# Another bad science fiction trope **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 26, 2021, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532 "2021-01-26T15:31:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/181 "2021-02-02T22:45:28Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I’m pretty sure they mentioned that the reason he had a laser was because he was a rich douchebag with a weapons fetish, and bought weapons other people couldn’t afford. And, in the case of that weapon (“the Lassiter,” from the epsiode “Trash”), it was priceless not only because it was a laser, but because it was an antique – a relic from Earth-That-Was. Its age also likely contributed to its unreliability. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/182 "2021-02-02T22:55:28Z")
There were two lasers, in two different episodes. In addition to “the Lassiter” in “Trash”, the bad guy in “Heart of Gold” had a laser pistol (and a GEV) - I think that was the episode @Sam_Stone was referencing. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/183 "2021-02-02T23:27:27Z")
The Lassiter (named after its developer) was the first practical hand-held laser weapon made, and so had historical interest (I’m not clear if it was a prototype, or a specimen of a production run). Inara favored her own “lady’s gun” laser sidearm because it had no recoil. The rich bastard in “Heart of Gold” favored his laser weapon because it was shiny and expensive and an example of conspicuous consumption. Mal, Jayne and Zoe favor slug-throwers, because apparently laser weapons don’t get many shots before their power supply runs out, as illustrated by the rich guy’s weapon (and Inara’s smaller weapon probably had even fewer shots, maybe even only one or two, because she doesn’t expect to do a lot of shooting). ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/184 "2021-02-02T23:41:12Z")
> [@gdave](#): > > Ironically, that was Whedon trying to be scientifically accurate. He said in the commentaries they asked a technical consultant who’d told them a powder weapon needed air. There are several scenarios: - They should have hired a better grade of consultant - The consultant punked them (see above) - There was no consultant at all - It was cooler to have the soundless scene where Vera punches a hole in the faceplate of a spare spacesuit. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/185 "2021-02-02T23:54:39Z")
> [@gdave](#): > > There were two lasers, in two different episodes. In addition to “the Lassiter” in “Trash”, the bad guy in “Heart of Gold” had a laser pistol (and a GEV) - I think that was the episode @Sam_Stone was referencing. I was referencing the bad guy in Heart of Gold as you said, but when I said Inara had a personsl laser pistol I didn’t mean the Lassiter - I meant the one dhe pulled out after scaring Yosaffbridge with the non-functional Lassiter. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/186 "2021-02-03T22:45:36Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Weedon (sp?) said that he thought a gun needed air to fire. Well, it does, sorta, but all the O2 is inside the sealed cartridge in the form of chemicals. Now, a black powder flintlock, that might not work? ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2021, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/187 "2021-02-04T06:23:25Z")
Black powder has all the oxidizer it needs to burn/fire. Comes from the saltpeter/niter. All the galaxies in space aren’t that far away. Most fit in Grand Central Station lockers (back when they had lockers). The others are on Orion’s belt/bell. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/188 "2021-02-09T21:16:06Z")
Speaking of submarines and spaceships, I’ve heard that submarines use a chemical called monoethanolamine, which stinks, to help keep the air scrubbed. Since I’ve never heard this about spaceships or the ISS I presume they don’t use it; so why do submarines need to? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/189 "2021-02-09T22:09:27Z")
I can’t speak for submarines, but spacecraft generally use lithium hydroxide for CO2 scrubbing. Could be cost, mass, fire hazard, history, etc. that motivates the difference. ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/190 "2021-02-09T23:05:29Z")
I’m sure a big factor is bang-for-the-buck. Keep in mind even the (smaller) fast attack submarines have a crew of 120+. That’s a lot of CO2 to be scrubbed. The ISS has at most 6 people (maybe 9 when they’re swapping out crew members ?). There is a chemical smell on submarines. While you’re on board, you stop noticing it. But it permeates your clothes. And after you leave, you really notice it in your clothes (to the point of needing to discard them). There is some debate as to the source of this smell. Most attribute it to the scrubbers. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/191 "2021-02-09T23:28:43Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Protip: Morse code for SOS is not SOS, SOS, SOS, SOS. It’s SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOS… > > So it doesn’t matter which one you start with. Do you have a good source for this? The best I can find say that the original definition was …—… pause repeat and that reading this as SOS came later. They also say it’s not actual morse code for SOS because there’s no pause between the letters, and other letter combinations give the same sequence if you skip the intra-word pauses. But I’m not finding any real Hey-I’m-A-Radio-Operator-Manual-And-This-Is-How-To-Do-It or Hey-We’re-The-International-Body-Defining-This-Stuff type sources, so maybe all the many layman’s pages cluttering up the search results have got it wrong. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/192 "2021-02-10T00:52:18Z")
> [@cormac262](#): > > There is a chemical smell on submarines. Combined with pervasive Really Hot Oil Smell… ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/193 "2021-02-10T14:55:23Z")
An acquaintance of mine was a submariner in the 1960s. He said their initial training was done in an old diesel-electric sub from WW2. He said that after a few days at sea, you could identify different grades of oil, just by scent. He said that after a few weeks at sea, you could identify individual people, just by scent. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/194 "2021-02-10T15:02:37Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > He said that after a few weeks at sea, you could identify individual people, just by scent. I love the movie **Das Boo** , the 1981 German movie based on Buchheim’s book of the same name (which is also great). It really captured the feel and the essence of the claustrophobic experience of being aboard a WWII submarine. My favorite lines of dialogue are spoken in the background, not even the direct focus of your attention: Crewman 1: Guess how long I’ve been wearing this shirt! Crewman 2: Since the start of the voyage. Crewman 1: No! Two weeks before! ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/195 "2021-02-10T15:03:38Z")
º[quote=“CalMeacham, post:194, topic:931532”] I love the movie **Das Boo** [/quote] It’s like **Das Boot** but there’s a ghost in the submarine? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/196 "2021-02-10T15:11:18Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > It’s like **Das Boot** but there’s a ghost in the submarine? 😛 Ja – _Kaspar , Der freundliche Geist_ ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/197 "2021-02-10T16:50:13Z")
And Kaspar would be about the only survivor of that ghastly mission. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2021, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/198 "2021-02-11T01:49:53Z")
I found a copy of Andre Norton’s “Zero Stone” on my cheap i phone ebook list. I was dissapointed to discover in the sequel, “Uncharted Stars”, she made the mistake of a space suit jet manuvering system run out of propellant, and the protagonist stopped moving. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2021, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/199 "2021-02-11T01:59:35Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > I can’t speak for submarines, but spacecraft generally use lithium hydroxide for CO2 scrubbing. Could be cost, mass, fire hazard, history, etc. that motivates the difference. I can speak for submarines. The question has basically been answered. Subs need to be able to remove the CO2 produced by many more people than are on spacecraft. Lithium hydroxide canisters are kept on board, though, in case of emergencies, like failure of the scrubbers or loss of power. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532.md?page=9)