I hate Fiefeld SO much.

[Corporal Hicks]

He loves rocks.

I don't think it'd be too much of a stretch to think there'd have been some sort of face-to-face evaluation prior to their final selection. Just seems like it'd be a sensible expectation.

[SM]

Religious beliefs aren't terribly relevant for a scientific exploration mission.

[Corporal Hicks]

I don't mean to say they'd ask that specifically, just that a face-to-face evaluation like Phobos isn't a stretch.

[Paranoid Android]

Religious beliefs aren't terribly relevant for a scientific exploration mission.

Normally yes, but this is a Ridley Scott Alien prequel, so religious beliefs are the main reason why anyone does anything ever.

This is what I choose to believe.

[Biomechanoid]

Nornally yes, but this is a Ridley Scott Alien prequel, so religious beliefs are the main reason why anyone does anything ever.

This is what I choose to believe.

Clever.

[bb-15]

- What an interview process can do is find out what is not only what the applicant/advisor skills are, but also what they are interested in and what they believe.
- In the interview ask things like; what the applicant thinks about creationism involving space aliens. Then from the responses to that and similar questions, the company/Vickers decided who gots hired.

You've just made that up, though.

To make a less antagonizing point than SM's, we're discussing an aspect of the story that doesn't exist. So it's wide open for fan theory. What you describe how the interview might have went, sounds logical.

Except your theory they included an interview question like, what the applicant thinks about creationism involving space aliens. Besides this being an alarming question received by the interviewee, I find it unlikely an interviewer would even mention anything remotely revealing what their top secret mission is.

That unintentional innuendo would be a security risk. Not to mention, this is a question that would be asked of several people, not just one. Pretty high risk to share an abstract description so to speak of your top secret mission with several people who are not even picked for the mission.

Hey, just sharing.

1. I look at the exchange of information about scientists in our world. The number of science publications is vast and public.
I assume there is similar published information in the "Prometheus" fictional world.

2. The same complex symbol found in multiple ancient civilizations over thousands of years (in the film) would lend support to the ancient astronaut idea.
That would produce challenges to a pure view of Darwin's evolution theory in the fiction world of the movie.
There would be a scientific debate about this as part of the background of the film. 

3. In the backstory of "Prometheus", Shaw was peddling her idea of a mission to Zeta 2 Reticuli to the Weyland corporation.
In the main Blu-ray disk this information is in the section; Extras - The Peter Weyland Files - Quiet Eye: Elizabeth Shaw
This has notes that summarize the career and goals of Shaw / Holloway.

4. There is also a "Quiet Eye" film extras video which is on the web including on YouTube.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iOpAXTaGAlc

* In the video Shaw says she has at least 3 doctorates.
For a researcher like her to get her degrees she would need to publish.
Since her main ideas are about the same complex symbol being found around the world in ancient times, that information would be publicly known.

** What does that tell me?
* While the mission to LV-223 was secret, prior published information from Shaw/Holloway was not.
- Shaw & Holloway's data about the same symbol being in ancient cultures around the world would be known as it would be published.
- This would naturally lead to the hypothesis of space aliens affecting evolution on earth (a challenge to a pure view of Darwin's ideas).

* In "Prometheus" Weyland says that he considered Shaw's information.
- Vickers said that Weyland wanted Shaw and Holloway on the mission because he wanted true believers on board.
- Weyland and Vickers discuss what the real mission was; for Weyland to find a miracle.
- Weyland tells Shaw what that miracle is; he was looking for a cure for death.

* This tells me about the hiring process for a scientist on the mission.
- Weyland found people he wanted on the mission and had them put on board.

