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06/20/2005: Thought for the Day:
Enough about the quirks of screenwriters and directors. The narrator informs the viewer that with space exploration came peace on Earth. In 2001, the United Nations rules the planet with a fair and benevolent hand and the pioneering men of its space agency explore the solar system. This expedition was apparently scrambled to suddenly investigate Uranus (Don complains about having to cancel social plans). The crew is now hurtling through space on their way to the seventh planet. Actually, they are traveling at a velocity I find incomprehensible. (I might keep using that word. It does mean what I think it means.) The crew casually remarks that they passed the moon twelve minutes ago and will reach Mars' orbital path in forty minutes. HOLY FREAKING COW! Depending on where Mars is at in its orbit and their cruising speed, we are still talking about, say, ten percent of the speed of light. If the speed itself does not impress you, think of the acceleration involved. I think that the crew would look like pancake batter.
--Andrew Borntreger [on the film Journey to the Seventh Planet]
Len on 06.20.05 @ 07:17 AM CST
