The Science in Science Fiction - Part 1
September 29th 2006 02:56
The Science in Science Fiction - Part 1
Nope you won’t find any here.
Science fiction is to this generation that the Western was to previous generations. It captures the imagination and offers a world that is just around the corner. The world of tomorrow may not be perfect but it offers adventures that are beyond the mundane life that we are living today. Even contemporary science fiction with hidden aliens and secret conspiracies somehow makes the confines of reality stretch. In the two great themes of science fiction Utopia and Armageddon we ponder thought that only great people should ponder. We zoom across the galaxy through wormholes and hyperspace searching for answers to the great questions. How do we kill that blob like monster in the bowls of our reactor? The meaning of life has more to do with a giant black cornflake box than anything else. Our buildings reach higher than the clouds and cities sit on the bottom of the ocean. Instantly we communicate with our colony on a distant star as they send a message of help to defeat the invading creatures. Yep, it’s a pretty cool world and because it is Science fiction and it is better than Real fiction.
In the opening scenes of Star Wars we see the escaping rebel spaceship being attacked by the Evil Empire. The engines rumble and roar as explosions and blasters deafen the audience. It is a glorious and loud battle in THX surround sound. The only problem is space is a vacuum and incapable transmitting any noise. Sound is vibrations in air so any explosion in space would be absolutely silent. Since we are on the question of air why would any space fighter need wings or tails. There is absolutely nothing to use them to steer against.
Another common device in space is the instant communications across the universe. We see in almost every space film where they need to communicate a problem back to Earth. Of course they are not concerned with the fact that radio waves can only travel at the speed of light and if you are 100 light years away it would take exactly 100 years for message to reach Earth. That is 100 years to say ‘Huston I think we have a problem’ and another 100 years for you to hear the reply, ‘Is it really serious?’ After 200 years it had better be cataclysmic because you died of old age long before they replied.
Here is an interesting problem that Albert Einstein created when he started contemplating his theory of relativity. Instantly he limited all speed to that of light and calculated that the closer you get to the speed of light the more energy is required. This energy consumption expediential and would consume all the energy in the universe before you achieve the speed. So what are these faster than light ships being fueled with? Another problem is that when travel faster your force in a collision increases. Eventually you would reach a speed where hitting a grain of sand would be like hitting a planet. There would be one hell of a big (and silent) explosion with you vaporized in an instant.
Since we are suspending belief lets talk about the invading aliens. This I like. You will often see a science fiction story where the alien monsters come to Earth for our women. These are hyped upon on testosterone and will only settle for the hottest babes we have. Why? To take them to a dark place and forcibly breed with them. Little monster hybrid sit neatly impregnated in there Earth mother hosts. I could mention the problems with trying to get two completely different species have a hope in hell of getting anything close to pregnancy but I won’t. Instead I ask you if it is plausible that a species from another planet, that looks nothing like us would find our hot babes as attractive as the hot babes of their own species? It is like us going to beach and chasing after squids. I just don’t see it happen.
Nope you won’t find any here.
Science fiction is to this generation that the Western was to previous generations. It captures the imagination and offers a world that is just around the corner. The world of tomorrow may not be perfect but it offers adventures that are beyond the mundane life that we are living today. Even contemporary science fiction with hidden aliens and secret conspiracies somehow makes the confines of reality stretch. In the two great themes of science fiction Utopia and Armageddon we ponder thought that only great people should ponder. We zoom across the galaxy through wormholes and hyperspace searching for answers to the great questions. How do we kill that blob like monster in the bowls of our reactor? The meaning of life has more to do with a giant black cornflake box than anything else. Our buildings reach higher than the clouds and cities sit on the bottom of the ocean. Instantly we communicate with our colony on a distant star as they send a message of help to defeat the invading creatures. Yep, it’s a pretty cool world and because it is Science fiction and it is better than Real fiction.
In the opening scenes of Star Wars we see the escaping rebel spaceship being attacked by the Evil Empire. The engines rumble and roar as explosions and blasters deafen the audience. It is a glorious and loud battle in THX surround sound. The only problem is space is a vacuum and incapable transmitting any noise. Sound is vibrations in air so any explosion in space would be absolutely silent. Since we are on the question of air why would any space fighter need wings or tails. There is absolutely nothing to use them to steer against.
Another common device in space is the instant communications across the universe. We see in almost every space film where they need to communicate a problem back to Earth. Of course they are not concerned with the fact that radio waves can only travel at the speed of light and if you are 100 light years away it would take exactly 100 years for message to reach Earth. That is 100 years to say ‘Huston I think we have a problem’ and another 100 years for you to hear the reply, ‘Is it really serious?’ After 200 years it had better be cataclysmic because you died of old age long before they replied.
Here is an interesting problem that Albert Einstein created when he started contemplating his theory of relativity. Instantly he limited all speed to that of light and calculated that the closer you get to the speed of light the more energy is required. This energy consumption expediential and would consume all the energy in the universe before you achieve the speed. So what are these faster than light ships being fueled with? Another problem is that when travel faster your force in a collision increases. Eventually you would reach a speed where hitting a grain of sand would be like hitting a planet. There would be one hell of a big (and silent) explosion with you vaporized in an instant.
Since we are suspending belief lets talk about the invading aliens. This I like. You will often see a science fiction story where the alien monsters come to Earth for our women. These are hyped upon on testosterone and will only settle for the hottest babes we have. Why? To take them to a dark place and forcibly breed with them. Little monster hybrid sit neatly impregnated in there Earth mother hosts. I could mention the problems with trying to get two completely different species have a hope in hell of getting anything close to pregnancy but I won’t. Instead I ask you if it is plausible that a species from another planet, that looks nothing like us would find our hot babes as attractive as the hot babes of their own species? It is like us going to beach and chasing after squids. I just don’t see it happen.
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Comment by nagster
Cenacle
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
It is not that I hate Science Fiction but I just can't read the Pulp Science Fictions. However it is sometimes the first introduction to science that most people have. Real science is so many times more fascinating than the fictional version. It even makes finding the mistakes in Science Fiction fun.