Ooh, yeah, that's a point... But that would make them look pretty weird, wouldn't it?
A trunk-dolphin...
And, Guru, althoug I see what you are saying for the most part, you are operating on the assumption that TK ability is bound by normal laws of physics. I don't like to wander too far from good old physical limits, but I myself see that the human brain is infinitely more powerful than we have yet learned to use it. If some attempt were made to fully explore the dormant TK power the brain may have, it might be found that it is possible to do a whole number of things that our modern physicists never imagined.
A skilled TK mind might be able to generate an apple from thin air by arranging particles on the sub-sub-atomic level... Below quarks, who knows how the world works? Or, perhaps such a person could find a way to fully tranform energy into matter. Like, by somehow harvesting solar energy for a while, a person might be able to turn that energy into an equivalent amount of matter. (E=mc2 backwards... the opposite of a nuclear blast...)
I admit that we shouldn't rely on physics being so fluid and trivial that we can fly beyond it, but the full potential of telekinetics should not be ruled out.
And as for the Dolphins, it might not take a lot of TK to let them build a society. Just enough to move small rocks, or manipulate the shape, temperature, density, etc. of seaweed of native plants might allow them to make their aired bubble-cities that I imagine. And who knows what kind of natural resources they have?
(another thought on TK... even if a single Dolphin is not strong enough, a group of six or more might be able to fold space using this TK power, which would be an easy way for them to reach earth.)
Sorry for fixating on this TK thing, but it just occured to me... The brain works by building neural pathways in early development, right? Or, it has been said, it starts with all pathways and then destroys a few of them because they get atrophy after six months of life. I hope I understand this...
So... if a human begins with embedded TK ability that is never put to use because of this brain-cell atrophy, would it be possible to keep these cells awake from an early stage, to end up with a full grown man with full-blown telekinetic ability?
Hmm... I'll put it in one of my stories some time, at least.
Any other thoughts on this? Anyone want to break back into the Dolphin society speculations?
-DataBob