Entry tags:

film, science-fiction, space

FILM: SCIENTISTS CHOOSE "BLADE RUNNER" AS BEST SCI-FI FILM?
To All,

If interested --

TOP SCIENTISTS CHOOSE THE BEST SCIENCE-FICTION FILMS. "Blade Runner" and other Sci-Fi films chosen (see Links below).

Enjoy,
Dennis

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SCIENTISTS' FAVORITES (08/26/2004 - CNN-TV):

01. BLADE RUNNER (1982,US). **BEST**
02. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968,US).
03. STAR WARS IV: A NEW HOPE (1977,US).
04. STAR WARS V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980,US).
05. ALIEN (1979,US).
06. SOLARIS (1972,RU).
07. THE TERMINATOR (1984,US).
08. TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY (1991,US).
09. THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951,US).
10. WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953,US).
11. THE MATRIX (1999,US).
12. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977,US).

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PUBLIC'S FAVORITES (06/14/2000 - CNN-TV):

01. ALIENS (1986,US). **BEST**
02. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968,US).
03. STAR WARS TRILOGY (1977-1983,US).
04. FORBIDDEN PLANET (1956,US).
05. ALIEN (1979,US).
06. SOLARIS (1972,RU).
07. STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME (1986,US).

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TOP "SPACE SHIPS" (11/18/2006 - Wired Internet News):

01. MILLENIUM FALCON ("Star Wars"). **BEST**
02. U.S.S ENTERPRISE ("Star Trek").
03. NOSTROMO ("Alien").
04. HEART OF GOLD ("The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy").
05. APOLLO 13 ("Apollo 13").
06. DISCOVERY ONE ("2001: A Space Odyssey").
07. KLINGON BIRD OF PREY ("Star Trek").
08. MOTHERSHIP ("Independence Day").
09. GUNSTAR ("The Last Starfighter").
10. THE THUNDER ROAD ("Explorers").


Building the LEGO Millennium Falcon from Gizmodo on Vimeo.

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REAL SCIENCE FACTS:
A Space Ship Traveling 60,000 mph (faster than any known Space Ship at present, including the fastest ever, Voyager I, presently being "sling-shot" out of the solar system at 38,400 mph as of May, 2008) Would Take About 47,167 Years

BEGIN CALCULATION

PROBLEM:

Determine The Time (in years) To Travel To A Star (distance in light-years) In A Space Ship Traveling 60,000 miles/hour.

SOLUTION:

Basically, TIME = DISTANCE / SPEED

Or,

(Travel Time in years) = (Star Distance in light-years) Times (Speed Of Light in miles/hour) Divided By (Space Ship Speed in miles/hour)

Note: According To Wikipedia, The Speed Of Light Is 186,282 miles/sec, Or 670,615,200 miles/hour.
(Speed Of Light in miles/hour Is 186,282 miles/sec Times 60 sec/min Times 60 min/hour = 670,615,200 miles/hour.)

Thus,

For A Star 4.22 light-years Away (In Fact, The Distance To Proxima Centauri, Which, Besides The Sun, Is The Nearest Star To Earth) And A Space Ship Traveling 60,000 miles/hour, The Time To Travel The Distance To The Star Is: 47,167 years
(Travel Time in years Is 4.22 years Times 670,615,200 miles/hour Divided By 60,000 miles/hour.)

END CALCULATION

To Reach The Nearest Star, Proxima Centauri, 4.22 light-years away. Please understand that the calculated trip time is for a *one-way* adventure - and also - there's *no known place to land* once there! Proxima Centauri, 4.22 light-years away, seems to be the nearest Star (besides the Sun, 8.32 light-minutes away) to Planet Earth.

An excellent (and thought-provoking) Film dealing with such an awesome interstellar journey is "The Wild Blue Yonder (2005)" - but with a Science-Fiction twist of sorts - the space journey described in the Film is all about coming *TO* Planet Earth (from a far-distant world), rather than *FROM* Planet Earth (to a far-distant world), instead!

UPDATE (01/22/2009):
Published some of the above as a Comment regarding a recent Space News Article.

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ANOTHER WORTHY SCIENCE-FICTION FILM?

"WORLD ON WIRES" (orig "WELT AM DRAHT," 1973/GE).
This Film is based on the Science-Fiction Novel "Simulacron Three," written by Daniel F. Galouye, which described, for the first time ever in literature apparently, the notion of Virtual Reality.
The Novel, "Simulacron Three," Also Likely Inspired (Much Later) The Following Films:
"THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR" (1999)(also based on Galouye's writings).
"THE MATRIX" (1999) (and related Sequels).
And *May Have* (It's A Memory Thing And More) Somewhat Influenced These Films:
"BLADE RUNNER" (1982).
"DARK CITY" (1998).
"eXistenZ" (1999).
"PRIMER" (2004).

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--
| Dr Dennis Bogdan * Computer DataPro Consulting
| drbogdan at comcast.net * drbogdan at yahoo.com
| Journal: http://drbogdan.livejournal.com
| WebSite: http://home.comcast.net/~drbogdan
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