Stupid techie questions... by TedC

FIREFLY EPISODE DISCUSSIONS

Stupid techie questions...

POSTED BY: TEDC
UPDATED: Monday, May 10, 2004 10:55
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VIEWED: 5013
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Thursday, May 6, 2004 11:20 AM

OK, I'm only on DVD disc 2, but there are some technical issues with Firefly that are messing with my head (cause I'm a tech geek).

What does the ship run on? It's gotta be cheap if they can afford to by fuel smuggling cattle and food supplies, no matter how short-supplied the fringe worlds may be.

How fast are they going? They can apparently get from planet to planet in hours, but they passed the Reaver ship at a snail's pace in "Serenity", even though they appeared to be in deep space.

Am I going to have to turn off my brain to make it through the rest of the series?

"Burn the land and boil the sea, still can't keep the sky from me."

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Thursday, May 6, 2004 11:26 AM

KNIBBLET

Quote:
Am I going to have to turn off my brain to make it through the rest of the series?

Ted, Have you ever seen "Mystery Science Theatre 3000"?
As the song says, ".... repeat to yourself that it's just a show and you should really just relax ...."

"Just keep walkin, preacher man."

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Thursday, May 6, 2004 11:26 AM

HOTPOINT

Quote:
Originally posted by TedC:
What does the ship run on? It's gotta be cheap if they can afford to by fuel smuggling cattle and food supplies, no matter how short-supplied the fringe worlds may be.

Whatever the Drive actually is it's Nuclear Powered because it needs Radiation Containment... unless you're a suicidal Reaver type

...................................
Hurrah, hurrah, when things are at their worst
With cries of “Death or Glory” comes the mighty Twenty-First

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Thursday, May 6, 2004 11:30 AM

TEDC

Quote:
Originally posted by Knibblet:

Ted, Have you ever seen "Mystery Science Theatre 3000"?
As the song says, ".... repeat to yourself that it's just a show and you should really just relax ...."

Is that a yes?

"Burn the land and boil the sea, still can't keep the sky from me."

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Thursday, May 6, 2004 11:31 AM

TEDC

Quote:
Originally posted by Hotpoint:
Whatever the Drive actually is it's Nuclear Powered because it needs Radiation Containment... unless you're a suicidal Reaver type

Best I can figure is that it's a fusion reactor that you can use low-grade fuel... like water or diffuse interstellar hydrogen.

"Burn the land and boil the sea, still can't keep the sky from me."

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Thursday, May 6, 2004 11:42 AM

HOTPOINT

Quote:
Originally posted by TedC:
Best I can figure is that it's a fusion reactor that you can use low-grade fuel... like water or diffuse interstellar hydrogen.

Easier to farm Gas-Giants for fuel. There's a lot of Hydrogen in one of those things and the Firefly Verse has Gravity Control so the technology to mine atmospheres certainly exists

...................................
Hurrah, hurrah, when things are at their worst
With cries of “Death or Glory” comes the mighty Twenty-First

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Thursday, May 6, 2004 11:48 AM

RANGRBOB

While I would ignore the technical aspects of Firefly I would not suggest turning off your brain. Firefly is driven by plot, stories, and dialog tune your brain into those aspects of Firefly and enjoy.

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Thursday, May 6, 2004 12:49 PM

JASONZZZ

New Scientists pointed "Quantum Nucleonic reactors". It bombards normal X-rays onto hafnium-178 to liberate gamma rays. The gamma rays are then used produce a jet of superheated air.

http://www.cndyorks.gn.apc.org/yspace/articles/nuclear_plane.htm

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Thursday, May 6, 2004 2:30 PM

IAMJACKSUSERNAME

Well, I'm all right. - Mal

Silence in space. As for other things hard SF - not so much.

The opposite in fact:

Select to view spoiler:

River's psychic abilities, FTL travel (most likely), wacky gravity, slow laser beams, ...

I don't think Joss and Tim care if the story is possible, they're known for the supernatural Buffy and Angel after all. It's still the best sci-fi tv show I've ever seen.

The slow Reaver ship was for aesthetic reasons, which along with story reasons'll trump real physics every time.

--
I am Jack's username
FTL in Firefly? < http://jack.p5.org.uk/ftl-firefly.en.html>
Support our volunteer serial killers.

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Thursday, May 6, 2004 6:57 PM

SIGMANUNKI

Quote:
Originally posted by TedC:
What does the ship run on? It's gotta be cheap if they can afford to by fuel smuggling cattle and food supplies, no matter how short-supplied the fringe worlds may be.

It's been said that Joss is light on the tech side, so, if you're really nit picky about these things then I'd have to say, just try not to pay attention. For me it was fairly easy as I can't remember one time they actually tried to explain anything. It all just works. But, I would get irritated if they tried to explain something that just couldn't be.

Quote:
Originally posted by TedC:
How fast are they going? They can apparently get from planet to planet in hours, but they passed the Reaver ship at a snail's pace in "Serenity", even though they appeared to be in deep space.

In the commentary on that DVD I believe that Joss mentioned the flack that he got for that. It's something that they did (as has been mentioned above) for aesthetic reasons.

Quote:
Originally posted by TedC:
Am I going to have to turn off my brain to make it through the rest of the series?

Lord no! You'll miss too much! Just try not to pay attention to the tech too much. As Joss pointed out, its original concept was more of a drama then anything else (seem to remember that anyway

).

----
"Canada being mad at you is like Mr. Rogers throwing a brick through your window." -Jon Stewart, The Daily Show

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Thursday, May 6, 2004 7:10 PM

EBONEZER

Quote:
Originally posted by TedC:
Am I going to have to turn off my brain to make it through the rest of the series?

