# 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:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/61 "2021-01-27T18:02:52Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > Do they though? Unfortunately, ST:TOS explicitly made this so, in referring to orbits. Without engine power, the ship falls into the planet. Balance of Terror strongly implied the ship was motionless, not unlike a destroyer in the South Atlantic silently waiting for sign of motion from a German U-Boat. Sure, you can fanwank it, but that’s what they’ve shown more than once. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/62 "2021-01-27T18:06:42Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > But there are pigs. You think _moi_ didn’t know that? 🙂 Are you saying they are swine, on some sort of trek? ---
**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:** [January 27, 2021, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/63 "2021-01-27T18:29:18Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > Do they though? Or does the art department think flames (or lights) radiating from the back of a spaceship just looks cool? Art departments definitely think flames shooting out of the back of the ship look cool. There’s no other excuse for the official NBC poster for the first season of **Star Trek** (which was also used as the cover for the first book of James Blish’s novelizations of the scripts) to show flames shooting out of the Warp Drive Nacelles and the Shutlecraft Deck – none of which ever belched out flames in any of the shows or movies: [https://www.ebay.com/itm/351858121469?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=351858121469&targetid=1068484735162&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9001911&poi=&campaignid=11615401601&mkgroupid=116126555511&rlsatarget=pla-1068484735162&abcId=9300455&merchantid=101674746&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjNfT8N287gIVpNSzCh2R3A16EAQYBSABEgJ1JfD\_BwE](https://www.ebay.com/itm/351858121469?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=351858121469&targetid=1068484735162&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9001911&poi=&campaignid=11615401601&mkgroupid=116126555511&rlsatarget=pla-1068484735162&abcId=9300455&merchantid=101674746&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjNfT8N287gIVpNSzCh2R3A16EAQYBSABEgJ1JfD_BwE) [https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1966-original-vintage-star-trek-nbc-1732222122](https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1966-original-vintage-star-trek-nbc-1732222122) [https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1966-original-vintage-star-trek-nbc-1732222122](https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1966-original-vintage-star-trek-nbc-1732222122) Or, for that matter, to show stuff coming out of the back of the Shuttle from **2001: A Space Odyssey,** which was never shown in the film: > **['2001: A Space Odyssey' Posters | AllPosters.com](https://www.allposters.com/-sp/2001-A-Space-Odyssey-Posters_i12191157_.htm)** > > Find great deals on '2001: A Space Odyssey' Posters at AllPosters.com, with fast shipping, easy returns, and custom framing options you'll love! > **[2001: A Space Odyssey](http://www.codex99.com/illustration/2001-a-space-odyssey.html)** > > The art of Robert McCall, the nearest thing to an artist in residence from outer space ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/64 "2021-01-27T18:31:52Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > But there are pigs. and Jews. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ZAZhtT-dUyo/hqdefault.jpg "Jews in Space (Mel Brooks)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAZhtT-dUyo) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/65 "2021-01-27T18:55:33Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I’m sure that the same thing happened back on Star Trek TOS at some point. I cringe every time Kirk (or Picard, or any other captain) says, ‘All stop!’ I’m always like, ‘Relative to what?’ The TOS Enterprise also had a habit of being all cockeyed when it was ‘stopped’ in space. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/66 "2021-01-27T18:58:50Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Unfortunately, ST:TOS explicitly made this so, in referring to orbits. Without engine power, the ship falls into the planet. Well, there are many types of orbits, most are unstable. A close, unstable orbit would do just that. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/67 "2021-01-27T19:03:28Z")
But it’s weird that standard practice is to put the ship into a “standard orbit” that’s unstable, when we see fairly often ship engine failures that make such an orbit dangerous. Why not just pick a stable orbit that would be safe even if the chief engineer gets drunk, or “The Boy” breaks the warp core? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/68 "2021-01-27T19:07:34Z")
Well, how often did that happen? And in five years how often did they have missions that they went into close orbit and it was so unremarkable that no epi was made of it? Transporters have range, perhaps they need to be closer to be within transporter range. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/69 "2021-01-27T19:08:33Z")
