# Whoa... Math in "Day the World Stood Still" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 11, 2008, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674 "2008-12-11T03:49:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [December 11, 2008, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/1 "2008-12-11T03:49:47Z")
It turns out I just may have to go see this now. Apparently, there’s a scene where Klaatu is trying to explain to an Earthling physicist how his ship works, via calculations on a blackboard (and also incidentally establishing how advanced his race is). Well, it turns out that the folks consulted to produce those calculations include my adviser and one of my old classmates. No word yet on how accurate they got it, but the fact that they asked physicists in the right specialty is a promising sign. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/2 "2008-12-11T04:04:47Z")
So you physicists really _can_ engineer a spaceship? I knew it all along! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/3 "2008-12-11T04:08:16Z")
It’s been a while since I saw the movie, but my recollection is there’s a blackboard full of equations (which may or may not make any sense) and Klaatu says something extremely vague, unhelpful and elementary-sounding like “Oh, you need to cross-multiply these terms.” It probably wouldn’t have passed muster even for 1950s audiences. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/4 "2008-12-11T04:11:06Z")
I think **Chronos** is talking about the remake that’s coming out shortly. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/5 "2008-12-11T04:13:51Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > I think **Chronos** is talking about the remake that’s coming out shortly. :smack: I had completely blocked that out of my mind. Keanu barada nikto. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/6 "2008-12-11T04:36:42Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > :smack: > > I had completely blocked that out of my mind. > > Keanu barada nikto. :rolleyes: It’s okay. I know you didn’t know there was a hit planned. You will be safe so long as our mother lives. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/7 "2008-12-11T04:51:08Z")
A _Chronos_ remake? It’s about time! The early IMDB reviews for Keanu’s latest vehicle aren’t too good, but consider the source. Some people had never seen the original…their loss, I suppose. I had to laugh when one reviewer complimented the new movie by saying \*“I also didn’t check my watch during it, which is a very good sign” \*😛 ---
**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:** [December 11, 2008, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/8 "2008-12-11T05:02:20Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s been a while since I saw the movie, but my recollection is there’s a blackboard full of equations (which may or may not make any sense) and Klaatu says something extremely vague, unhelpful and elementary-sounding like “Oh, you need to cross-multiply these terms.” Back then they didn’t have access to either of these folks, so they had to settle for something from Einstein. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/9 "2008-12-11T05:31:45Z")
It’s at [25% on rottentomatoes](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1193610-day_the_earth_stood_still/) right now. That’s not very encouraging. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/10 "2008-12-11T05:41:17Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > It’s at [25% on rottentomatoes](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1193610-day_the_earth_stood_still/) right now. That’s not very encouraging. What’s weird is the movie came out on 12.12.08 (per movie poster) and has virtually no “top critic” reviews up (well, 2), and today is 12/10. Is there a critic boycott, or a weird review embargo in the press? ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/11 "2008-12-11T05:43:48Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Keanu barada nikto. :rolleyes: Careful. If you say that out loud you end up in a phone booth flying through space and time, and only speaking some weird valley language. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/12 "2008-12-11T06:14:40Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > What’s weird is the movie came out on 12.12.08 (per movie poster) and has virtually no “top critic” reviews up (well, 2), and today is 12/10. Is there a critic boycott, or a weird review embargo in the press? No review for a movue that hasn’t come out yet? What’s unusual about that? I think most papers nowadays have their ‘what’s happening this weekend’ sections come out on Thursdays or Fridays now, so I would expect we’ll be seeing more reviews starting tomorrow… …unless the studios just didn’t release it for advanced critical screening, which is usually a bad sign. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/13 "2008-12-11T09:55:04Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It turns out I just may have to go see this now. Apparently, there’s a scene where Klaatu is trying to explain to an Earthling physicist how his ship works, via calculations on a blackboard (and also incidentally establishing how advanced his race is). Well, it turns out that the folks consulted to produce those calculations include my adviser and one of my old classmates. No word yet on how accurate they got it, but the fact that they asked physicists in the right specialty is a promising sign. I saw it yesterday – I didn’t really pay close attention, but all I saw on the blackboard were what looked like Einstein’s field equations, and then they did some uncommented scribbling that lead to an ‘aha!’-moment for the professor guy (John Cleese). As for the rest of the movie, well, I thought it was pretty missable. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/14 "2008-12-11T13:17:21Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > It’s at [25% on rottentomatoes](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1193610-day_the_earth_stood_still/) right now. That’s not very encouraging. RT hardly ever gets it right for me. But this time I’ll believe them. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/15 "2008-12-11T13:26:23Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Back then they didn’t have access to either of these folks, so they had to settle for something from Einstein. I was kinda hoping what they’re using now was one of his relatives. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/16 "2008-12-11T13:51:45Z")
Here is what immediately popped into my mind. I’ve seen the ads for the movie…and they have what appear to be “giant silvery ball bearings of doom” Then I picture Bill or Ted? standing at a blackboard starting the typical physics professors lecture. Then Bill draws a big circle and says “Consider for a moment a spherical cow (spaceship)…” oldy but goody physics joke ---
**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:** [December 11, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/17 "2008-12-11T14:25:57Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s been a while since I saw the movie, but my recollection is there’s a blackboard full of equations (which may or may not make any sense) and Klaatu says something extremely vague, unhelpful and elementary-sounding like “Oh, you need to cross-multiply these terms.” > > It probably wouldn’t have passed muster even for 1950s audiences. Actually, the dialogue is pretty good, and WOULD pass muster – Klaatu tells the Professor that “with variation of parameters this will give you the answer”. That’s a legit method of solving differential equations, so it means the screenwriters actually talked to some mathematicians when they wrote that scene. God knows what they’ll do with the new version. I’ll see it because I’m curious (and for the math scene 🙂 ), but the more I see of the trailer, the less I think I’m going to like the film. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/18 "2008-12-11T15:09:20Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Actually, the dialogue is pretty good, and WOULD pass muster – Klaatu tells the Professor that “with variation of parameters this will give you the answer”. That’s a legit method of solving differential equations, so it means the screenwriters actually talked to some mathematicians when they wrote that scene. They even quibble a bit about the negligibility of higher-order terms, prompting Klaatu to say: “I find it works well enough to get me from one planet to another”, thereby revealing himself as the alien visitor. It’s a lovely and subtle scene in the original, which they attempted to reproduce in the remake, but sadly ended up handling rather clumsily. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/19 "2008-12-11T16:00:52Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > God knows what they’ll do with the new version. I’ll see it because I’m curious (and for the math scene 🙂 ), but the more I see of the trailer, the less I think I’m going to like the film. Really. The previews show mass destruction, and if I remember right, in the original some soldiers were killed and Gort did something to shut down electrical power worldwide (except in hospitals), but he wasn’t a mass murderer. Or are the tidal waves and stuff in the previews caused by something other than Gort? ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674/20 "2008-12-11T16:32:25Z")
I was told there would be no math. The only draw for me to see this film is the trailer for the Wolverine movie which I will eventually see elsewhere. I’ll probably just wait for the DVD to come out in a couple weeks. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-math-in-day-the-world-stood-still/476674.md?page=2)