Comments on: Bad science in science fiction http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/11/bad-science-in-science-fiction/ Thinking and Linking by Joanne Jacobs Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:51:22 +0000 hourly 1 By: Bad science in science fiction « Joanne Jacobs « Blogging http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/11/bad-science-in-science-fiction/#comment-52588 Bad science in science fiction « Joanne Jacobs « Blogging Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:28:03 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12183#comment-52588 [...] More:  Bad science in science fiction « Joanne Jacobs [...] [...] More:  Bad science in science fiction « Joanne Jacobs [...]

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]]> By: Richard Aubrey http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/11/bad-science-in-science-fiction/#comment-52586 Richard Aubrey Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:38:57 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12183#comment-52586 Eric. I had that thought about a nanosecond after I hit "submit", but my unfortunate encounter with organic chemistry was decades ago. Thanks for the update. Eric.
I had that thought about a nanosecond after I hit “submit”, but my unfortunate encounter with organic chemistry was decades ago.
Thanks for the update.

]]> By: uberVU - social comments http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/11/bad-science-in-science-fiction/#comment-52585 uberVU - social comments Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:14:41 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12183#comment-52585 <strong>Social comments and analytics for this post...</strong> This post was mentioned on Twitter by kriley19: Joanne Jacobs: Bad science in science fiction http://bit.ly/6DtgRO Full http://bit.ly/5UcmwY... Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by kriley19: Joanne Jacobs: Bad science in science fiction http://bit.ly/6DtgRO Full http://bit.ly/5UcmwY...

]]> By: Eric Jablow http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/11/bad-science-in-science-fiction/#comment-52584 Eric Jablow Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:32:32 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12183#comment-52584 Richard Aubrey, Instead of DNA, that was Kekulé and the benzene ring. Richard Aubrey,

Instead of DNA, that was Kekulé and the benzene ring.

]]> By: Richard Aubrey http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/11/bad-science-in-science-fiction/#comment-52583 Richard Aubrey Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:57:46 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12183#comment-52583 Tracy. That's what they do. The question was whether somebody less intelligent could write a really bright person well, and whether the rest of us could follow. For abstruse thought processes, didn't somebody get an idea for DNA by dreaming of a snake eating its tail? Try to get that past an editor as fiction. Tracy. That’s what they do. The question was whether somebody less intelligent could write a really bright person well, and whether the rest of us could follow.
For abstruse thought processes, didn’t somebody get an idea for DNA by dreaming of a snake eating its tail?
Try to get that past an editor as fiction.

]]> By: markm http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/11/bad-science-in-science-fiction/#comment-52582 markm Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:27:34 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12183#comment-52582 green: I think it's road building they haven't mastered. Wheels are of pretty limited use until someone smooths out a path for them to run on. Road building is low tech, but requires a large, forward-looking organization. Criminal gangs are unlikely to look that far forward, and I'd count both the Empire and it's predecessor, the Senate that ruled the Republic, as essentially equivalent to very large criminal gangs. Not that there's any reason an interstellar government <i>should</i> be concerned with road-building. That would be the job of either planetary and local governments, or of private organizations building toll roads. The way Lucas paints the Senate and the Empire, they'd wouldn't like local governments strong enough to build infrastructure - they could become centers of resistance. As for some company building toll roads for profit: (1) They'd be ripe targets for thieves - whether Senators, Imperial governors, or Jabba the Hutt. Jabba would probably be the cheapest to buy off, but isn't powerful enough to protect a company big enough to build a road network from the bigger sharks. (2) How can you make money off a toll road when people already own transportation that can zip off the road and float around the toll booths? OTOH, the movie scenes are all set either in the capital, where population density probably makes ground transportation useless for further than walking distances, or in fringe areas of the Empire and Republic, such as Tattooine, where even basic law enforcement seems to be missing. It's quite possible that Princess Leia's home planet (Aldebaran?) had effective local governments that built a road grid - until Darth Vader demonstrated the Death Star and eliminated a potential threat at the same time... green: I think it’s road building they haven’t mastered. Wheels are of pretty limited use until someone smooths out a path for them to run on.

Road building is low tech, but requires a large, forward-looking organization. Criminal gangs are unlikely to look that far forward, and I’d count both the Empire and it’s predecessor, the Senate that ruled the Republic, as essentially equivalent to very large criminal gangs. Not that there’s any reason an interstellar government should be concerned with road-building. That would be the job of either planetary and local governments, or of private organizations building toll roads. The way Lucas paints the Senate and the Empire, they’d wouldn’t like local governments strong enough to build infrastructure – they could become centers of resistance.

