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Revisiting the Physics of Buckaroo Banzai

serutan writes "Shortly before the release of 'The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: Across the 8th Dimension' in 1984, physicist Carl Sneider of U.C. Berkeley wrote a surprisingly interesting essay on the physics behind the movie. Since the essay is not widely available on the web and I could only find it in plain text, I posted a more readable HTML version on my site. Among the more interesting points Sneider makes are that the oscillation overthruster is the result of decades of research instead of the usual laboratory accident, and its development corresponds surprisingly well with the evolution of particle physics from the 1930s to the 80s."

12 of 163 comments (clear)

  1. Cool car mod by Timberwolf0122 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I for one would love an oscilating overthruster on my car, it would enable me to drive through traffic jams. My only consern is that if I can pass through solid matter what is to stop me passing throught the crust of the earth? I drive a MR2 Roadster and I don't think the canvas soft top is rated to magma.

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    In the not too distant future, next Sunday A.D.
  2. I dunno by deft · · Score: 2, Funny

    On slashdot sure I see some morons, but there's usually some people on here so smart I don't understand a thing they said to smack down the moron, and somehow I say that's expertise.

    --

    There's nothing Intelligent about Intelligent Design.
    1. Re:I dunno by Minwee · · Score: 3, Funny

      I believe that that's one of Clarke's Laws. Any sufficiently advanced technobabble is indistinguishable from smack.

    2. Re:I dunno by somersault · · Score: 3, Funny

      Mod parent diagonal.

      Now excuse me while I go phlib my enjuntificator.

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      which is totally what she said
  3. Re:Weird science by h4rm0ny · · Score: 4, Funny


    All the I know, is that The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai (Across the Seventh Dimension), was the worst thing that I ever ever got in charades once. My sister got Jaws!

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    Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
  4. Buck-A-Roo! by beezly · · Score: 3, Funny

    Curse that headline. I thought this was going to be an article about the inner workings of some extreme version of Buckaroo!.

    I was so disappointed when I found out it was about a sci-fi film.

    Buck-A-Rooooo!

  5. Re:Buckaroo Banzai was easy to identify with by KORfan · · Score: 2, Funny

    He had it easy. Back when I was a musician/physicist/adventurer/crime-fighter, we built our own instruments and our cars were crank starters. We didn't have any of this automatic transmission nonsense, and we reloaded our own bullets, too! This guy would have to struggle to make his own vacuum tubes.

  6. Lesson to be learned by Lord+Grey · · Score: 5, Funny

    Not only did Buckaroo's car go wicked fast -- so fast that the on-board camera shook alarmingly -- and was able to drive through a mountain, it had turn signals . And Buckaroo used them . This Half Japanese/Rockstar/Neuro-Surgeon/Particle Physicist/Adventurer sets a good example for all of us!

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    // Beyond Here Lie Dragons
    1. Re:Lesson to be learned by smellsofbikes · · Score: 2, Funny

      >Not only did Buckaroo's car go wicked fast

      Yeah, but one heat-seeking missile and he's *history*.

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      Nostalgia's not what it used to be.
  7. Re:Weird science by azuravian · · Score: 2, Funny

    Seems like that would have been hard in charades. Especially since you're trying to get people to guess a movie that doesn't even exist.

  8. Re:Weird science by aiabx · · Score: 2, Funny

    No wonder it was hard. You were confusing everyone with the wrong number of dimensions.

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    Just this guy, you know?
  9. Just... just hold on... that's good. by VikingBerserker · · Score: 2, Funny

    This article reads like a truck.