SciFi history?

[kacir]

Originally Posted by BenG

Two atoms of hydrogen, one atom of oxygen. Yes, keep away from that stuff.

Look it up.
On many occasions pranksters wrote great text describing Dihydrogen Monoxide like:
Dihydrogen monoxide:

* is called "hydroxyl acid", the substance is the major component of acid rain.
* contributes to the "greenhouse effect".
* may cause severe burns.
* is fatal if inhaled.
* contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
* accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
* may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.
* has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.

Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:

* as an industrial solvent and coolant.
* in nuclear power plants.
* in the production of Styrofoam.
* as a fire retardant.
* in many forms of cruel animal research.
* in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
* as an additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food products.

And many, many similar observations, like:
The situation is so dire that Dihydrogen Monoxide was identified in the milk of brest-feeding mothers, it was found in alarming levels in arctic ice ...

Then they asked people people to sign petition to ban the stuff.

see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydro...involving_DHMO

[nyrath]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

SF shows often use a "foil" to provide excuses for exposition, like annoying children (looking at you, Wesley!) or alien companions that are "not well-versed in Human ways," etc.

Oh, that is ancient. There is a lot of 1930's era science fiction with scenes that start with the protagonist saying "So, tell me doctor, how does this work?"

[Penforhire]

Star Trek landing parties had the safety factor of the red shirt staff. Talk about hazardous duty! "George, you're up for the next landing party. Did you update your will?"

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by nyrath

Oh, that is ancient. There is a lot of 1930's era science fiction with scenes that start with the protagonist saying "So, tell me doctor, how does this work?"

And the reason so many 50s and 60s sci-fi movies included ever-present reporters.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

Star Trek landing parties had the safety factor of the red shirt staff. Talk about hazardous duty! "George, you're up for the next landing party. Did you update your will?"

Makes you wonder how Humans and Klingons could have been enemies for so long: Any Klingon would jump at the chance to die for his fellow crewmen...

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

And the reason so many 50s and 60s sci-fi movies included ever-present reporters.

I believe the technical term for that usage is "As you know, Bob...", and applied to the sort of expository blobs intended to convey background to the reader.

SF writers may succeed or fail based on how deftly they handle it.
______
Dennis

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

Makes you wonder how Humans and Klingons could have been enemies for so long: Any Klingon would jump at the chance to die for his fellow crewmen...

Well, they'd jump at the chance to die gloriously in battle... Saving fellow crewmen might be a fringe benefit.

"Hey! It's not fair! It was my turn to die gloriously in battle and bring honor to my family and my clan! He jumped the line!"
______
Dennis

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

In the earliest sci-fi, villains were almost always tailored to be symbolic of enemy superpowers. Then villains were tailored to be symbolic of human prejudices. Later, sci-fi villains were tailored to be symbolic of runaway technology/nature damaged by technology. In more recent sci-fi, enemies were tailored to be symbolic of inhuman corporate interests and greed.

I keep wondering what's next to represent sci-fi villainy? I suspect sci-fi will borrow from horror films and the villain will symbolize the damaged human psyche.

Not to be confused with the "mad scientist." (In the "funny how things work out" department: We might not have the stereotypical sci-fi device of the "mad scientist," if not for bad editing of the movie Metropolis that reduced a brilliant and tragic character to an erratic madman.)

[Penforhire]

I think we're in the era of political villains (e.g. terrorists and selfish politicians). Oh, you meant in fiction...

[crich70]

Sure there are those are the fictions that the U.S. Government creates to balance the budget. rofl.

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

(A poster elsewhere when I mentioned this asked if there were Third Order idiot plots that required the readers to be idiots.)
___
Dennis

[crich70]

I remember reading a short piece in Readers Digest where a soldier asked about phosperus and his superior officer gave him a long spiel about it and how dangerous the stuff was and then asked why he wanted to know. Turned out it was one of the ingredients in his soft drink. lol.

Originally Posted by kacir

Look it up.
On many occasions pranksters wrote great text describing Dihydrogen Monoxide like:
Dihydrogen monoxide:

* is called "hydroxyl acid", the substance is the major component of acid rain.
* contributes to the "greenhouse effect".
* may cause severe burns.
* is fatal if inhaled.
* contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
* accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
* may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.
* has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.

Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:

* as an industrial solvent and coolant.
* in nuclear power plants.
* in the production of Styrofoam.
* as a fire retardant.
* in many forms of cruel animal research.
* in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
* as an additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food products.

And many, many similar observations, like:
The situation is so dire that Dihydrogen Monoxide was identified in the milk of brest-feeding mothers, it was found in alarming levels in arctic ice ...

Then they asked people people to sign petition to ban the stuff.

see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydro...involving_DHMO

[DMcCunney]

[QUOTE=crich70;1113087]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

(A poster elsewhere when I mentioned this asked if there were Third Order idiot plots that required the readers to be idiots.)

The response I made at the time was "Yes, they're called Star Trek novels.", and grinned, ducked and ran.

Sure there are those are the fictions that the U.S. Government creates to balance the budget. rofl.

I might argue those are Fourth Order Idiot Plots: they require the creators to be idiots...
______
Dennis

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

I think we're in the era of political villains (e.g. terrorists and selfish politicians). Oh, you meant in fiction...

I don't usually distinguish political villains and corporate villains, since it's so obvious who the political villains work for...

[Solitaire1]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

Star Trek landing parties had the safety factor of the red shirt staff. Talk about hazardous duty! "George, you're up for the next landing party. Did you update your will?"

It's not the color of the shirt that is the factor, its the person's position. In "Star Trek - The Original Series" red shirts indicated the individual is in security. They are the individuals who are supposed to put themselves in danger.

"Star Trek - The Next Generation" Worf and Yar both wore yellow shirts because both were in security. They tended to be the ones who were put in direct physical danger. Yar died early in the series, and Worf tended to be the one who often went into hand-to-hand combat with opponents.

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

Makes you wonder how Humans and Klingons could have been enemies for so long: Any Klingon would jump at the chance to die for his fellow crewmen...

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

Well, they'd jump at the chance to die gloriously in battle... Saving fellow crewmen might be a fringe benefit.

"Hey! It's not fair! It was my turn to die gloriously in battle and bring honor to my family and my clan! He jumped the line!"
______
Dennis

This could be why Klingons all have to be excellent fighters. By the time it is worked out who will actually fight the opponent, only the ship's captain will still be alive to actually fight the enemy.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

I don't usually distinguish political villains and corporate villains, since it's so obvious who the political villains work for...

Politicians are out for number one, first, last, and always.

The primary goal of any elected official is to get re-elected. This gives them a fairly simple view of issues.

1) My constituents will like it. It will get me votes! I'm for it!

2) My constituents won'tl like it. It will cost me votes! I'm against it!

3) My constituents won't care one way or the other, so I'll do a deal. My support on this for you, in exchange for your support on this thing I want!

#3 is where the real work gets done, and the genesis of "He's an honest politician. He stays bought." If a politician makes that sort of deal, he better keep his word, it he expects anyone to do other deals with him in the future.

There are politicians presumed to be in corporate pockets, but you have to consider why. In some cases, the corporation is a major employer in the politician's area, and what's good for the company is good for the voters who elected the politician. He wants votes, so... In the more common case, the corporation is a major contributor to his campaign fund. Election campaigns are extremely expensive, and if a favor or two for a corporate sponsor produces funding, favors get done.

Ultimately, they stay in office because their constituents are happy enough with them to re-elect them. Sometimes you scratch your head and wonder why. An old friend went to grad school down south. He described the campaign of a local sheriff running for re-election against a reform candidate. His campaign platform was simple: "Y'all know me. Ah been yore sherriff for nigh on twenny years now. Ah already stole everything ah want! You let them new guys in, they gonna be in there grabbin' with both hands!" He was re-elected in a landslide, by constituents who probably said "Course they would! Be what I'd do!"

Was it de Tocqueville who said "The people get the government they deserve?".

(It's attributed to him, but it's been attributed to Thomas Jefferson and Shakespeare among others as well.)
______
Dennis