As for some company building toll roads for profit: (1) They’d be ripe targets for thieves – whether Senators, Imperial governors, or Jabba the Hutt. Jabba would probably be the cheapest to buy off, but isn’t powerful enough to protect a company big enough to build a road network from the bigger sharks. (2) How can you make money off a toll road when people already own transportation that can zip off the road and float around the toll booths?

OTOH, the movie scenes are all set either in the capital, where population density probably makes ground transportation useless for further than walking distances, or in fringe areas of the Empire and Republic, such as Tattooine, where even basic law enforcement seems to be missing. It’s quite possible that Princess Leia’s home planet (Aldebaran?) had effective local governments that built a road grid – until Darth Vader demonstrated the Death Star and eliminated a potential threat at the same time…

]]> By: Tracy W http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/11/bad-science-in-science-fiction/#comment-52581 Tracy W Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:53:58 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12183#comment-52581 Isn't figuring out stuff so the rest of us can follow what really intelligent people do in real life? Eg Darwin, Newton? Although I admit that I can't tell the difference between a really intelligent person who sucks at communicating and a random idiot. Isn’t figuring out stuff so the rest of us can follow what really intelligent people do in real life? Eg Darwin, Newton?
Although I admit that I can’t tell the difference between a really intelligent person who sucks at communicating and a random idiot.

]]> By: Richard Aubrey http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/11/bad-science-in-science-fiction/#comment-52580 Richard Aubrey Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:56:45 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12183#comment-52580 Mark. I like Holmes. But I have a problem with your description. I say this because I've been involved in a couple of issues which require the same kind of thought process. The problem is that first intervening conclusion is, say 95% likely to be right. The second is, too. The third is, say, 100%, followed by the fourth at 80%. A sequence like that will give you about 70% likelihood of being right. Doyle simply decreed that Holmes was right. Good stuff, of course, and not for a dummy to write or follow, but not really, really bright. At one point, I was taught to solve problems by figuring out the end state and working backwards. What did I need for the step immediately preceding the end state? What was necessary to enable that step? And so on backwards. If you're thinking out a problem like that, there's no way the failure of the dog to bark in the night would escape you. You'd figure the dog would bark and you'd have to have a plan. What would that be? Whatever it was, somebody did it. Had to. Not genius, but a method of problem solving. Taught in all the best schools. Or at least at Ft. Benning. Mark.
I like Holmes. But I have a problem with your description. I say this because I’ve been involved in a couple of issues which require the same kind of thought process.
The problem is that first intervening conclusion is, say 95% likely to be right. The second is, too. The third is, say, 100%, followed by the fourth at 80%. A sequence like that will give you about 70% likelihood of being right.
Doyle simply decreed that Holmes was right. Good stuff, of course, and not for a dummy to write or follow, but not really, really bright.
At one point, I was taught to solve problems by figuring out the end state and working backwards. What did I need for the step immediately preceding the end state? What was necessary to enable that step? And so on backwards.
If you’re thinking out a problem like that, there’s no way the failure of the dog to bark in the night would escape you. You’d figure the dog would bark and you’d have to have a plan. What would that be? Whatever it was, somebody did it. Had to.
Not genius, but a method of problem solving.
Taught in all the best schools. Or at least at Ft. Benning.

]]> By: Mark Roulo http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/11/bad-science-in-science-fiction/#comment-52579 Mark Roulo Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:44:52 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12183#comment-52579 <i>"If you will watch the brainy folks, they don’t show their intelligence by figuring stuff out that the rest of us couldn’t. If they did, we still couldn’t follow it."</i> Arthur Conan Doyle has this character named Sherlock Holmes ... :-) It is often quite possible for a reader to follow the explained thought process of a very smart character, while also realizing that they (the reader) couldn't do the same thing. -Mark Roulo “If you will watch the brainy folks, they don’t show their intelligence by figuring stuff out that the rest of us couldn’t. If they did, we still couldn’t follow it.”

Arthur Conan Doyle has this character named Sherlock Holmes … :-)

It is often quite possible for a reader to follow the explained thought process of a very smart character, while also realizing that they (the reader) couldn’t do the same thing.

-Mark Roulo

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