ESO - eso1035b - Animation of the planetary system around Sun-like star HD 10180 (artist’s impression)
The title says it all really.
One curious question I have is, now we have almost 500 known exoplanets how come so few science fiction stories are set in these real locations? (Allen Steele's Coyote series is the only example I can think of). Failure of nerve, lack of research or lack of interest?
(Thanks to Robert Hill of NISO for the link to this animation)
Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts
Oh no, not again!
Summer 2010 isn't over yet but already Hollywood is planning next year's offensive on our wallets. One planned blockbuster for summer 2011 is Battle:LA in which extraterrestrial invaders spread alarm and dismay in southern California (the image is from the film's viral marketing campaign). An expensive production starring Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodriguez (whose character based on past form probably will not survive to the end of the movie), the film is said to feature realistic and gritty combat sequences and well-thought out alien designs.
Alas, one aspect of the script is not well-thought out. Script writer Jonathan Liebesman has explained the aliens' motive behind their anti-social behaviour "Earth is 70 percent water. The aliens in our movie use water for may different things, so they are here for those natural resources." (Quote from Io9.com.)
What can I say but "Dumb!Dumb!Dumb!"(That sound you hear is me banging my head on the desk.)
Imagine you are leading an alien water-stealing mission to our Solar System. Do you
a. Go to Earth, beat up the natives and take some of their water or
b. Go to Saturn where there is about a hundred thousand trillion tonnes of pure water in the form of nice ice cubes in the planet's rings ready for the taking. And there's a pretty view too. And don't get me started on Enceladus, Mimas, Dione and the other 60 or so Saturnian moons. Or the other gas giant satellites...
It's been done before, the invaders in the original V (1983-85) came for our water, and in Caretaker (1995), the pilot for Star Trek: Voyager (yes I watched it, somebody had to) the quasi-evil Kazons were crossing interstellar space to steal the H2O from the home planet of the bland and dim-witted Ocampa.
If you have a starship, space is full of water. Only aliens and scriptwriters don't get that!
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