Things that BUG YOU in sci-fi flicks?

[DrNewGod]

One that faintly bothers me is the depiction of laser weapons, in no small part b/c I worked in an industry that used a variety of them extensively.

There's no dodging a laser beam, even if you're light seconds away from it because by the time you can see the weapon being pointed at you, it's too late. Star Trek's usually been a bit better about that kind of thing than most sci-fi, but Kylo Ren shouldn't have made it out of the opening scene of TFA.

Another nasty thing about lasers is you don't dare operate one without eye protection. Several wavelengths of lasers, even otherwise relatively harmless varieties can flash boil the vitreous humor in your eyeballs if you're at all close to directly in front of them. There were (likely apocryphal) tales of soldiers blinded in tests of early laser range finders when the reflected beam came back through the aiming scope.

Which brings up another real downside to lasers as weapons: the closer an object's color to the beam's color, the more likely the target is to act like a mirror and Return To Sender. That's not a problem with invisible wavelengths, like x-ray, but I wouldn't recommend blasting a fire truck with a bright red laser (rolling around in the back of my head has long been a short story that includes a space battle in which the ships' shielding consists of color changing hulls, but, I digress).

Of course, on the other hand, anything transparent, even a force field, is not going to stop a laser, or even be affected by it in most cases. It'll pass thru as easily as sunlight unless the surface contains a substance prone to absorbing that wavelength.

[j9ac9k]

^^ I think Star Wars blasters are more plasma weapons than lasers, (I mean, a laser wouldn't make those sounds, would it?) so... they're slower? Btw, I really liked how Kaneda's laser weapon was depicted in "Akira." That really just looked like a laser rather than a "pew pew" raygun.

[ChrisIII]

I think that the blaster's fuel is generally Tibanna gas (Which Cloud City was mining) so I think that qualifies.

[DrNewGod]

^^ I think Star Wars blasters are more plasma weapons than lasers, (I mean, a laser wouldn't make those sounds, would it?) so... they're slower? Btw, I really liked how Kaneda's laser weapon was depicted in "Akira." That really just looked like a laser rather than a "pew pew" raygun.

Yeah, probably a fair point.

[Captain Smith]

That's a set of good points. I was mentioned that in context of Dr. Strange's auto shields that allowed him still to see out. Why wouldn't the visible light of lasers or a nova fry him. Was told it was just plot magic. In scif-fi movies, however, it would be a problem.

Speaking of BUG - in Starship Troopers, Carmen had a bug drive a massive spike through her shoulder. leaving a large hole. Then a few minutes later, she is walking around with no consequences, even though her clothes are soaked with blood.

Folks take tremendous blows to body, their head without consequences, never see a concussion.

[choptop]

One that faintly bothers me is the depiction of laser weapons, in no small part b/c I worked in an industry that used a variety of them extensively.

There's no dodging a laser beam, even if you're light seconds away from it because by the time you can see the weapon being pointed at you, it's too late. Star Trek's usually been a bit better about that kind of thing than most sci-fi, but Kylo Ren shouldn't have made it out of the opening scene of TFA.

Another nasty thing about lasers is you don't dare operate one without eye protection. Several wavelengths of lasers, even otherwise relatively harmless varieties can flash boil the vitreous humor in your eyeballs if you're at all close to directly in front of them. There were (likely apocryphal) tales of soldiers blinded in tests of early laser range finders when the reflected beam came back through the aiming scope.

Which brings up another real downside to lasers as weapons: the closer an object's color to the beam's color, the more likely the target is to act like a mirror and Return To Sender. That's not a problem with invisible wavelengths, like x-ray, but I wouldn't recommend blasting a fire truck with a bright red laser (rolling around in the back of my head has long been a short story that includes a space battle in which the ships' shielding consists of color changing hulls, but, I digress).

Of course, on the other hand, anything transparent, even a force field, is not going to stop a laser, or even be affected by it in most cases. It'll pass thru as easily as sunlight unless the surface contains a substance prone to absorbing that wavelength.

