Dr. Michio Kaku talks about Firefly: Bushwhacked.

POSTED BY: HAKEN
UPDATED: Monday, March 21, 2011 23:51
VIEWED: 19648
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HAKEN

Friday, March 11, 2011 11:48 PM

DON'T MISS...

The new episode of FIREFLY only on the Science Channel

Episode 2 –BUSHWACKED
Premieres Sunday, March 13 at 10:00 PM (ET/PT)
The crew discovers a derelict ship and Mal wants to look for survivors and salvage whatever valuables it contains. The screw suspects the ship was attacked by Reavers, men who’ve been long removed from civilization and have reverted to savage ways. Mal and his team soon discover a survivor with a secret while trying to keep the Alliance from capturing River and Simon.

Dr. Michio Kaku will discuss the science behind anti-matter engines.

Direct download the QuickTime promo video here:
http://www.ikacollective.com/disc/Firefly_Bushwhacked_Final.mov

[object]http://www.apple.com/quicktime/'; CONTROLLER='true' LOOP='false' width='560' height='448' AUTOPLAY='true' name='Bushwhacked'>[/object]

NOTE: This might only be viewable from the beta site. Requires QuickTime.

http://beta.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=47823#834993

STEGASAURUS

Saturday, March 12, 2011 9:20 AM

Worked from the original site for me on my iPad.

-Steg

TDBROWN

Monday, March 14, 2011 12:41 PM

Serenity didn't have anti-matter engines. No faster than light speed in the 'Verse; That's Canon. I do believe the good Doctor has never watched the show he is "introducing".

"Might have been the losing side, still not convinced it was the wrong one." -Mal

SISTER

Monday, March 14, 2011 1:07 PM

still great to see the show again! Hope it's bringing in many new fans.

BYTEMITE

Monday, March 14, 2011 2:26 PM

I, yeah, what? It uses plasma propulsion from a fusion engine and grav screening.

LWAVES

Monday, March 14, 2011 3:45 PM

The Doc may know about the theory of anti-matter engines but I have to agree with TDBrown that he knows nothing about Firefly. Or at least it appears that way.
How can you talk about the science in the show if the science isn't in the show.

"The greatest invention ever is not the wheel. It's the second wheel." - Rich Hall

JOHNAG68

Wednesday, March 16, 2011 3:30 PM

Not so fast, guys. (yes, bad pun, I know.)

I'm no rocket scientist, but there is an actual concept out there which combines the two:

Here is a Wiki article that explains it much better than I can:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimatter_catalyzed_nuclear_pulse_propul
sion

Now, I agree, of course, that nowhere in Firefly is there any mention of Anti-matter being involved in Serenity's propulsion system.

However, considering her overall size, (and giving Dr. Kaku the benefit of the doubt) I think he may have been trying to rationalize how such a spaceship's propulsion could be reconciled with the reality of actual physics and theoretical physics as we understand them today. In other words, its an attempt at taking out as much of the fiction from the "science-fiction" as possible... rather appropriate for the "Science Channel," I guess.

:)

Here is one more article from Nasa that talks about the possibility of Anti-matter being used in a Fusion engine:

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/1999/prop12apr99_
1/

(its toward the bottom, under the subheading: A Star in a Bottle.)

'Course, It's entirely possible I'm being a bit too forgiving, but hey... just throwing it out there!

JOSSFREEMAN

Wednesday, March 16, 2011 10:14 PM

Yeah, he talked about "Warp Drive" too. I was afraid they'd do that - throw out generic sci-fi stuff and hope no one would notice.

I've had some experience in TV, and I'm not surprised at ALL that the Kaku segment producers never watched the show.

He did cover terraforming though.

??? What SHOULD Dr. Kaku be talking about ???

Artificial gravity?

BYTEMITE

Wednesday, March 16, 2011 10:28 PM

Absolutely. Artificial gravity is both huge part in the day to day, AND a big part in how Serenity is actually mobile.

Unfortunately, this is pure sci-fi and doesn't have any basis in current or developing technology right now.

BYTEMITE

Wednesday, March 16, 2011 10:30 PM

Hmm... Fair enough. So long as the antimatter is a catalyst and not being claimed to be the source of Serenity's propulsion, it still works.

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