# Tech Levels: "Firefly" vs. "Battlestar Galactica"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 7, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835 "2005-11-07T00:11:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [November 8, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/41 "2005-11-08T02:38:47Z")
> [@tanstaafl](#): > > all of the non-FTL ships got left behind at the start of the series. There was a scene where the Cylons show up and the FTL-capable ships jump away while the non-FTL ships beg to not be left behind (as the nuclear missiles start impacting on them). What would James T. Kirk have done? Ya’ gotta wonder… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/42 "2005-11-08T03:23:32Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Anyone see the map at the start of the movie? I expected a solar system since I’d been told, but I didn’t get a good look at it. Alliance currency shows one star. (Cite: page 15 & 16 of the _Visual Companion_.) ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/43 "2005-11-08T20:58:01Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > Technologically or as a television series? 'cause, in both cases, there’s an apparent superior and inferior. This has been gnawing at me, not to start a flame war, because this statement is loaded as flame-bait. By not naming one or the other you can take the position of antagonist to whoever takes umbrage first. In addition to that I quite disagree with the statement. BOTH shows are of a superior quality and the FX are being done by the same team. They have a similar aesthetic, are possessed of excellent scripting and full of talented cast-members. Simply because you DON’T like one doesn’t mean there is a clear superior or inferior product. BOTH are well done. You may find one more believeable than another, however, they are BOTH well done. Again, this is not to start a flame war, I simply tried to let this statement pass, but in the end couldn’t. I apologize if it rubs you the wrong way – that is what the initial sentence did to me. We obviously disagree, but there’s no reason why we can’t agree to do that. ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/44 "2005-11-08T20:59:29Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > What would James T. Kirk have done? > Ya’ gotta wonder… 🙂 Found a way to cheat – it is his way, the way of the Kirk. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/45 "2005-11-08T23:23:33Z")
> [@ddgryphon](#): > > BOTH are well done. I, for one, am a major fan of both shows. An in-depth discussion of their relative merits probably belongs in a different thread. ---
**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:** [November 8, 2005, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/46 "2005-11-08T23:55:27Z")
I gather that both shows have artificial gravity (I’ve never seen _Galactica_). But does _Galactica_ have artificial gravity which can be cheaply used to blanket an entire moon or planet? That, I think, is the niftiest technological advance in _Firefly_. As far as weaponry goes, we’ve only ever seen one hand-held energy weapon used on _Firefly_, and another (the prototype hand-held laser gun) is presented as an historical artifact, dating back to before they left Earth. Most personal weapons are bullet-throwers. Energy weapons seem to be standard on warships, however (the cruiser uses a laser to destroy the derilict in “Bushwhacked”). There are also ship-to-ship missiles (used by the cop in “The Message”), and I’m not sure what the principle was of the cannon they strapped onto Serenity’s back into the movie. On medical tech, the only real advances we’ve seen are the artificial organs in “The Message”, and the suspended animation drugs and techniques. This does not necessarily imply that they don’t have better, but most of the medicine we’ve seen has been treatment of gunshot wounds and the like. ---
**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:** [November 9, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/47 "2005-11-09T00:12:32Z")
> [@ddgryphon](#): > > Found a way to cheat – it is his way, the way of the Kirk. So says McCoy. ^ :dubious: ^ ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/48 "2005-11-09T00:40:02Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > As far as weaponry goes, we’ve only ever seen one hand-held energy weapon used on _Firefly_, and another (the prototype hand-held laser gun) is presented as an historical artifact, dating back to before they left Earth. Most personal weapons are bullet-throwers. Energy weapons seem to be standard on warships, however (the cruiser uses a laser to destroy the derilict in “Bushwhacked”). There are also ship-to-ship missiles (used by the cop in “The Message”), and I’m not sure what the principle was of the cannon they strapped onto Serenity’s back into the movie. The Alliance used missiles to destroy the derelict in the (real) pilot. They also launched some sort of gunship, but I don’t think we ever actually see one, only that there’s not enough time for them to get back on board and “rescue” the decoy beacon Wash launched. The Reaver ship in that episode also had some sort of a beam weapon strapped to it. Might have been a tractor beam, though: I think they called it a “grappler.” The guards in “Ariel” had some sort of energy rifle (sonic?) that was entirely ineffective against the door Jayne wanted to break down. > [@](#): > > On medical tech, the only real advances we’ve seen are the artificial organs in “The Message”, and the suspended animation drugs and techniques. This does not necessarily imply that they don’t have better, but most of the medicine we’ve seen has been treatment of gunshot wounds and the like. Also whatever the hell they were doing to River’s head before Simon busted her out. Some pretty advanced neuro-surgery going on there. Also, when Niska cuts off Mal’s ear in “War Stories,” Jayne asks if they’re going to use it to clone him, but it’s not clear if that was Jayne being funny, or Jayne being dumb. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/49 "2005-11-09T00:47:16Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Also, when Niska cuts off Mal’s ear in “War Stories,” Jayne asks if they’re going to use it to clone him, but it’s not clear if that was Jayne being funny, or Jayne being dumb. Mal also recovered from that little escapade rather quickly. Medical technology is a biggie. But at least in the BSG universe guns don’t need oxygen to work! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/50 "2005-11-09T00:50:01Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > The Alliance used missiles to destroy the derelict in the (real) pilot. This was actually in Bushwacked, in the pilot, we never see what they do with the derelict (presumably they poked around to find out what killed it, and then 'sploded it) > [@](#): > > They also launched some sort of gunship, but I don’t think we ever actually see one, only that there’s not enough time for them to get back on board and “rescue” the decoy beacon Wash launched. They contemplate launching the gunship(s), but never get to it because of the decoy. From the brief view we get of them, they’re presumably similar to the ones we see in “Trash” (it’s landing right before the Feds show up) and “The Message” (the Feds are riding around in it) > [@](#): > > The Reaver ship in that episode also had some sort of a beam weapon strapped to it. Might have been a tractor beam, though: I think they called it a “grappler.” It appeared to be similar in nature to the giant stungun from hell that we see in “Our Mrs. Reynolds”. Basically it fries the ship’s electrical systems (along with the passengers and crew) with a massive power surge if it can get close enough. > [@](#): > > The guards in “Ariel” had some sort of energy rifle (sonic?) that was entirely ineffective against the door Jayne wanted to break down. We see these again in “Trash”, used by the Feds at Bellorophon. They seem to be some kind of less-than-lethal stungun. ---
