Bad science in fiction Hall of Shame

[Gargamel]

4 hours ago, DAL59 said:

The movie wouldn't have lost any plot

I disagree.   Maybe not the worm thing exactly, but they had been trapped on the prison level, and they needed to escape.   And they needed to go somewhere they could be lost by the pursuing troopers.   So the garbage pit was a convenient place for them to go.  But they couldn't just get away that easy, there needed to be some conflict within the pit. 

4 hours ago, DAL59 said:

Sure, it could be for waste processing, but why do you need a garbage area and compressor at all?  Just dump it into space!

It's not a moon, it's a space station.   There are ships constantly coming and going from the station.   So they needed to compact all their waste into larger blocks, after recycling as much as possible I'd assume, so that there's wasn't a kessler syndrome forming around the station.  Larger blocks are easier to avoid that a field of small debris. 

Or maybe that's where the Falcon did the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs?   So maybe the time v distance argument is void.   The kessel run is a large field of debris, and ships have to manuever through it at high speed.   The smaller the number of parsecs, the denser the field, and the harder the run is.  So maybe 12 parsecs is a really difficult size of debris field to manuever.    Of course, 39 light years is a pretty big debris field, that's a lot of space junk. 

[kerbiloid]

18 hours ago, DAL59 said:

there just a worm hanging out in the garbage area?  Sure, it could be for waste processing, but why do you need a garbage area and compressor at all?  Just dump it into space!  How did the worm get there? 

That garbage crusher was added to crush the garbage worms.

Watch s01e05 Empire Kicks Strikes Back to see what happens if just throw the garbage with alive worms into space. A whole asteroid can be contaminated.

Edited October 10, 2018 by kerbiloid

[p1t1o]

23 minutes ago, kerbiloid said:

s01e05

[kerbiloid]

TIE Fighters.

Spoiler

 

Edited October 10, 2018 by kerbiloid

[DAL59]

Planes can glide.  They don't just stop in midair and instantly fall like a brick when their is an EMP.

[wumpus]

11 hours ago, DAL59 said:

Planes can glide.  They don't just stop in midair and instantly fall like a brick when their is an EMP.

Planes that fly by wire may just do that, depending on what the actuators did when hit by the EMP (and we'll just assume they froze in that position).  Having the control surfaces at various extreme positions, and no power is a great way to stall.  Once they stall they pretty much fall like a brick.  Of course, that takes a bit of time and doesn't look as good on a movie screen.

Do many jetliners fly by wire?  I even semi-recent Airbus planes do, but I'd only expect Boeing 777 and later (basically anything they completely subcontracted out; it seems an "unBoeing" way to do things).

[p1t1o]

Some good info here:

https://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1353889

http://www.empcommission.org/reports.php

 

With a 5-minute review, it appears that the answer to the question of what would happen, exactly, to an airliner hit by an EMP, is "unknown". 

Whilst some efforts to comply with routine resistance to interference regulations might provide significant protection under some circumstances, EMPs and their effects can vary wildly and airframes are not tested under realistic EMP conditions. Although it does appear that manufacturers have at least considered the possibility.

There is mention of certain boxes of electronics though, that if compromised, could cause a "catastrophic" effect. Which seems like code for "stops being an aircraft, becomes brick".

Further, disruption to air traffic control infrastructure could pose further danger.

Quote

Although commercial aircraft have proven EM protection against naturally occurring EM environments, we cannot confirm safety of flight following EMP exposure. Moreover, if the complex air traffic control system is damaged by EMP, restoration of full services could take months or longer. 

 

[Gargamel]

21 hours ago, DAL59 said:

Planes can glide.  They don't just stop in midair and instantly fall like a brick when their is an EMP.

Which movie did this?   I mean obviously, but it depends on the plane.  Some planes just don't glide well at all, some do.   And as mentioned, unless there's some mechanical backup system, FBW planes might not stop in midair, but their flight path might resemble a brick. 

[DAL59]

2 hours ago, Gargamel said:

Which movie did this?   I mean obviously, but it depends on the plane.  Some planes just don't glide well at all, some do.   And as mentioned, unless there's some mechanical backup system, FBW planes might not stop in midair, but their flight path might resemble a brick. 

The 5th wave, which is bad movie in many, many ways.  

