Alot of the jokes, subtle references, spoofs, and even the type of humor itself is specifically designed for a Western audience.
You are probably right there, but I dont think that it will stop people in other countries from making their own good jokes for the Simpsons episodes.
For example, I used to watch the Simpsons in german (since in germany all shows/ movies are dubbed) and one of the funniest things I heard on the Simpsons was when Bart calls Moe on the phone.
A typical line from bart would be...
" Bea O'Problem! Bea O'Problem! Come on, guys, do I have a Bea O'Problem here?
Barney says "You sure do!"
Oh...it's you, isn't it?
Listen, you. When I get a hold of you, I'm going to use your head for a bucket and paint my house with your brains!
Bart laughs"
Now in german that would not work as a punch line, it would be lost in the translation.
So when they dubbe it, they make up their own jokes, and Bart would ask Moe for names such as "Lasmiranda Densevillja!" which in german sounds like the words "Lass-mich-ran-da-denn-sie-will-ja" , meaning " Let me on there 'cos she wants it."
Another one would be,
"Amanda Dermichknutscht"
which sounds like "Ein-man-da-der-mich-knutscht"
translation: " A man there who cuddles me"
maybe a reference to,
" Telegram for Heywood U. Cuddleme! Heywood U. Cuddleme? Big guy in the back, Heywood U. Cuddleme?"
Hah! You earth-bounders are just jealous of our enormous rocketships! If you had rocketships like we do, you'd be racing, too. But you'd lose, because our rocketships are bigger than anyone else's!
It's not the size that matters, but how you use it.
From a theoretical basis its not as hard as you would think it is, as long as you can simplify the problem. That is, the mechanics point of view of it, and doing it all analytically. I myself am studying orbital mechanics at the moment, and in just 3 weeks you can learn the BASICS(i strecth the word basic here) for a interplanetary transfer. Here is a list of the sort of maths you would encounter in orbital mechanics: - Conic Sections (parabolas, hyperbolas...etc) - Calculus (pretty much have to know it all, a good understanding of differential equations (including partial D.E.), differential vector operator, even series calculations and their sums (eg Taylor series)...etc.) - Linear Algebra (Vector and matrix operations, also applications with calculus, eg coupled differential equations come up in 3d rigid dynamics problems which can be solved using diagonlization matrices) - something I missed !!
NOW TO THE ACTUAL PROCESS.
There are three main segments: Earth escape (hyperbolic) Heliocentric transfer and Planetary encounter.
You use two- body mechanics to approximate trajectory of a spacecraft between two attracting bodies (its a 3 body problem, but you have to simplify it). This means you have to ignore all attracting bodies except the one with the most influence. Bodies with great masses have an "Attracting Sphere"(also known as 'sphere of influence') around them, when you leave the radius of that sphere you perform your 2-body calculations with the next body that has the greatest influence. Eg for Earth the radius for the sphere is 9.25 x 10^5 km. But don't forget that on the 'surface' of the sphere the influences of the 2 large bodies are equal, it's essentially a cosmic 'tug of war'.
With interplanetary transfer you have to start to think in reverse, first you have to think as to what is the purpose of the craft, do I want it to a) send it into an orbit around the planet b) use the planet as a slingshot for the craft c) use the atmosphere of a planet to slow down my craft d) or just crash it! (War of the worlds?!)
Then you need to calculate a HOHMANN TRANSFER that will give you a final approach velocity which will let you do one of those options (a,b,c or d). But for that final velocity you will need a certain initial velocity approach into the Hohmann transfer from a low Earth orbit(LEO).
After you have set the spacecraft into a LEO(because before any orbital manoeuvres can be made the properties of the initial orbit must be known), and the right moment in time comes, you apply an impulse 'shot' to the spacecraft of around 20 seconds and assume that to be infinitesimal in comparison to the 18 months required to reach Mars. The impulse is applied tangentially(to LEO) to generate the initial velocity of for the Hohmann transfer. Make sure you fire in the right direction and use the Earths velocity as an advantage, you would not want to make it any harder by fighting the velocity of Earth too. While on the Hohmann transfer to Mars it is wiser to make small adjustments now in thrust and directions so that you can save on energy and thus propellant rather then having to make adjustments when arriving there. A small change in angle at some large distance can save the trouble of having to make big changes when arriving.
From Earth to Mars the Hohmann transfer is a heliocentric transfer orbit ( the sun at the focus). The tough bit is having to think of it as a hyperbolic passage when approaching the planet. You have to think of the planet as a focus in your hyperbola where your flight of travel is the hyperbola and you are approaching the perigee form the asymptotes of the hyperbola( ie assume u are approaching from infinity, r~= infinity). For this, you initially assume that the velocity of your planet(the focus) is zero. Through the focus are two lines passing through and intersect there, these lines are parallel to the asymptotes. Give them the spacing 'delta'. Now if we know the velocity at which we a
Martians with a bad digestive system. If the average human releases 0.5 to 1.5 L of flatus a day, imagine then how much one of those 'little green buggers' farts.
I seriously hope that someday a brave enough director would hire a physicist and actually listen to him on what is physically possible in a real or fictional scenario unless a fictional reason is stated clearly enough. So that the viewer is not dumbfounded by the scene.