**Author:** ![WilhelmGefallen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9f8e36/32.png) [@WilhelmGefallen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WilhelmGefallen)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/51 "2005-11-09T01:54:47Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > On medical tech, the only real advances we’ve seen are the artificial organs in “The Message”, and the suspended animation drugs and techniques. This does not necessarily imply that they don’t have better, but most of the medicine we’ve seen has been treatment of gunshot wounds and the like. Except in the episode “Ariel” when they are on Ariel the med-tech there seems to be a lot more advanced than BSG (just look at the 3D scanners). When you then take into account the re-attached ear it seems that BSG is woefully lacking compared to Firefly ---
**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:** [November 9, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/52 "2005-11-09T02:17:03Z")
HOw did the ads below arrive at “artificial insemination”? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/53 "2005-11-09T02:47:24Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > HOw did the ads below arrive at “artificial insemination”? :rolleyes: Because I mentioned “AIs,” earlier. :smack: ---
**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:** [November 9, 2005, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/54 "2005-11-09T03:17:47Z")
Now it’s “Free Battlestar Galactica”. What, the cast or crew is in durance vile? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/55 "2005-11-09T04:30:34Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > It appeared to be similar in nature to the giant stungun from hell that we see in “Our Mrs. Reynolds”. Basically it fries the ship’s electrical systems (along with the passengers and crew) with a massive power surge if it can get close enough. I don’t think so. I think it was just a giant grappling hook/electromagnet that they’d hook their prey and then board with. They don’t want to kill the crew with a electric burst. That ruins all their fun. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/56 "2005-11-09T04:30:55Z")
> [@ddgryphon](#): > > This has been gnawing at me, not to start a flame war, because this statement is loaded as flame-bait. By not naming one or the other you can take the position of antagonist to whoever takes umbrage first. In addition to that I quite disagree with the statement. > > BOTH shows are of a superior quality and the FX are being done by the same team. They have a similar aesthetic, are possessed of excellent scripting and full of talented cast-members. Simply because you DON’T like one doesn’t mean there is a clear superior or inferior product. BOTH are well done. You may find one more believeable than another, however, they are BOTH well done. > > Again, this is not to start a flame war, I simply tried to let this statement pass, but in the end couldn’t. I apologize if it rubs you the wrong way – that is what the initial sentence did to me. We obviously disagree, but there’s no reason why we can’t agree to do that. Run a search on my user name in Cafe Society and you will see that I am a pretty devout Trekkie but I believe _Firefly_, in its measly thirteen episodes, managed to create a more emotionally compelling universe than _Star Trek_ did in thirteen of its seasons. _Deep Space Nine_ and _The Next Generation_ were both fantastic shows and I hold them as exceptions if you can ignore the first two seasons of \*TNG \*but in my purely subjective opinion, Firefly is superior to the \*Trek \*franchise in terms of writing. ---
**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:** [November 9, 2005, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/57 "2005-11-09T04:32:26Z")
In the opening scenes of the Firefly pilot, the battle of Serenity Valley is shown, and the fighter is definitely shooting some kind of energy bolts at people. In fact, I think there are energy blasts going off all over the place. The terraforming technology in Firefly is pretty impressive, since Mal mentions that they can even change the gravity of the planet, implying that gravity control is very cheap, reliable, and widely applicable. You can see that with the floating estates in “Trash” as well. As for medical, let’s see… They have a very sophisticated drug technology - so sophisticated that Simon is using targeted drug therapy against specific damage in his sister’s brain. They have 3-D imagers, suspended animation, the ability to remove an entire set of organs from someone, replace them with others, and then swap back the original later (apparently kept in suspended animation). They have a tissue-knitting machine that can put an ear back on with no trouble. I haven’t seen anything remotely like that in Galactica. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/58 "2005-11-09T04:33:02Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Now it’s “Free Battlestar Galactica”. > What, the cast or crew is in durance vile? > > 🙂 Maybe they’re in the Durance of Hate. Anyone wanna do a Mephisto run? ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/59 "2005-11-09T04:35:13Z")
> [@WilhelmGefallen](#): > > Except in the episode “Ariel” when they are on Ariel the med-tech there seems to be a lot more advanced than BSG (just look at the 3D scanners). > > When you then take into account the re-attached ear it seems that BSG is woefully lacking compared to Firefly From the Colonial side, maybe. But the Cylons can do things with biotech that would make the Blue Hands’ jaws drop. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835/60 "2005-11-09T04:38:38Z")
> [@Menocchio](#): > > From the Colonial side, maybe. But the Cylons can do things with biotech that would make the Blue Hands’ jaws drop. Like what? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-levels-firefly-vs-battlestar-galactica/329835.md?page=4)