The individual words and compounds have meaning but strung together they're gibberish
Spoilers A list of bad scientific errors in Discovery
- Thread starter ISS_Einstein
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P.S. Mycellial networks in soil move at the speed of chemicals - they are sometimes compared to a natural internet, because there arn't too many examples in nature of that kind of communication in vitro - but they are not a literal high speed transport system; chemicals work by diffusion - even the internet is just electricity travelling down a wire.
It's alight pumping up a 'metaphor up to 11', but the concept was not even initially presented as metaphorical - like a phenomenon "similar to fungi" - it was literally just lifted - they literally took a process that takes place in soil, and put it in space - there is a lot of gymnastics to justify that - that it's some kind of quantum-entangled life-form.
At one point in the show, they even list the biological name of the fungi, and it bore a taxonomic name related to a real proposed fungi from Earth's history, as if it shared an origin on our planet.
It's alight pumping up a 'metaphor up to 11', but the concept was not even initially presented as metaphorical - like a phenomenon "similar to fungi" - it was literally just lifted - they literally took a process that takes place in soil, and put it in space - there is a lot of gymnastics to justify that - that it's some kind of quantum-entangled life-form.
At one point in the show, they even list the biological name of the fungi, and it bore a taxonomic name related to a real proposed fungi from Earth's history, as if it shared an origin on our planet.
And we do know what they mean.... so, that sorta prevents them being gibberish almost by definition.
But they have added the requisite exotic name to the mix. Prototaxites stellaviatori. Not that different than Quadrotriticale or dilithium.
They've always put "it in space". The weapons, the communications... are all Earth stuff transferred to space. You just add photon, quantum and subspace to everyday words
Nah. still gibberish.
Are you seriously arguing that subspace radio, a hypothetical form of communication not unlike current space radio communication, is in any way similar to just putting a physical chemical network in space?
I can barely believe what I have been reading at times in this thread, I'll just assume you guys aren't serious, and wanna see how long you can keep me talking.
But about the taxonomy of the fungus - although Prototaxites is not a confirmed genus - do you understand that all things on Earth's tree of life are thought to have evolved from a common source - and that thus, giving it an Earth taxonomy, makes it a fungi native to Earth, and not.... Vulcan, Qo'noS, or anywhere in space?
EDIT:
In 1998 scientists discovered that fungi split from animals about 1.538 billion years ago, whereas plants split from animals about 1.547 billion years ago. This means fungi split from animals 9 million years after plants did, in which case fungi are actually more closely related to animals than to plants.
Yep. Though the network actually works on a quantum level, beyond the chemical one we see on Earth.Are you seriously arguing that subspace radio, a hypothetical form of communication not unlike current space radio communication, is in any way similar to just putting a physical chemical network in space?
Have you never watched Star Trek?
In all the episodes of Star Trek, and all the films, I do not recall them ever giving the formal taxonomy of any alien life form before - correct me if I am wrong.
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Wasn't TNG's finest hour, but they did pseudo-justify it by saying that portions of junk-DNA were being re-activated - so, while bad, you can imagine that some distant arthropod-like traits were reactivated. Stupid though, I agree; fun episode, but they could have justified it better.
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Interesting experiment - let's replace them:
After a month of successful operations, Lorca is ordered to protect the spore drive until it can be replicated for other Starfleet ships. As he returns to the Discovery, Lorca is taken captive by the Klingons.
After a month of successful operations, Lorca is ordered to protect the Quantum Transwarp Filament Engine until it can be replicated for other Starfleet ships. As he returns to the Discovery, Lorca is taken captive by the Klingons.
Yup, way better
Funny. I was actually trying to make the opposite point. The spore drives, dilithium crystals, and "quantum transwarp filaments" are pretty much the same when you get right down to it.
Which is fine with me. Talk of spore drives and mycelial networks and such doesn't knock me out of the story or anything--and certainly doesn't strike me as being somehow qualitatively different than "fluidic space" or Scalosian super-speed formulas . . . . ..
Not sure what difference that makesIn all the episodes of Star Trek, and all the films, I do not recall them ever giving the formal taxonomy of any alien life form before - correct me if I am wrong.
Pretty sure nobody is yanking your chain here. It's just that not every Trekkie is as concerned with this issue as you are.
As I've often observed, there is no "right" way to watch STAR TREK. Some people are into the world-building and "canon," some people are into the characters, some people are all about the topical allegories and morality plays, others just want thrilling space-opera adventure. You place great importance on Trek being as scientifically accurate and even educational as possible, but that's not necessarily such a high priority for other viewers.
And this especially true when it comes to whatever particular kind of story is being told. As Makeshift Python sagely pointed out earlier, "The Galileo Seven" is not remotely about the science behind the quasar-like object, which is just a plot device. That story is really about personalities under stress and how Spock's oh-so-logical command style clashes with more emotional humans under his command.
It's not about science at all . . . like much of STAR TREK.
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I still wanna know why space rocks are plausible for FTL travel while space mushrooms aren’t.
And where copper-blooded lifeforms can successfully crossbreed with iron-blooded lifeforms who evolved on a completely different planet . . .
Canis Spacius.Hum... what is the classification of this animal - I need to know to determine if it is good or bad science:
My issue is more one of presentation than of content. For a show that practically shouts "60s style sets and ships would look stupid, no one would believe that silliness in this day and age", and puts some effort into describing the fungal situation, it seems strange to argue for having the science be equally silly as the 60s sets and concepts. Now, I'm not at all arguing against giant space hands*, just that there seems a disconnect between DSC's "we must be taken seriously" and the "just wave your hands, it's sorta like science" aspects of the production.
*Please, more giant space hand type situations!
*Please, more giant space hand type situations!
Not sure one is closely related to the other.