[ARS]

See this:

http://personal.psu.edu/staff/t/w/twa101/whatmayhappen.pdf

And compare it with what the world looks today

[magnemoe]

41 minutes ago, ARS said:

See this:

http://personal.psu.edu/staff/t/w/twa101/whatmayhappen.pdf

And compare it with what the world looks today

Hit amazing well. Mostly because its very conservative and follow up on existing trends assuming something is rare but growing fast will be common in the future. 
Yes some misses, no mosquitoes or wild animals is most striking. 
Predict air warfare and tanks pretty well. 

[kerbiloid]

2 hours ago, ARS said:

http://personal.psu.edu/staff/t/w/twa101/whatmayhappen.pdf

And compare it with what the world looks today

He missed just a little. Not 100 but 200 years.

P.S.
Have they evacuated him from the past at last?

Edited October 14, 2018 by kerbiloid

[KG3]

On ‎10‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 7:20 PM, Gargamel said:

Which movie did this?   I mean obviously, but it depends on the plane.  Some planes just don't glide well at all, some do.   And as mentioned, unless there's some mechanical backup system, FBW planes might not stop in midair, but their flight path might resemble a brick. 

 

If the plane was configured for take off or landing and all of it's  systems failed it would probably stall and come down rather quickly.  The longest glide of a commercial airliner was about 120 km by an Airbus A330-300.  They lost power to both engines as they were cruising at 39,000 ft because of a fuel leak.  These planes have a small wind turbine that can deploy to give limited power to some of the planes electrical systems and hydraulics, so they did have some control over the plane.  The scariest part I think was that the cabin slowly decompressed because the air compressors stopped working!          

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie55MjoVHLw

 

[kerbiloid]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lift-to-drag_ratio

https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-glide-ratio

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

7 hours ago, magnemoe said:

Hit amazing well. Mostly because its very conservative and follow up on existing trends assuming something is rare but growing fast will be common in the future. 
Yes some misses, no mosquitoes or wild animals is most striking. 
Predict air warfare and tanks pretty well. 

Compared to 1900, there really are very few insects or rodents in many cities, only the most tenacious (like mosquitoes) are still around.

The most spot-on prediction was probably being able to buy fruits anywhere, even if they are out-of-season.

I want high speed ocean liners and airships though.

[Gargamel]

9 hours ago, KG3 said:

 

If the plane was configured for take off or landing and all of it's  systems failed it would probably stall and come down rather quickly.  The longest glide of a commercial airliner was about 120 km by an Airbus A330-300.  They lost power to both engines as they were cruising at 39,000 ft because of a fuel leak.  These planes have a small wind turbine that can deploy to give limited power to some of the planes electrical systems and hydraulics, so they did have some control over the plane.  The scariest part I think was that the cabin slowly decompressed because the air compressors stopped working!          

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie55MjoVHLw

 

But still not as awesome as the Gimly Glider, from the error that caused it, to the amazing piloting skills, to them landing on what turned out not to be an abandoned air force runway, but an active racetrack, during a festival. 

[Superfluous J]

While we're on the slightly off-topic topic of things being actually correct in sci fi, I remember the otherwise unremarkable show TekWar being shockingly accurate in its predictions. It didn't always get the tech right, but it was scary how well they pegged the social impact of it.

[DAL59]

14 hours ago, magnemoe said:

Yes some misses, no mosquitoes or wild animals is most striking. 

I mean, there are far less insects and wildlife in the US than in nondeveloped nations.

Quote

Hot and cold air from spigets

Accurate prediction, though the mental image it conjures is hilarious

Quote

Anyone who cannot run 10 miles will be seen as a weakling

This is the only thing they got completely wrong.  

Quote

Airships will shoot lightning bolts

This was a few years before planes, so its fair that they imaged an airship airforce

 

[kerbiloid]

3 hours ago, DAL59 said:

Quote

Anyone who cannot run 10 miles will be seen as a weakling

This is the only thing they got completely wrong.  

Not that completely wrong but we have successfully invented a lot of euphemisms and excuses.

P.S.
Or did he mean per week?

Edited October 15, 2018 by kerbiloid

[KerbMav]

On 10/10/2018 at 1:32 AM, Gargamel said:

Or maybe that's where the Falcon did the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs?   So maybe the time v distance argument is void.   The kessel run is a large field of debris, and ships have to manuever through it at high speed.   The smaller the number of parsecs, the denser the field, and the harder the run is.  So maybe 12 parsecs is a really difficult size of debris field to manuever.    Of course, 39 light years is a pretty big debris field, that's a lot of space junk. 

