# Crew of the Discovery in 2001 a Space Odyssey **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 22, 2018, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crew-of-the-discovery-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/816598 "2018-06-22T23:13:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2018, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crew-of-the-discovery-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/816598/61 "2018-07-09T16:56:16Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > There are no cows in space! _in space, no one can hear you moo_ > [@](#): > > As for Discovery, no matter how much they try, I don’t think they can fit [this room](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1600/1*4jZftoNO9ftihTWGHCZ_HA.jpeg)into the sphere. And why is is so large, and so inefficient? Really, every plot element was a matter of a simple design error or just engineering silliness. Why in truth would we send all that biomass to Jupiter/Saturn in the first place when an automated probe would be the simplest way to initially discover that Iapetus is blinking at us because of its yin/yang albedo cause by local dirt and orbital dynamics? If you pick at the technical details, the story collapses. Either you appreciate it for the artiness (note the absurd motion of the pods around the ship, which bears little resemblance to realism) or you put the thing in the dustbin and move on. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2018, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crew-of-the-discovery-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/816598/62 "2018-07-09T17:27:04Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Really, every plot element was a matter of a simple design error or just engineering silliness. Why in truth would we send all that biomass to Jupiter/Saturn in the first place when an automated probe would be the simplest way to initially discover that Iapetus is blinking at us because of its yin/yang albedo cause by local dirt and orbital dynamics? > > If you pick at the technical details, the story collapses. Either you appreciate it for the artiness (note the absurd motion of the pods around the ship, which bears little resemblance to realism) or you put the thing in the dustbin and move on. Automated probes are great for reasonably well understood missions. That was not the mission of Discovery. The monolith, “its origin and purpose still a total mystery,” send a signal to Jupiter. What waited there was unknown. Would they really want a probe to make first contact, especially considering the long communication lag? Even HAL wasn’t flexible enough to handle such a job, and he was limited in his movements. So a human mission made perfect sense. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2018, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crew-of-the-discovery-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/816598/63 "2018-07-09T18:15:11Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > There are no cows in space! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/uM0ucEWoZGQ/hqdefault.jpg "What are cows") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM0ucEWoZGQ) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2026, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crew-of-the-discovery-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/816598/64 "2026-02-04T05:47:55Z")
Bumped. Even former astronauts like _2001_! > **[We asked former astronauts about their favorite space movies, and this is...](https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/01/entertainment/astronauts-favorite-space-movies)** > > Ahead of the launch of Artemis II, the first crewed mission to the moon in more than 50 years, astronauts share the movies that capture the danger, teamwork, and wonder of spaceflight. Their picks offer cinematic glimpses into the real challenges and... ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crew-of-the-discovery-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/816598/65 "2026-02-12T16:19:02Z")
“HAL, this is Dave. Open the pod bay doors.” “Dave’s not here, man.” ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crew-of-the-discovery-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/816598/66 "2026-02-12T16:31:09Z")
I can’t tell if that’s funnier in Tommy Chong’s or Douglas Rain’s voice. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crew-of-the-discovery-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/816598.md?page=3)