Top sci-fi games usually draw heavily from the real world while building on our existing knowledge in the creation of their fiction. The Mass Effect series does this better than most, creating an intricate and detailed universe crammed with some of the finest scientific trivia seen in video games.

　　We thought it would be interesting to investigate some of the questions raised by the series, specifically concerning alien life. We begin by asking why we are yet to meet any real-life analogues of Krogan, Turian, or (fingers crossed) sexy monogendered Asari.

　　For more on the science of Mass Effect, check out another video feature from theoretical physicist and science populariser Michio Kaku. He explains some of the physics-based tropes of the series, including Mass Effect drives and cloaking technology.

　　Got any more theories about the primordial ooze that gave rise to the species of Mass Effect? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below, and if you would like to see more science/video game mashups, take a look at our previous explorations of Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Assassin's Creed.