Have you ever heard of selective hearing? To truly enjoy Firefly you need selective thinking. Ignore all questions about how it runs, what that thingy does, what those switches that Wash always hit do, and how does the gravety drive work. Its not to hard to forget all this once you start focusing on the charchters and whats going on with them. Also, once they start explaining these things, the inconstistancies usually increase, so it's probably for the best that we don't know...

-----------------------------------

"When did this become not funny?"

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Friday, May 7, 2004 12:24 AM

DRAKON

It runs on fuel. They never define what the fuel is, and for plot purposes it don't matter. Who cares whether your car runs on hydrogen or gasoline? When its out of fuel you have a plot, er.. problem.

The speed question has led to the debate about whether it is one system or several star systems. If it is multiple systems, then FTL is manditory. But as they never actually explain how the drive works, it really does not matter as far as the plot is concerned. The thing that matters is that the ship takes them to where the writers want it go. And all the writer has to define/create is what is necessary for the plot. Like the kidnapping hillbillies.

You don't have to turn off your brain, and you really don't have to turn off the gear head part that asks questions like this. But it is just a TV show, and more importantly, what the tech is, is secondary, (if that) to the plot, the stories, the characters, and settings.

Your boss does not care how you got to work today. All he cares about is that you are here. Whether you rode a horse, or flew a space craft, it does not matter, (as long as you don't go taking his parking space. )

"Wash, where is my damn spaceship?"

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Friday, May 7, 2004 6:41 AM

TEDC

Believe me, I can appreciate doing some things that don't make technical sense for the sake of drama, but I do like to see an overall sense of plausibility maintained. I'll overlook a lot for a good story, and Firefly easily has that on its side (unlike that UPN sci-fi show that shall remain nameless).

"Burn the land and boil the sea, still can't keep the sky from me."

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Friday, May 7, 2004 6:51 AM

ASTRIANA

Quote:
Originally posted by SigmaNunki:
Quote:
Originally posted by TedC:
How fast are they going? They can apparently get from planet to planet in hours, but they passed the Reaver ship at a snail's pace in "Serenity", even though they appeared to be in deep space.

In the commentary on that DVD I believe that Joss mentioned the flack that he got for that. It's something that they did (as has been mentioned above) for aesthetic reasons.

This one is really the only one I can speak to, since I'm not much of a tech-head for these things... I just tend to write off the slowness of being passed as being the ships' speeds relative to each other - not necessarily absolutes of velocity.

~A~

...I'm still free,
You can't take the sky from me.

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Friday, May 7, 2004 8:58 AM

SOUTHERNMERC

There has been alot of debate about the tech on the show. And while the science behind the science-fiction is intriguing, it should not (as has been said earlier) be the sole focus for a TV show. In early sf movies and TV programs, the cast would spend time explaining the science behind the, well, science. And later, Gene Rodenberry said "Yanno? People today don't stand around explaining how car engines work, so why would people in the future stand around explaining why ships engines work?" (paraphrased)

In a similar vein to Star Wars, like today, the tech works, people fix it when it's broken, and ignore it when it's not. There are alot of advances in technology that have happened recently that border on miraculous, so 500 years from now the tech we are so curious about is simply humdrum to them. Even primitive by some standards (Alliance). For them, it is transparent. THAT is, I believe, part of what Joss was going for. With transparent tech, the writers can focus more on the stories, the characters, and their relationships.

For which I say, "Good job."

Jayne: "See, Vera? You get dressed up, you get taken someplace fun!"

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Friday, May 7, 2004 10:51 AM

SIGMANUNKI

Quote:
Originally posted by Astriana:
This one is really the only one I can speak to, since I'm not much of a tech-head for these things... I just tend to write off the slowness of being passed as being the ships' speeds relative to each other - not necessarily absolutes of velocity.

It just depends on if the Reavers were overtaking Serenity or if their trajectories were skew.

If the Reavers were overtaking Serenity from right behind then it is just relative velocities and all is well and good with the world. If on the other hand there paths were somehow to cross then the slowness can't be explained away like that. Anyone know which happened in the ep? I don't have the time to re-watch right now.

----
"Canada being mad at you is like Mr. Rogers throwing a brick through your window." -Jon Stewart, The Daily Show

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Friday, May 7, 2004 11:05 AM

KASUO

A wizard did it.

________
"Let's moon 'em!"

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Friday, May 7, 2004 11:46 AM

SIGMANUNKI

Quote:
Originally posted by kasuo:
A wizard did it.

________
"Let's moon 'em!"

LOL

----
"Canada being mad at you is like Mr. Rogers throwing a brick through your window." -Jon Stewart, The Daily Show

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Monday, May 10, 2004 10:55 AM

WEERWOLF

Say the Reaver ship came from north and flew to south, then Serenity moved from the south east to very nearly west. Looked like they did move somewhat closer to each other and one of the ships turned a bit, but it was definately not overhauling. In the very first shot of the Reaver ship, it appears to come practically head on, as if in the opposite lane. They also moved in the same horizontal plane. Mal asks Wash to tell him only if the Reavers change course, which they don't, and neither does Serenity (according to dialogue).

Yep, artistic purpose only. In hindsight it might have been better if the Reaver ship had come from an angle behind them, say 7 o'clock or so and then passed over and by Serenity. Problem with that again is that you have longer warning that something's coming and Serenity might have done a hard burn in time to get away without that spectaculair tension that ensued from the 'slow' crossing. Did anyone notice the creepyfying Reaver music theme, cunningly used later in Bushwacked to accompany yet another proximity warning, which turned out to be the Alliance cruiser?

"Here's a little concept I've been working on: why don't we shoot her first?"

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