Point taken - what we’re shown are the dramatic days in the life of the Enterprise. The days everything works get skipped. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/70 "2021-01-27T19:10:25Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Well, there are many types of orbits, most are unstable. A close, unstable orbit would do just that. - This is my orbit. There are many like it, but this one is mine. :warps away: ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/71 "2021-01-27T20:00:05Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Why not just pick a stable orbit that would be safe even if the chief engineer gets drunk, or “The Boy” breaks the warp core? We just have to accept that they use the word “orbit” in reference to a planet like we use “dial” in reference to cell phones. Because if a ship was in a real orbit it would be out of contact and transporter range for half the time. And back to the OP, the MCU space travel makes no sense, even in comparision to Star Trek. They use the bifrost, or wormholes, or some ambiguous FTL drive, or just fly light years through the universe in a jumpsuit. I can handle the questionable physics of the Hulk, or how the Iron Man suit seems to negate inertia, but their understanding of “the universe” - well, I just have to put my mind on idle for these parts. I mean, it’s a universe where the infinity stones, created shortly after the big bang, and therefore should be billions of light years apart, are all in one galaxy, and more than one was on earth before anyone was looking for them. Clearly the writers and creative talent have no comprehension of how BIG the universe really is. \* And THAT is the worst SF trope of all. \*(when Thanos dusted half of all living things, was that half of living things on planets 15 billion light years away? Wonder what they thought happened?) ---
**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:** [January 27, 2021, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/72 "2021-01-27T20:03:42Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > when Thanos dusted half of all living things, was that half of living things on planets 15 billion light years away? Yes, it was supposed to be half of all living things _everywhere_ – I can’t remember if it was just this galaxy, or the entire universe. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/73 "2021-01-27T20:15:29Z")
> [@gdave](#): > > It did not. Joss Whedon specifically ruled it out. He wanted to try for as much scientific accuracy as possible (other than River’s psychic abilities…). I read somewhere that Whedon said there would be only one singular liberty taken against scientific accuracy, but (much as I love Firefly), I counted at least a couple of others beyond River’s ability; artificial gravity, antigravity (which, OK, could be argued to be the same set of phenomena) and free-floating luminous holograms, at the very least. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/74 "2021-01-27T20:16:43Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Yes, it was supposed to be half of all living things _everywhere_ – I can’t remember if it was just this galaxy, or the entire universe. That must have made for interesting experiences for all those people that have never heard of the Avengers or Thanos or Infinity Stones (since there aren’t any where they are). A “literal” rapture of half the population with no explanation, and then just as mysterious reappearance five years later. Wars are fought and religions are founded on that kind of thing. And they’ll NEVER know what happened. ---
**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:** [January 27, 2021, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/75 "2021-01-27T20:20:44Z")
Indeed. It’d make for fascinating stories. And, It was, indeed, half of the entire universe. [As per the MCU Wiki](https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Snap): > [@](#): > > The **Snap** [[1]](https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Snap#cite_note-fandango-1) was the massive fallout across all civilizations and species in the universe which wiped out fifty percent of all life in random succession after the [Infinity Gauntlet](https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Infinity_Gauntlet) was activated. The mass genocide was initiated by [Thanos](https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Thanos) at the end of the [Battle of Wakanda](https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Battle_of_Wakanda), marking the end of his [campaign](https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Infinity_War) to retrieve all six [Infinity Stones](https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Infinity_Stones). ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/76 "2021-01-27T20:30:05Z")
> [@MCU Wiki](#): > > all civilizations and species in the universe (Not arguing with you…) But that goes to the basic tropes. I am not convinced anyone at Marvel can comprehend how BIG the universe it. They’ve never looked at the [Hubble deep field image](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubble_Deep_Field) and actually contemplated how many zillions of life forms must be in that teeny tiny visible region. There are most likely more planets in that image than there are people who have ever lived on earth since time began. Marvel writers don’t even understand space travel - I would not assume they have ever thought about the implications of the Snap for the rest of the unknown universe. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/77 "2021-01-27T20:47:42Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > and free-floating luminous holograms, at the very least. Of all the unscientific SF silliness, this seems to be the one people most think will actually happen. It is even used in shows based just 10-20 years in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/78 "2021-01-27T20:50:01Z")
That’s what Captain Marvel is doing offscreen - going from planet to planet explaining things and helping put the pieces back together. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/79 "2021-01-27T20:55:14Z")
Probably more doable than insulting the entire Universe in alphabetical order. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532/80 "2021-01-27T20:58:39Z")
Oh, can it, you knee-biter. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-bad-science-fiction-trope/931532.md?page=5)