Interesting Show on History Channel

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rmgil04

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I'm watching the end of "The Universe." This episode is about Space Wars. Interesting stuff. I'm keeping notes for my future writing efforts.
 

Nivarion

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Oh yeah! I set that to record. I hope no one stopped it.

So how was it?
 

rmgil04

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I thought it was pretty cool. The Rod From God gave me some ideas for a battle scene and I also made a change based on the shows discussion of outer space fighters.

Another cool part was the scientist from Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville. That's where I got both of my degrees!
 

efkelley

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Durnit. I've been out of town and missed it. Ah well. There's always repeats (especially on History).
 

Straka

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No to rain on the parade, but I'm rather guarded when it comes to what the history channel presents.

I've caught numerous (and enormous) errors on there before. Partly the trouble is they have a hard job ahead of them, trying to sell history, so they tweak it to excite the audience or present it in such a manor to create more tension within a 20 minute slot. Much of the information is then generalized to fit the format.

It's good to be inspired by something on there, and maybe it goes without saying but I wouldn't quote anything they say on there in an academic paper.

Just my 2 cents.
 

Lhun

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I checked out the episode, and damn, was Straka ever straight on.
From screwing up the calculation of how fast a rock launched by a trebuchet is if it flies for 5 seconds, to people confusing railguns and coilguns at least a dozen times in the space of a few minutes, this show has to be one of the biggest piles of rubbish i've lately seen in "educational" television.
While it's not quite as bad as saying that turning every statement around 180° is better, take everything said on that show with a huge mountain of salt.
Just to elaborate one of the most ridiculous errors: above mentioned trebuchet calculation. They explain how a stone has more kinetic energy the longer it can accelerate in gravity. And how it travels at 30 feet per second for every second of fall. Then they launch one in a trebuchet and show how it makes a bigger crater in sand. And claim that the stone flying for 5 second when launched, thus reached a velocity of 150 feet per second. Which is an error that would be hugely embarrassing to make in the first high school physics test, let alone on TV.

Though one guy being the science advisor to Battlestar Galactica explains a lot about that show too. :D
 
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efkelley

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Well now I HAVE to see it. ;)

In truth their '10 ways to destroy earth' show was entertaining but no really rooted in possibility. To their credit, the scientists/physicists they interviewed pretty much said so. '2 black holes perfectly bracketing Earth? uhh.. okay...'
 

Lhun

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Well now I HAVE to see it. ;)
Well there's not only bad things to say about it. It was hilarious, i'll grant that. ;)
I'd be happy to explain corrections if anyone is interested in any particular topic they touched on.
 
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