Star Trek....

[kathyv]

Can I ask how old you are Artoo? What do you remember about the world before all our cute little tech toys of today?
Sure a cell phone has a superficial resemblance to a communicator NOW but in 1967? Did YOU ever see a mobile phone in 1967? We had a heavy black wall mounted one that could break your toe if you dropped the handset! Walkie Talkies were hi tech!

Who is to say that in 100 years transporting people in the 'beam me up Scotty way' WON'T be a reality?

Remember when people heard sonic booms and thought something had blown up? Chuck Yeager's pals KNEW he'd blown up that plane! Traveling faster than the speed of sound once was as unreal to humanity as Trans Worp Drive is now.


Remember when Lazers were unbelievable? What about computers taking up an entire wing of a building? You couldn't have a PC in your home! Where would you live? Forget satellite TV, we thought we were Hi Tech when my dad rigged an antena on the roof and we got rid of the Rabbit Ears! We laugh at that thinking now. At one time jet propulsion was considered unbelievable. Rockets were right out of Flash Gordon. People were afraid of electricity. Calling another person on a telephone was unbelievable, the internet was unimaginable. What about cloning? That's right out of Science Fiction! We all flocked to see the scf fi flick, Clones. We thought there is NO WAY! What a crock, but look what's going on in the world! It's a good thing people got past that unbelieving stage and actually developed some of these unbelievable things. The world would be a vastly different place today IF some technological devices hadn't started in the unbelievableness of Science Fiction.

If you would like to see this kind of topic discussed in the Lit/Film forum you are welcome to begin a Sci Fi thread there. You should also know thast I did start a Sci Fi thread there and it was not well received. Maybe you will have better luck.

In the mean time, I am choosing to leave this thread here. I invite you to join in the discussion. If you have a problem with this decision, you are welcome to contact admin.

[Artoo]

You're mixing scientific problems with technological problems. Few of our gadgets, not faster-than-sound aircraft nor cellular phones, were ever regarded as scientifically impossible. We simply didn't have the technology to make them (vide da Vinci's helicopter).

Faster-than-light travel is fundamentally different. Relativity is so counter-intuituve that it's probably the most tested theory of all time, and the accumulating weight of evidence supports it. That rules out interstellar travel for us.

That's not to say I'll not suspend my disbelief for the sake of a good story - especially for Iain Banks, who emphasises that the 'science' in his books is fiction.

But now that we're talking physics and not characterisation or plot, I'm happy to add my tuppence worth in this forum. Might even re-read 'The Physics of Star Trek'.

Artoo.

BTW, I'm the wrong side of 50, was programming computers in 1969, worked on the design of supersonic aircraft (inc Concorde) in 1974, have lectured to IBM Europe, was in the military (part-time) for 20 years, and assisted (in a small way) in the engineering of the GEO600 gravity wave detector. I've also designed golf clubs. The gory details aren't secret and are at: http://www.mech.gla.ac.uk/~rthomson

[kathyv]

I am glad to have you join in the discussion Artoo. Obviously I can not compare with your scientific knowledge but I can and do appreciate any advances made by the scientific community. Nice website, thanks for sharing that with us. From your info, I expect you do remember the world before all our tech toys, you possible worked on some yourself. Can you honestly say that Science hasn't been influenced by Science Fiction?

So, if interstellar travel is out for us, why is man so fascinated with space travel?
(OFF TOPIC, YOU!)LOL

Back to the Topic.
Does anyone remember the episode in TNG where the brother and sister were trying to proove that Worp Drive was dangerous to their planet's lifeforms? Would something happening far out in space, like nuclear powered movement affect life?

[Mistress]

[i]lol...

I am not getting involved with the whole sci-fi.. lol.. discussion.. cause I will admit, I'm clueless.. I come in here to learn and read..

Artoo.. I understand you, as I also understand Kathy.. but honestly.. it Can go both ways.. and I don't see how it is of any harm to discuss a scientific program in here.. .. You also are more then welcome to start any thread in here too, as you are all over the forum. Here sounds like it would be a great place for you, for that is some resume.. you have Glad to have you with us!

Ok.. Topic.... lol.. No kathy I never seen that one.. but I will leave with just two words..

CLING ON'S

LMAO

[Artoo]

Originally posted by kathyv
Can you honestly say that Science hasn't been influenced by Science Fiction?

So, if interstellar travel is out for us, why is man so fascinated with space travel?
[/b]

Well, yes! It's the other way around - a good SF author researches the scientific possibilities before writing anything. In any case, most SF (even Star Trek) is more about how individuals and societies interact in unusual situations - the 'science' is only there to create the 'unusual' bit. Which is why many people now prefer to call it 'speculative fiction'.

And as for travel, we've always been excited by exploratory travel - space is just the latest 'ocean' to cross. I'm all for it and I expect we'll do some interplanetary exploring within the solar system. It's the interstellar bit that's impossible. Which (touching on another thread) is why visitations from LGM are just plain nonsense.

[kathyv]

This is beginning to get off topic and Talon, I am sorry about that.

Artoo, have you read Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451? This deals with a girl whose family has moved to Venus where it rains 99.99% of the time. She developes Seasonal Depression and suffers from lack of sun. This was published in 1953, during the McCarthy terror and is directed at that type of censorship. BUT! The Seasonal Depression refrences were basically unheard of then. Were studies going on then or did studies begin because of fiction like this?

I think we need to start a new thread about the 'marriage' of Science and Sci-fi! LOL

[Talon]

Originally posted by kathyv
This is beginning to get off topic and Talon, I am sorry about that.

Dont worry about it hon....I will start a new thread over in the film section of the board to chat about it...to be honest I doubt you will see me much now over here..lol...I dont really have the mental capacity to be debating/chatting with engineers on the subjects or the depth rather of the subjects that you will be wanting to change this section into...I dont disagree though I guess this science and technology section should be more serious or something...I just hope enough engineers come visiting to make it all worthwhile...though I am sure that they will in time...and I agree that with artoo's experience he would make a positive addition to this forum moderatorship

Good luck

You will find me over in the silly sections