Ya but in the future or in comics type movie they have different laser technology we don't understand.

[kingaliencracker]

The way time travel is depicted in most fiction is frustrating.

[ChrisIII]

Doctor Who kind of just uses it as a storytelling device but kind of never quite made it overly consistent.

Apart from a few episodes that keep it sort of consistent (The New Earth trilogy, for example) there's about a ton of other contradictory futures for Earth, for example.

Not to mention three reasons for Atlantis sinking!

[j9ac9k]

Doctor Who kind of just uses it as a storytelling device but kind of never quite made it overly consistent.

Um, what part of "Big ball of Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey ... stuff" wasn't clear?

[Gray Lensman]

Doctor Who kind of just uses it as a storytelling device but kind of never quite made it overly consistent.

Apart from a few episodes that keep it sort of consistent (The New Earth trilogy, for example) there's about a ton of other contradictory futures for Earth, for example.

Not to mention three reasons for Atlantis sinking!

My description of Dr. Who is basically "The adventures of the Trickster God across space and time" and I have yet to see anything to make me think otherwise. Not saying that's bad, as I quite enjoy it, but I still think it's an apt description. It's science fantasy in perhaps it's purest form, even more so than Star Wars.

[DrNewGod]

Psionc folk who can't work their mojo without fondling their temples. With all the special effects available, can't actors trust the output and just work their expressions?

[ChrisIII]

Back to the Future's Time Travel does have some weird stuff going on too with how it works.

Like what happens to the Marty from improved 1985 ("Lone pine" Marty)? Is there a branching timeline somehow When he returns, is he not surprised at all by his parents and siblings being better?

Or evil 1985, is Marty still overseas?


I think the general handwave is that "our" Marty's memories adjusted to the new timeline somehow (The ripple effect or something).

Still did he totally erase the versions of them from the original timeline? Despite their problems, Those were still people after all so there's a sort of slight horror there. Heck Marty at one point in BTTF could see himself vanishing before George got the courage to get back with Lorraine. Now imagine that happening with nerdy George, drunk Lorraine, etc. as their reality is erased.


Also the plot hole of 1985 Doc in 1885 not knowing his 1955 version helped Marty and about being shot. Although the general joke is that Doc was on drugs in the 60s or did some experiment that made him forget that somehow.

[Nate Grey]

Since we're on Star Trek: your entire senior staff, ie the folks you see in the opening credits, on an away mission. If anything happens to them, then what?

Quickie example off the top of my head: I adore DS9's "Children of Time", I always list it as one of my top 10 DS9 eps...but it still shouldn't have been possible.

It "bugs" me, but doesn't destroy my enjoyment of it. Besides, it's a chance to see the whole cast act together outside of a typical bottle episode.

[Gray Lensman]

Since we're on Star Trek: your entire senior staff, ie the folks you see in the opening credits, on an away mission. If anything happens to them, then what?

Quickie example off the top of my head: I adore DS9's "Children of Time", I always list it as one of my top 10 DS9 eps...but it still shouldn't have been possible.

It "bugs" me, but doesn't destroy my enjoyment of it. Besides, it's a chance to see the whole cast act together outside of a typical bottle episode.

I think this is a point where Lower Decks is actually more realistic. Away teams likely wouldn't have more than one or two senior staff on them. The rest would be relevant specialists to the mission, and that would likely inform what senior staff member is involved as well.

[superduperman]

That weird honeycomb effect for force fields. When did that start being a thing?

Changing the timeline and having the person who caused it still being around. Marty McFly would either have an alternative version of himself that exists in the new timeline who never went back in time and who the cool truck actually belongs to, or he would have his memory changed and realigned with the new timeline.

Aliens who speak English the first time we meet them. Or a magical universal translator that can immediately interpret a language it's never heard before. Language forms over thousands of years.

Humans being the default dominant species in societies with multiple species. Both major "Star" franchises are guilty of this. Andor made reference to some kind of human dominance group in a galaxy where humans make up maybe 2% of the population.

All species having the same type of controls for their spaceships. A different species would develop their controls differently.