* There are also the two other scientists who were hired by Vickers and they are completely against any challenge to a pure view of Darwin's evolution theory.
- I cannot believe that was a coincidence created by random chance.
- Vickers seems to be a competent person who is aware of details. She would find out information about her science hires.
- In the scientific community of our world controversial ideas are discussed and scientists will publicly state their positions.
In our world there may be polls of scientists about certain hypotheses.
- In the "Prometheus" world opinionated scientists like MIlburn and Fifield imo would have commented on their support for Darwin's evolution theory.
- My conclusion is that Vickers knew that Milburn and Fifield would have a very negative position about any challenge to Darwin stirred up by Shaw's published data and that is why Vickers chose them.

* An objection to my idea is that any interview question which brings up creationism would give away the secrecy of the mission.
I'll clarify. A question doesn't have to be clumsy.
- And if a creationism question is a bad idea, then just stick to the topic of Darwin's theory of evolution. 
It can be framed in talking about challenges to Darwin's theory of evolution.
Clearly Milburn and Fifield were rigid about their belief the pure view of evolution.
This could be found out in the published research/discussions of the two scientists or in a questionnaire as part of a long list of questions.
- The employer could get the info they need without giving away what the mission is.

* Basically, in the film extras, which is backed up by the movie, Weyland investigated Shaw's career and ideas.
I think that it was a natural thing for Vickers to do the same thing with the scientists she hired which resulted in the complete conflict between Shaw/Holloway vs. Milburn/Fifield.

[Biomechanoid]

@BB-15, since creating my post you quoted, David Weyland brought up the point about Phobos. I added later the Phobos example endorses your theory. The single word game could have been used. Gather the information you need to know about an interviewee without revealing the classified mission.

[bb-15]

@BB-15, since creating my post you quoted, David Weyland brought up the point about Phobos. I added later the Phobos example endorses your theory. The single word game could have been used. Gather the information you need to know about an interviewee without revealing the classified mission.

Oops. LOL 
You know I skipped over your comment about the "Phobos" extras video for "Covenant"!
Thank you for bringing that topic up again.

Yes, you are right, the "Phobos" video shows many things which take place in highly structured interviews.
Using structured interview techniques, the company/agency can get information they want from the applicant without that person knowing details about the job.
For instance for a Vickers scientist applicant there could be 100+ questions/words/scenarios and one could be; 'what do you think of Darwin's theory of evolution?' Or 'True or False; Darwin's theory of evolution is always correct'.
The answer of the applicant to questions like this can then be rated on a scale from pure Darwinist belief to someone who is more open to things which could challenge a pure view of the theory of evolution.

- Another movie example of a very structured interview is the Voight-Kampff test from 1982 "Blade Runner" where the ~100 questions/scenarios presented are scripted. In that example the interviewer is looking for a lack of emotional response.
But that kind of interview could be adapted to get other knowledge from the subject.

In our world there are job interviews like this.
Some are done with lie detector machines but usually there is no special equipment.
In my experience structured interviews (with no special equipment) are often set up by the Human Resource department to defend against discrimination lawsuits. 

A common structure; there is an interview panel which states the questions/scenarios which are always the same.
The panel adds nothing during that part of the interview.
The responses of the applicant are rated on a confidential scale for each question/scenario presented.

* Vickers and her hiring the 2 scientists could easily have a rating scale designed which measured the devotion to Darwin's theory of evolution.
- And that interview could be done without the applicants knowing any of the details about the Prometheus mission.

[SM]

We don't even know if Vickers recruited Millburn and Fifield.

[Biomechanoid]

We don't even know if Vickers recruited Millburn and Fifield.

VICKERS: For those of you I hired personally, nice to see you again. For the rest of you, I'm Meredith Vickers and it's my job to make sure you do yours.

[SM]

Indeed.

[kwisatz]

Not enough Fifield hate.

[Scorpio]

The reason people hate Fifield is because he has no redemption arc.

Gorman had one, Hudson had one.  Not Fifield, though.

Although he did show some bravery trying to help Milburn.

[Local Trouble]

I bet even rocks hate Fifield.

[Scorpio]

That's harsh, man.  Really harsh.