provide us with no shortage of unique ways in which the world can surprise us. Without getting into too much detail, one example would be our current societal outlook on bedroom requirements for real property in Washington State.

What might the alien intelligence watching from afar find so fascinating about legal bedroom requirements? For starters, their studies of humanity would lead them to believe that human beings prefer to live in spaces that are based on the models of small planets, each orbiting a massive interstellar sun. This sun-and not the off-world, artificially generated rays of hydrogen gas-provides light and warmth to the hive-like spaces humans occupy.

It’s only natural that such an alien would study the human interior structures we know as “houses.” Furthermore, this alien would inevitably ask questions that demand cultural analysis, like, “To what extent do bedrooms and closet spaces matter to the individuals living in these homes?” After examining several typical Washington state homes at random, the alien would note that bedrooms and closet spaces appear to be the most important rooms in these units.

This would lead the alien to deduce that humans require sleeping and storage space. If the alien were aware that human beings reside on land rather than on larger celestial bodies… well, this is where the deductions surrounding bedrooms and closets get interesting.

When Washington state law imposes minimum bedroom requirements, it does so using vague dimensions for human-defined “bedroom windows” and “floor space.” In other words, in order for a piece of terrestrial real estate to qualify as a “bedroom,” the room in question must possess certain characteristics regarding windows and floor space that seem far removed from what an alien would expect in a sleeping space.

After losing significant time reconfiguring their property model to include the contents of “Washington state legal bedroom requirements,” your alien would finally arrive at a solution: “Perhaps we should hold our analysis on bedroom-size requirements until we’re settled on the best subset of human habits to model at our convenience.” Why would extraterrestrial students need to revisit their initial legal room exploration of Washington state?

Because if they were aliens, they would need to follow all federal, state, and local building codes to a tee, including the existence of bedroom requirements for whatever units they occupied. If your alien is planning to crash on Earth for a while and wants to be a decent guest, they’ll have to adhere to the requirements of Washington state legal bedroom requirements.

Washington state legal definition bedroom requirements state that each bedroom in a residential home is legally required to have a window that opens for ease of escape in the event of fire. The window also has to be 20 inches or larger (opening size) and located within two feet of the floor. Any unlawful windows will need to be altered to meet Washington state legal bedroom requirement codes. The concept is that Seattle-area humans want light and escape from potential fires in the form of roof rat nests.

In this we see the truth about bedrooms in Washington state: they are grouped together with other human living spaces, like comfy segregated living areas. But they are also defined in hybrids that serve as places for privacy, exercise, or even solitude. How humans think of bedrooms, then, is directly related to the unique ways in which humans perceive the utility, layout, and space in Washington state.

Not every state has similar legal bedroom requirements, and this is, in part, due to the cultural expectations of each region. Some states extend these requirements even to closets. Do they mean anything to humans? Absolutely. It means everything to some.

If aliens had their way, “complex living area” would take the place of the controversial bedroom space in terms of real estate legal definitions. But practical concerns about legal bedroom requirements in Washington state are in place for a reason. If the aliens are going to be a part of the real estate market, they’ll need to understand these guidelines if they seek to occupy a legal “living space” around Seattle.