Batmanning a Better World
And Other Sci-fi Things
SCIENCE has once again proven its value.
A new study has shown the importance of Superheroes.
This study investigates the hypothesis that unexpected events, such as the presence of a person in a superhero costume on public transportation or an unusual interruption in a classroom setting, can promote prosocial behavior... Based on these considerations, we hypothesized that the presence of an unexpected event (a person dressed as Batman) would increase the likelihood that passengers offer their seat to a pregnant woman, compared to a control condition without Batman.
Imagine what would happen if we started having people dress up like Superman. Utopian Revolution.
Things you should read:
Why Science Fiction Can’t Predict the Future (And Why That’s a Good Thing) by Ken Liu
“It’s very easy to have a great idea. It’s very hard to finish a book and finishing a book happens in small footsteps that happen every single day.” -Sophie Strand
You’re off-loading your Brain to Ai, but I’m learning how to Echolocate. We are not the same. “It's something we know that humans can do too – and it takes less training than you might think.”
Children of Men, both Book and Movie. Here’s the indepth discussion of adapting a book for the big screen you’ve been looking for. I’m not up to discuss the Odyssey yet, but this piece will help you think through those issues.
Money quote: “The overhaul of Jasper’s character underscores the ways in which stories change—in fact, once certain decisions are made in the process, must change—to successfully move from page to screen. As the Odyssey brouhaha illumines in neon, viewers and critics won’t always approve: “They weren’t true to the book!” Perhaps. Any one of those changes might affect the import of the story. But such changes are inevitable. If it bothers you that much, stick with the book. I don’t curse Peter Jackson; I just ignore him.”
I enjoyed both book and movie. I also have a fan theory that the director, Alfonso Cuarón, set his next movie Gravity in the world of Children of Men. I explore that here:
There's Too Much Trash in Space
The Kessler syndrome describes a scenario in which the density of space debris and satellites in the Earth’s orbit is numerous enough that collisions between objects could cause a cascade in which each collision generates more space debris increasing the likelihood of further collisions.
Next time in the Enormous Room I want to talk about a detail from Arthur C. Clarke’s Rendezvous with Rama that I’ve never seen mentioned. It involves his sci-fi rival C. S. Lewis. You’d think scholars and critics would be all over this, but no. They’ve left it up to me to uncover. It will change scholarship henceforth, so like, share, and dedicate your prayers to my mental well being. Cheers till then.