More bad scifi

A little while ago I wrote about the state of biotech and how it was uniformly misrepresented in popular culture. Well, I’m not alone in lamenting the poor science that passes for plot development in today’s – and yesteryear’s – blockbusters.

First up today was the Mad Biologist’s attack on the monster from Cloverfield. Ironic, huh? I guess humans can’t pass on the opportunity for a fight… Anyway, scary as a 100 metre tall, ravenous denizen of the deep may be, it can’t compete with the simple fact that its proportions are unfeasible outside a supportive, watery environment. The article I’ve linked to is a really quick and entertaining read, and explains the root of the issue in a very simple and accessible fashion.

And this brought back to mind a significantly longer essay that I first read a couple of years ago. This one deals with a number of famous, older movies from the 50s and 60s when the spectre of a global nuclear exchange spawned an entire genre of films depicting giant mutant beasts laying waste to civilisation. These giant metaphors of humanity’s hubris were often vanquished by some heroically clever underdog-kind of person. But of course, the real story lies in the improbability of the physics and biology in these stories.

Anyway, the main point, I suppose, is that there is great value in being entertained by these films – they are entertaining and they do allow us to contextualise issues that might otherwise make us despair! – but audiences should never think them accurate.

Solar power

Two interesting sites that I came across today – one of them not much more than a catalogue, but useful nonetheless – both pertaining to solar power.

The first one, the ‘catalogue’, is a simple illustration of teh kinds of materials you can easily obtain to produce clean energy for household consumption. Both wind and solar generators are represented, together with the simple appliances that can store the generated energy and tie the larger power grid to your generator (for still, cloudy days). I read somewhere of a scheme here in Melbourne, Australia, where communities got together to bulk-purchase just this kind of hardware. Sharing the costs, and taking advantage of some rebates available from the government, makes this an increasingly appealing option as prices continue to drop.

The second site reports on a design concept that won 1st Prize in the International Design Awards ‘Land and Sea’ category. I love this one: solar cells that look like giant water-lilies spread out along the River Clyde in Glasgow. I’m sure, if this ever got off the ground and past prototype stage, that it could be a great way to supplement the generation of power for populated areas close to large bodies of water. The pads rotate to remain facing the sun and the cooling effect of the water maintains the efficiency of the solar cells even when they get very hot. Brilliant work!