What?! Please explain

It's called foreboding. This lends to the feeling of ulterior motives from the company. In reality, the only people that need to know on the outset are the scientists; the rest are there for support functions. The pilot's job is to fly the ship, the engineer's job is to make sure the ship can fly, the security team has to make sure people are safe. They're only contracted to perform the job they were hired for. It's that simple. For example, I've worked on construction crews where we rode to another city and didn't know what we were doing until we got there. You do the job you're contracted for. Also, it's spelled "belief"

Hi Xenotron: Thank you for your kind reply, I'll keep that in mind [the word foreboding, for as much as a strange concept it might be]. Also thank you for the spelling correction. I'm not english you know... Kudos friend

Yes, absolutely. 1.) Ridley Scott is making a clear and descisive 'nod' to 2001: A Space Odyssey in connection also with the line "2001 on steriods" and with the mane of the android 'David' as in "David Bowman". 2.) It does serve as a good plot device that functions to motivate the stories momentum forwards. Keeping one-half or the entire half of the crew in hibernation negates them from having to know any more than they need to. This mission is on a need-to-know basis. So during it's course probably only certain members are awoken in succession as-and-when they are needed, until all are full woke and ready for the complete mission debriefing. I'm sure Ridley Scott is taking the time to pay a homage to Kubrick though. It beggars the question what will David have been up to while the others were suspended in animation. Also David is a very speculative biblical name and so using it creates a very suggestive subtext to who and/or what Daid truely or inevitably represents and ultimately what his contribution to the situation will have lasting implications perhaps of the cosmic kind as a result!

I don't think they're in hypersleep because they're restricting information, but rather because they're on a mission through space. David is an android and doesn't need hypersleep. Space is big and it takes time to get from A to B. If what I understand is correct, it takes them 2 years to get to the planet. They're not going to waste food, water, and air supplies during that 2 year trip (not to mention being bored or getting cabin fever). They're going to be frozen.

Hi there: Id Rather Be Eatin Something Else I hear you. I know Sir Ridley is a 2001 fan, he him self made that quite clear several times [and the reson for him to make Sci-FI]. The way you put it seems quite logical [the need-to-know-basis, also present in 2001]. What, in your opinion, is David doing meanwhile? P.S.: here's a treat for you. My name is [b]David[/b] and my father's name is [b]Saul[/b]. Talk about biblical references... ^.^

Also, considering the scope and cost of the mission, I'm sure the company does not want to tell the crew everything before they leave because they risk running their mouth to family, friends, media, etc.

Hi, Sigismundo: yeah, that seems fair and logical.

Have you guys not seen the clips of David riding a bike around the ship while shooting a basketball to pass the time?

I think some of the crew will know a little of the mission but this debriefing is to clear up and give detailed acount to why they are there. Remember in Aliens the Marines only had a in depth so to speak debriefing once they also came out of Hypersleep. The Science Crew would include.... Shaw, Holloway, Ford, Milburn and Fifield. David would also be part of that. Thats 5 crew but we also have 12 more inc Engineers, Mechanics, Mercs then the Pilots and Vickers.

Xenotron: That is why I made such a question in this thread. P.S: Ash is also an Android and he seems to be hypersleeping in the Alien movie,

it may be as simple as what the text on one of the trailers say...prometheus exploration vessel...Milburn fifield and ford are scientist that know that they are on an exploration but as far as where and why is only given during the briefing. remember building better worlds

Hi, BigDave: True indeed [although I would be rather be pissed if I was told of such scope of a mission later on rather than before I accepted the mission]

I don't see a puzzle: 1] Why not? David doesn't [i]have[/i] to sleep, so why have him sleep? If something goes wrong he can deal with it; he can protect the crew and the ship and the crew don't need to be taken out of hibernation unless it's absolutely necessary. 2] It's a Secret. This is part of the recipe for making sure a Secret stays secret: a] Tell anyone you're involving in the Secret as little as possible about the Secret as you can before you really have to - and to leave having to do that as long as you possibly can. b] Carry out your Secret. c] Serve. Note: You can, if desired, add a layer of security to your Secret, once served and/or once whoever you've had to tell about your Secret has actually done whatever it is you wanted them to do. You may do this by making sure whoever you've had to tell about your Secret is absolutely dead.

hello again, fanboy79: Yeah, I'm all into simplicity. Though there will no doubt be layer upon layer of things going on in this particular movie.

I think David is responsible for seeing that everything works correctly inside the ship. The reasons: accident prevention, prevention of damage n the mechanism of the ship, defending the interests of the company and his Father Mr Peter Weyland and after the crew wakes up work will comply David scientific, medical and perhaps some kind of hidden agenda.

hi, allinamberclad: "I see Plans within the Plan" as the Spacing Guild Navigator would put it. You are quite right there friend. Though I don't understand the reason for such a Secret after the TED speach

Hi there Shambhala: aahh, the secret agenda... it adds a twist and an extra flavour to things

Good to meet you too David 1. going back to the Davids, how many do you think there are going to be?

MY THOUGHTS "DAVID" IS FIRST, ARE YOU TOO A ROBOT OR WERE YOU TAUGHT SPELLING IN THE UNITED STATES. IT'S SPELLED "SKULL" AND "BELIEF". EVEN US "BENDING" UNITS KNOW HOW TO SPELL CORRECTLY. I THINK WE ALL GET THE MOVIE AFTER SEEING THE TRAILERS. HUMANS GET ALIEN SIGNAL...GO TO INVESTIGATE...FIND PLANET WITH ALIEN "SUPER" BEINGS ON IT...REALIZE SOMETHING ELSE IS THERE (THE ORIGINAL ALIEN'S WE ALL KNOW TOO WELL BY NOW). PEOPLE START DYING....TRY TO LEAVE...ALIENS STOP THEM. HAVEN'T YOU HUMANS FIGURED THAT OUT BY NOW. SEEN IT HUNDRED TIMES IN HUNDRED OTHER MOVIES. REMINDS ME A LOT OF "AVP" (2004). THE FIFTH TERRIBLE INSTALLMENT IN THE ALIEN FRANCHISE.

Hyper-sleep is a (2) fold procedure that let's the majority of the crew sleep during the long voyage (2 years can be very boring), and second conserve resources during the mission. David is a active part of the ship and the crew, maintaining both during the mission.