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The Science of Iron Man
holy_calamity writes "New Scientist takes a look at the evidence-base behind the science and technology in the new blockbuster Iron Man, and finds it is pretty solid. From exoskeletons to real-time translation there are at the very least proof-of-concept demonstrations of pretty much all the glitzy tech the hero Tony Stark uses."
For once, it looks to be at least within the realm of possible science (i.e. real science-fiction as the term implies, not the usual hollywood acid trip scripts).
Oh, and none of the "I got bitten by a mutant spider/got exposed to gamma ray/etc" crap that is usually associated with american super-heroes.
In the great magnetic field
Where he traveled time
For the future of mankind I must be confused.
"I got bitten by a mutant spider/got exposed to gamma ray/etc" crap that is usually associated with american super-heroes
That is not really the Science Fiction part of the story. It is just a plot forwarding device to explain how the person got the powers. Even Iron Man really isn't Sci-Fi they are more under "Modern Fanticy"
Good Sci-Fi uses unheard of technology or really advance technology to forward the plot. Bad Sci-Fi uses unheard of technology or really advance technology to resolve the plot (I talking to you Star Trek Fans (Espectially Voyager))
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
It's nice that Stuart Ross thinks he can develop rocketbelts to enable people to fly. However, until someone comes up with a way to store the, apparently, unlimited fuel necessary to power a suit such as Iron Mans, and have it weigh, again, apparently, next to nothing, we will never see flying suits of armor.
Forget for a moment that a large percentage of people can't safely drive a vehicle on the ground at 65 mph. We now want to develop suits of metal capable of flying hundreds of miles per hour (Iron Man can out run jets and other craft)?
Then there is all his armament that he carries within the suit. How many rounds of ammunition, not to mention various missiles and such, is he carrying? Yeah, I thought so.
Yeah, yeah, I realize this is all fantasy and it makes for good enjoyment. But let's not get ahead of ourselves and try to claim that everything developed in a fantasy environment is directly translatable to real life.
Super-duper computers capable of interacting with humans? Sure. It will take some time but it is feasible and most likely probable. New uber-compounds which can retain their shape or make repairs to themselves? Already happening. Suits of armor capable of flying hundreds of miles per hour? Not gonna happen.
On a side note, is it just me or do Downey's whoops and hollers sound flat? I realize he wasn't actually flying but his yelling just doesn't seem, to me, to be indicative of someone who's flying in a suit of armor.
We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
after watching spiderman, i was so psyched.
I went right home, caught a spider, microwaved it for a few seconds to mutate its DNA a little bit, then I took it out and let it bite me.
and guess what?
No superpowers
spiderman is bullshit.
this ironman fellow, this is real superhero stuff for sure...
-I only code in BASIC.-
Hey, no spoilers! The movie isn't even out yet. Next you'll be telling us some other important plot point, something like him rising from his grave to kill the people he once saved. Have some respect.
I got a kick out of them using the old Black Sabbath song. Since, far from being a savior, Iron Man ends up destroy all humans. I'm not sure if that is what the movie makers intended.
putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
You didn't use the right kind of spider! You need a spider that already has some serious mojo that can be enhanced by the radiation.
I used a Brown Recluse. After a couple seconds of microwave enhancement, I let it bit me. And damned if I didn't develop a bad-ass super power:
Necrotic Lesions.
Sure, sure, doesn't sound like much. But you just have to be creative. Normally I keep them covered up, but when I'm say getting the jump on some bank robbers, I just expose my hideous gaping wounds and dead flesh, and they toss their cookies giving me ample time to shoot them or whatever. It's awesome. Everyone should get super powers like mine.
The enemies of Democracy are
If you go back a couple dozen years it was outright impossible to build an engine capable of mach 2. We didn't have the science or technology to make it happen. It was maybe a glimmer in some technician's imagination, but that's it.
And before that we didn't even have the ability to fly at all.
Today we have cell phones with more processing power than an entire building full of computers a few years back.
We've got tiny motors in toys and gizmos that were also flat-out impossible a few years back.
Sure, by today's standards Iron Man is completely impossible, but that really doesn't mean much. I'm not claiming that such a thing will ever actually be possible... But claiming that our current understanding of science and technology is as good as it is ever going to get is awfully arrogant.
"Work is the curse of the drinking classes." -Oscar Wilde