Difference between revisions of "683: Science Montage"
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| title = Science Montage | | title = Science Montage | ||
| image = science_montage.png | | image = science_montage.png | ||
| − | | titletext = The rat | + | | titletext = The rat's perturbed; it must sense nanobots! Code grey! We have a Helvetica scenario! |
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There are several major concepts about science and technology that movies tend to distort for the purposes of a more exciting plot, both illustrated here. One is that the work involves a lot of different exciting-looking gadgets. Another is that the analysis can be done very quickly, and results in very certain and significant conclusions. Besides this, the scientists often seem to have access to a database full of trivial information from around the world. In reality, a scientific analysis of some sample or data often only requires a single boring-looking machine, takes quite some time, and provides a limited result that must be interpreted very carefully to have any meaning at all. | There are several major concepts about science and technology that movies tend to distort for the purposes of a more exciting plot, both illustrated here. One is that the work involves a lot of different exciting-looking gadgets. Another is that the analysis can be done very quickly, and results in very certain and significant conclusions. Besides this, the scientists often seem to have access to a database full of trivial information from around the world. In reality, a scientific analysis of some sample or data often only requires a single boring-looking machine, takes quite some time, and provides a limited result that must be interpreted very carefully to have any meaning at all. | ||
| − | The | + | The title text further illustrates movie science by observing a lab rat and deducing the presence of {{w|nanobots}}. |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
:Movie Science Montage | :Movie Science Montage | ||
| − | :[One scientist passes a test tube to another, who | + | :[One scientist passes a test tube to another, who's sitting at a machine. They're both wearing lab coats and goggles. Lights and screens are shining, and there's a hamster ball and a Newton's cradle on a shelf behind them.] |
| − | :[There | + | :[There's a glowing sample next to a rat in a cage. One of the scientists is holding a glowing implement; she has another rat in her hand and one on her head. The other scientist is on the phone.] |
:Caged Rat: Squeak! | :Caged Rat: Squeak! | ||
| Line 27: | Line 27: | ||
:[The other scientist is operating a machine with a scope, flasks, coils, and bubbles.] | :[The other scientist is operating a machine with a scope, flasks, coils, and bubbles.] | ||
| − | :Scientist (in panel): Paint flecks from the killer | + | :Scientist (in panel): Paint flecks from the killer's clothing match an antimatter factory in Belgrade! |
| − | :Scientist (off panel): Let | + | :Scientist (off panel): Let's go! |
:Actual Science Montage | :Actual Science Montage | ||
| − | :[Two scientists in lab coats and goggles place a sample into a machine. There | + | :[Two scientists in lab coats and goggles place a sample into a machine. There's a clock on the wall.] |
:[Time has passed.] | :[Time has passed.] | ||
| − | :Machine: | + | :Machine: ''...whirrrrrr...'' |
:[Time has passed. One of the scientists has removed his goggles.] | :[Time has passed. One of the scientists has removed his goggles.] | ||
| − | :Machine: | + | :Machine: ''...whirrrr...bing!'' |
:[They examine the sample.] | :[They examine the sample.] | ||
| − | :Male Scientist: Okay, we | + | :Male Scientist: Okay, we've determined there''s neither barium nor radium in this sample. |
:Female Scientist: Probably. | :Female Scientist: Probably. | ||
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
| − | + | [[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]] | |
| + | [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Chemistry]] | ||
Revision as of 10:51, 6 April 2013
| Science Montage |
 Title text: The rat's perturbed; it must sense nanobots! Code grey! We have a Helvetica scenario! |
Explanation
This comic makes fun of the artificially dramatized and simplified depiction of science in movies. The unstated premise seems to be that the scientists are trying to get information about a murderer based on a sample obtained from his clothing. The movie version of events involves the characters doing exciting things with a computer display, lab rats, a laser, and a complicated chemical apparatus. The characters quickly arrive at the firm conclusion that paint on the clothes is from an "antimatter factory" in Belgrade, Serbia.
The actual science version shows the scientists putting a sample into a machine (perhaps a mass spectrometer). The machine takes 20 minutes to analyze the sample (according to the clock on the wall). At the end of this process, the only thing learned is that there is likely no barium or radium in the sample. This conclusion is not very helpful, and is not even very certain.
There are several major concepts about science and technology that movies tend to distort for the purposes of a more exciting plot, both illustrated here. One is that the work involves a lot of different exciting-looking gadgets. Another is that the analysis can be done very quickly, and results in very certain and significant conclusions. Besides this, the scientists often seem to have access to a database full of trivial information from around the world. In reality, a scientific analysis of some sample or data often only requires a single boring-looking machine, takes quite some time, and provides a limited result that must be interpreted very carefully to have any meaning at all.
The title text further illustrates movie science by observing a lab rat and deducing the presence of nanobots.
Transcript
- Movie Science Montage
- [One scientist passes a test tube to another, who's sitting at a machine. They're both wearing lab coats and goggles. Lights and screens are shining, and there's a hamster ball and a Newton's cradle on a shelf behind them.]
- [There's a glowing sample next to a rat in a cage. One of the scientists is holding a glowing implement; she has another rat in her hand and one on her head. The other scientist is on the phone.]
- Caged Rat: Squeak!
- [One of the scientists pulls levers on another machine, which is shooting some kind of ray downwards a a sample.]
- [The other scientist is operating a machine with a scope, flasks, coils, and bubbles.]
- Scientist (in panel): Paint flecks from the killer's clothing match an antimatter factory in Belgrade!
- Scientist (off panel): Let's go!
- Actual Science Montage
- [Two scientists in lab coats and goggles place a sample into a machine. There's a clock on the wall.]
- [Time has passed.]
- Machine: ...whirrrrrr...
- [Time has passed. One of the scientists has removed his goggles.]
- Machine: ...whirrrr...bing!
- [They examine the sample.]
- Male Scientist: Okay, we've determined theres neither barium nor radium in this sample.
- Female Scientist: Probably.
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refresh comments!Discussion
'Code grey!' may also be a reference to Grey Goo involving nanobots. 64.138.135.2 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
In the third panel down of the Real Life montage, Cueball is missing his lab goggles. 162.158.145.156 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
The "hamster wheel" really looks more like a plasma ball, which would better fit the impressive-looking-but-totally-useless category. 141.101.79.43 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
- It does look more like a plasma ball, and I was going to change the explanation/transcript to reflect that, but according to the Official Transcript, it's a hamster ball. Beanie (talk) 13:25, 21 April 2021 (UTC)