But than again who paid attention in physics class anyway.
Slashdot Mirror
You are probably right there, but I dont think that it will stop people in other countries from making their own good jokes for the Simpsons episodes.
For example, I used to watch the Simpsons in german (since in germany all shows/ movies are dubbed) and one of the funniest things I heard on the Simpsons was when Bart calls Moe on the phone.
A typical line from bart would be...
" Bea O'Problem! Bea O'Problem! Come on, guys, do I have a Bea O'Problem here? Barney says "You sure do!" Oh...it's you, isn't it? Listen, you. When I get a hold of you, I'm going to use your head for a bucket and paint my house with your brains! Bart laughs"
Now in german that would not work as a punch line, it would be lost in the translation.
So when they dubbe it, they make up their own jokes, and Bart would ask Moe for names such as "Lasmiranda Densevillja!" which in german sounds like the words "Lass-mich-ran-da-denn-sie-will-ja" , meaning " Let me on there 'cos she wants it."
Another one would be, "Amanda Dermichknutscht" which sounds like "Ein-man-da-der-mich-knutscht" translation: " A man there who cuddles me"
maybe a reference to, " Telegram for Heywood U. Cuddleme! Heywood U. Cuddleme? Big guy in the back, Heywood U. Cuddleme?"
It's not the size that matters, but how you use it.
cannonball race to me.
...looking for another profession.
Now this is a good opportunity to calculate the probable escape velocity of our own galaxy.
How much more stiffer would she want it to be?!!
From a theoretical basis its not as hard as you would think it is, as long as you can simplify the problem. That is, the mechanics point of view of it, and doing it all analytically. I myself am studying orbital mechanics at the moment, and in just 3 weeks you can learn the BASICS(i strecth the word basic here) for a interplanetary transfer.
Here is a list of the sort of maths you would encounter in orbital mechanics:
- Conic Sections (parabolas, hyperbolas...etc)
- Calculus (pretty much have to know it all, a good understanding of differential equations (including partial D.E.), differential vector operator, even series calculations and their sums (eg Taylor series)...etc.)
- Linear Algebra (Vector and matrix operations, also applications with calculus, eg coupled differential equations come up in 3d rigid dynamics problems which can be solved using diagonlization matrices)
- something I missed !!
NOW TO THE ACTUAL PROCESS.
There are three main segments:
Earth escape (hyperbolic)
Heliocentric transfer and
Planetary encounter.
You use two- body mechanics to approximate trajectory of a spacecraft between two attracting bodies (its a 3 body problem, but you have to simplify it). This means you have to ignore all attracting bodies except the one with the most influence. Bodies with great masses have an "Attracting Sphere"(also known as 'sphere of influence') around them, when you leave the radius of that sphere you perform your 2-body calculations with the next body that has the greatest influence. Eg for Earth the radius for the sphere is 9.25 x 10^5 km. But don't forget that on the 'surface' of the sphere the influences of the 2 large bodies are equal, it's essentially a cosmic 'tug of war'.
With interplanetary transfer you have to start to think in reverse, first you have to think as to what is the purpose of the craft, do I want it to
a) send it into an orbit around the planet
b) use the planet as a slingshot for the craft
c) use the atmosphere of a planet to slow down my craft
d) or just crash it! (War of the worlds?!)
Then you need to calculate a HOHMANN TRANSFER that will give you a final approach velocity which will let you do one of those options (a,b,c or d). But for that final velocity you will need a certain initial velocity approach into the Hohmann transfer from a low Earth orbit(LEO).
After you have set the spacecraft into a LEO(because before any orbital manoeuvres can be made the properties of the initial orbit must be known), and the right moment in time comes, you apply an impulse 'shot' to the spacecraft of around 20 seconds and assume that to be infinitesimal in comparison to the 18 months required to reach Mars. The impulse is applied tangentially(to LEO) to generate the initial velocity of for the Hohmann transfer. Make sure you fire in the right direction and use the Earths velocity as an advantage, you would not want to make it any harder by fighting the velocity of Earth too. While on the Hohmann transfer to Mars it is wiser to make small adjustments now in thrust and directions so that you can save on energy and thus propellant rather then having to make adjustments when arriving there. A small change in angle at some large distance can save the trouble of having to make big changes when arriving.
From Earth to Mars the Hohmann transfer is a heliocentric transfer orbit ( the sun at the focus). The tough bit is having to think of it as a hyperbolic passage when approaching the planet. You have to think of the planet as a focus in your hyperbola where your flight of travel is the hyperbola and you are approaching the perigee form the asymptotes of the hyperbola( ie assume u are approaching from infinity, r~= infinity). For this, you initially assume that the velocity of your planet(the focus) is zero. Through the focus are two lines passing through and intersect there, these lines are parallel to the asymptotes. Give them the spacing 'delta'. Now if we know the velocity at which we a
Martians with a bad digestive system.
If the average human releases 0.5 to 1.5 L of flatus a day, imagine then how much one of those 'little green buggers' farts.
I seriously hope that someday a brave enough director would hire a physicist and actually listen to him on what is physically possible in a real or fictional scenario unless a fictional reason is stated clearly enough. So that the viewer is not dumbfounded by the scene.
But than again who paid attention in physics class anyway.