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I posted this in the General forum as well, but I think it's most appropriate here. I had a chance to interview a naval analyst and wargamer about how science-fiction gets space combat wrong - including carriers. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2 ... s_in_space

Of course, but submarine, surface ship and aircraft (not to mention satellites), that's 3D isn't it?

Already been done [;)]

I thought it was an interesting read, but I am not sure I agree with all his points.

Oh boy what next ? Stating that there is no sound in space ?

Hey you, let's not even get started on warps. Many of these so-called scientists who are certainly well degreed at otherwise reputable Universities, somehow someway seem to never have heard of the scientific method. The situation is so bad that even some SF authors laugh at them. I suppose it will work out in the end. Everything always does.

ORIGINAL: Gräfin Zeppelin

Oh boy what next ? Stating that there is no sound in space ?

"In space no one can hear you scream."

What sold me on that movie when it first came out was the opening scene where they zoomed in on a dirty coffee cup sitting on a computer console. (Inconceivable in the Star Wars/Trek universes).

No matter how much technology changes, people will always be the same.......

For those who like science in their science fiction, take a look at the Atomic Rockets site: http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/index.php

If you want the most realistic space combat game on the market: http://www.adastragames.com/products/adastra/av.html

"Warp" drive may not be as improbable as originally thought..

http://www.space.com/17628-warp-drive-p ... light.html

10x the speed of light with a mass-energy the size of a Voyager probe.

Combined with some potential breakthroughs using lasers for fusion reaction, deep space travel may not be that far in the future (decades versus centuries).

http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... est-lasers

lets face it. our current perception of space is Boring with a capital "B" [:D] So in that sense, I don't get down on Lucas and company for spicing it up. No Sound? yep. Starships and fighter spacecraft don't have to bank like aircraft? check.

The original Dune might get a nod for realism as well in the sense that Interstellar travel, was only acomplished via warping/Folding space to traverse huge impossible distances. Other than that ships were fairly conventional IIRC.....(rocket sublight type engines etc)

StarWars/StarTrek and their ilk are a hellofalot more fun, even if the latter in particular "conventionalized" the Galaxy to the Nth degree.

Movies like Alien.....and believe it or not (If you were a kid at least) the first season of Space 1999 left you feeling alot more insecure in that shows/movies like that tapped into our fear of the Unkown. What's more unknown that what lies out there in Deep Space? Bug eyed monsters? unexplainable phenomenom? Things so "alien" to our understanding that not just our tech but our entire way of looking at things fails to hold up against it.

Star Trek in particular made traveling the galaxy, even in exploration a routine thing.