Steven Dutch, Natural and Applied Sciences, Universityof Wisconsin - Green Bay
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I will respond to questions and comments as time permits, but if you want to take issuewith any position expressed here, you first have to answer this question:
What evidence would it take to prove your beliefs wrong?
I simply will not reply to challenges that do not address this question. Refutabilityis one of the classic determinants of whether a theory can be called scientific. Moreover,I have found it to be a great general-purpose cut-through-the-crap question to determinewhether somebody is interested in serious intellectual inquiry or just playing mind games.Note, by the way, that I am assuming the burden of proof here - all youhave to do is commit to a criterion for testing.It's easy to criticize science for being "closed-minded". Are you open-mindedenough to consider whether your ideas might be wrong?
Major blockbuster film cycles, but there's little for a scientist to say about them, for one fundamental reason - they're mostly about magic.
The most "scientific" of the cycles, in the sense of using the standard apparatus of science fiction, like space ships, faster than light travel, anti-gravity, and so on. But the central element is a supernatural entity called The Force, which George Lucas described as his attempt to distill out the essence of all major religions. The Force allows Yoda to lift a space ship out of a swamp, and Anakin Skywalker to free-fall safely out of a speeding hover-car. It does make one wonder why Jedi masters can't simply use the Force to propel themselves without bothering with hovercraft at all. If they can do prodigious leaps using the Force, how come Obi-Wan had to cling for dear life to a cable during his fight with Boba Fett? If they can use the Force telekinetically, why not just use it to fry critical elements of the Death Star instead of flying disastrous suicide missions?
The Matrix trilogy is about computer-generated rather than supernatural magic, specifically the idea that we all live in a virtual reality generated by a supercomputer that has taken over the world. Since it's computer-generated, it's logically consistent for characters to run up walls, do slow motion flips, and so on.
The most scientifically absurd element of the Matrix is the idea that it makes sense to use humans as a power source for a supercomputer. If you need the electricity generated by metabolism, use electric eels instead.
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Created 12 October, 2005; Last Update 24 May, 2020
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