@Pope John Peeps II: I think you are either quite wrong about that or I misunderstood you.
The lab where he was created in itself was as sci-fi as things got back then. There weren't machines of any sort connected to beds even in hospitals in the early 1800's. Machines CREATING life may not have happened yet but it all started with Frankenstein. Maybe not, but she was the first to popularize the idea. This was again, before computers and television, before everyone even had electricity.
Let alone all of the metaphors and social commentary that Frakenstein himself embodied.
How about Doc Smith's 'Let's turn the solar system into a vacuum tube and laser the bad guys' system? Of course, he didn't call it a laser, as they wouldn't see their first application for about 15 more years or so.
In fact, any panspermia plot is pretty much going to be scientific nonsense, unless you put the panspermia back close to a billion years. The "Ark" theory, that humans and animals came to Earth in relatively recent (ie. last 100,000 and in fact far more years) is really, really, really debunked. Thanks to creationists it is perhaps the most debunked idea in the history of history.
I wrote an essay on these questions here, because so many people cling to the Battlestar Galactica plot of 1978.
Now, as to the question of Battlestar, it is not at all clear that the new series is a Panspermia story. Moore, the producer was asked this question after season 1, and he said it would not be such a story in his blog, but he was going to try to write a story to merge the ideas of the old show and the scientific non-reality of recent panspermia.
There are two possible options now, since the "Earth" they found is not our Earth (since I am pretty sure our real planet was not named by Cylon colonists.)
1) This "Earth" is given that name, to match the old show's quest, but is not at all our Earth in any meaningful way, not the same culture, no fossils in the ground, etc.
2) There is a real Earth out there, as shown at the end of season 3. One growing opinion is that we'll see it, since the stars in the scene of the Cylon civil war are exactly the Earth stars, and aside from a few related scenes, those stars are not seen anywhere else, including on "Earth" the 13th colony.
But we'll see. In the meantime check out the essay.
@bradtem: I felt it best to hedge my bets on the new series; for one thing, I'm still working through it (at quite the feverish pace, I might add). But the original series is an open-and-shut case.
I saw "Mission to Mars" on a plane, which is the only reason I did. Said plane was from Silicon Valley to Worldcon, and thus full of science and SF geeks. You could tell where the fans were sitting by the derisive snorts, annoyed whispering, and uproarious laughter in places the makers hadn't intended there to be a joke.
My guess is that BSG is set in the far-off future, and the Colonials and the Cylons are all descendants of a post-Singularity humanity that nearly wiped itself out millennia before.
In the not too distant future, of course, humans and robots will be united in struggle against cheesy movies -- the worst they can find.
Arthur C Clark's 2001 series might be a contender for this list. The monolith builders seemed more about seeding sentience though, so I'm not sure if that counts;)
"Human" Life on Earth is the second Evolution of the species of the "Ancients".
Millions of years ago the Alterans escaped their Galaxy and came to the Milky Way. The landed on Dakara and built the device on the planet to "create" life across the milky way. They didn't necessarily create Humans but Eco-Systems required for Alteran civilization. This might have actually been the spark that caused the second evolution of their race AND of other races across the Milky Way.
Eventually the Ori found them and infected them. The survivors Ascended or fled to Pegasus where they again seeded life.
Millions of years later some Alterans return to Earth and meet the second evolution of their race. They settle and mix with them, being genetically compatible they end up accelerating their evolution by introducing certain advanced genes that may have taken millions of years to evolve on their own.
@Arthur Borko: Fair enough - I have to admit, I spent quite awhile trying to figure out what the exact deal was with Stargate, and I still came away from it a little confused. I happily bow to your superior knowledge.
06/23/09
On the other hand, I'd love to see a Man-Kzin War movie or series
But on the Gripping Hand, I'd pay big money to see The Mote In God's Eye on the Big Screen
06/23/09
06/22/09
"At least since Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, authors have foreseen new technologies reshaping society"
Hahaha. That's SO cheeseball. And not even correct. Frankenstein didn't reshape anything in the book.
06/22/09
The lab where he was created in itself was as sci-fi as things got back then. There weren't machines of any sort connected to beds even in hospitals in the early 1800's. Machines CREATING life may not have happened yet but it all started with Frankenstein. Maybe not, but she was the first to popularize the idea. This was again, before computers and television, before everyone even had electricity.
Let alone all of the metaphors and social commentary that Frakenstein himself embodied.
06/22/09
Unless I'm vastly mistaken, no reanimated corpses or created monsters are busy replacing the human race.
06/22/09
07/13/09
07/13/09
Is Frankenstein directly responsible? No. No more than Star Trek is responsible for cell phones.
06/22/09
06/22/09
06/23/09
06/22/09
06/22/09
02/02/09
I wrote an essay on these questions here, because so many people cling to the Battlestar Galactica plot of 1978.
You can find it at: [ideas.4brad.com]
Now, as to the question of Battlestar, it is not at all clear that the new series is a Panspermia story. Moore, the producer was asked this question after season 1, and he said it would not be such a story in his blog, but he was going to try to write a story to merge the ideas of the old show and the scientific non-reality of recent panspermia.
There are two possible options now, since the "Earth" they found is not our Earth (since I am pretty sure our real planet was not named by Cylon colonists.)
1) This "Earth" is given that name, to match the old show's quest, but is not at all our Earth in any meaningful way, not the same culture, no fossils in the ground, etc.
2) There is a real Earth out there, as shown at the end of season 3. One growing opinion is that we'll see it, since the stars in the scene of the Cylon civil war are exactly the Earth stars, and aside from a few related scenes, those stars are not seen anywhere else, including on "Earth" the 13th colony.
But we'll see. In the meantime check out the essay.
02/02/09
02/02/09
02/02/09
02/02/09
02/01/09
02/01/09
In the not too distant future, of course, humans and robots will be united in struggle against cheesy movies -- the worst they can find.
02/01/09
02/01/09
02/01/09
02/01/09
02/01/09
02/01/09
And, lest we leave out anime, have a look at the Gall Force series.
02/01/09
02/01/09
02/01/09
02/01/09
Oooh, There's an idea for another Triviagasam!
02/01/09
"Human" Life on Earth is the second Evolution of the species of the "Ancients".
Millions of years ago the Alterans escaped their Galaxy and came to the Milky Way. The landed on Dakara and built the device on the planet to "create" life across the milky way. They didn't necessarily create Humans but Eco-Systems required for Alteran civilization. This might have actually been the spark that caused the second evolution of their race AND of other races across the Milky Way.
Eventually the Ori found them and infected them. The survivors Ascended or fled to Pegasus where they again seeded life.
Millions of years later some Alterans return to Earth and meet the second evolution of their race. They settle and mix with them, being genetically compatible they end up accelerating their evolution by introducing certain advanced genes that may have taken millions of years to evolve on their own.
02/01/09