Almost. In some book or another they explained it being a cluster of black holes, and the goal was to fly the shortest route, so dangerously close to them. It does not 100% fit the question of whether the Falcon is a fast ship, but to avoid the gravity of a black hole you want to be quite fast or at least have strong engines, which ends up being the same in space, I guess.

[KerikBalm]

5 hours ago, DAL59 said:

This is the only thing they got completely wrong. 

It said walk, not run, and I agree with him, if you can't walk 10 miles when you need to, something is wrong (of course, given the obesity rates, something is wrong with a lot of people. Still Here I am 100+ years later, and I agree with his statement. You should be able to walk 10 miles at once). The schools generally do have compulsory physical education (even if its a bit of a joke).

Also, the reference to thunderbolts may be a metaphor, or poetic. Right after talking about hurling thunderbolts, they mention the necessity of bomb-proof shelters.... bomb proof, not lightning proof. Air raid shelters are very much a thing.

The worst prediction was that air travel would not successfully compete with cars or ships for passenger travel... although he did said airships... Maybe if he had written just 5 years later, he'd have considered the future of airplanes

[DAL59]

4 hours ago, KerikBalm said:

9 hours ago, DAL59 said:

This is the only thing they got completely wrong. 

It said walk, not run, and I agree with him, if you can't walk 10 miles when you need to, something is wrong (of course, given the obesity rates, something is wrong with a lot of people. Still Here I am 100+ years later, and I agree with his statement. You should be able to walk 10 miles at once). The schools generally do have compulsory physical education (even if its a bit of a joke).

 

I mean, I can, but more and more americans are obese, something few sci-fi writers predicted.  

[KG3]

On ‎10‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 7:32 PM, Gargamel said:

 

Or maybe that's where the Falcon did the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs?   So maybe the time v distance argument is void.   The kessel run is a large field of debris, and ships have to manuever through it at high speed.   The smaller the number of parsecs, the denser the field, and the harder the run is.  So maybe 12 parsecs is a really difficult size of debris field to manuever.    Of course, 39 light years is a pretty big debris field, that's a lot of space junk. 

Ok, this is a pet peeve of mine.  A parsec = the apparent parallax movement of one arc second of an astronomical object compared to more distant objects due to earths motion around the sun.  So a parsec probably is not a standard unit in an interstellar society.  Unless it's like a foot, which was a particular persons foot at one point but most people have switched to metric...

I liked the movie Men In Black.  At one point in one of the movies aliens give earth 3 standard galactic months to return their (whatever it was, can't remember) or else they would blow up the earth.  Then they say 3 standard galactic months = about 20 minutes!  

[wumpus]

56 minutes ago, KG3 said:

I liked the movie Men In Black.  At one point in one of the movies aliens give earth 3 standard galactic months to return their (whatever it was, can't remember) or else they would blow up the earth.  Then they say 3 standard galactic months = about 20 minutes!  

Presumably the Imperial Homeland Planet has a primary moon with a ~7 minute orbit.  It can't possibly have an atmosphere.  It is probably also inside the Roche limit.  This may qualify as "bad science fiction", but presumably requires pretty specialized knowledge before someone can work out the Roche limit just from the orbital period (Hollywood gets things so wrong children can point out the flaws).

[cubinator]

On 10/14/2018 at 5:31 AM, ARS said:

See this:

http://personal.psu.edu/staff/t/w/twa101/whatmayhappen.pdf

And compare it with what the world looks today

Very interesting. They knew coal was not going to last, but perhaps didn't know of a way to harness solar energy yet? That seems like the more likely path than making everything water-based.

Many of these assumptions, while mostly on the right track, were made to extremes, which is unrealistic. (Particularly those about food.)

I find it curious that they didn't consider airplane-like travel, or even rocket travel to be a potential for popular mobilization. Scientists at the time surely knew that a vehicle that glides like a bird would be possible to construct, and the possibility of rocket travel to the Moon had already been outlined in scientific papers before 1900. 

I would very much enjoy bringing an interested person here from the past to show them all around, what we can do today, , what is coming next, and what has happened in between. Would make a great book...