Every so often I like to answer questions readers ask of me either in person or on Facebook but from time to time its fun to shake things up a bit. So I asked my Facebook followers to ask me any questions related to science fiction or fantasy that they may have and the response was extraordinary. So without further adieu I give you the three I chose to answer.
Q1- Tyson from Price asked: “In most sci-fi space shows, how do they send messages so quickly when light speed limits how quickly communication can happen with such enormous distances between vessels?”
A1- I too have scoffed at this apparent oversight and perhaps this is such a case when the fiction part of the title earns its spurs. However, there is a legitimate question about how we are going to communicate as our exploration ventures further and further into the cosmos. If we ever get to the technology that would allow us to live a “Star Trekkian” existence we undoubtedly would like to communicate across such huge expanses, so the logical way would be to use the same warp technology employed by the giant starships. If raw data cannot be transmitted through a worm-hole then perhaps messages saved on hard copies could then be thrust into warp and out to its intended destination. As for instantaneous transmission, I’m sorry but I have no idea what can be done about that.
Q2- Sierra from Clovis CA asks: “Is ‘Jurassic Park’ actually possible?”
A2- This is much more within the realm of possibility than most sci-fi plots. However, what must be understood is that there are a few gaping holes in the science behind “Jurassic Park.”
First of these is the whole premise is based upon extracting DNA from a long-dead mosquito trapped in amber. This is simply not possible as DNA would have degraded long, long long ago.
Next they needed to fill in holes within the DNA to sequence different types of dinosaurs, which is fine but they used a frog…an amphibian. The closet living relatives to dinosaurs alive today are birds, so Spielberg really missed the mark on that one. But we do have current technologies that may allow us to resurrect close replicas of extinct species such as the Woolly Mammoth. I say close replicas because we would still need to use the DNA of a living relative to make it work, thus changing the animal into a near-hybrid.
But as far as dinosaurs go, our best bet would be to take existing DNA and try to re-code it over time and grow our new species one generation at a time. Maybe one day, just not today.
Q3- Robert from Price asks: “Who would win in a fight, Gandalf or Dumbledore?”
A3- I will find where you live Robert! This question has plagued me for many years and I’m ready to throw down. It’s not even up for debate, Dumbledore is a ant, a mere shadow of a man compared to Gandalf, no ifs ands or buts, period. Still wanting to argue? Ok. Dumbledore is a wizard, basically a man with some fancy-shmancy tricks he learned at a two-bit high school. Gandalf is a Maia of the order Istari which means he’s basically a freaking god. The common man calls him a wizard because that’s exactly what Gandalf wants him to think. In fact, if Gandalf were to reveal his true nature and unreal powers, Middle-Earth would just throw down their will to fight and beg him to take on Sauron alone. Gandalf held back so man could seal his own destiny, Dumbledore put teenagers in life-or-death situations because he was terrible at his job. To recap: Dumbledore= A second rate educator with a silly magic stick. Gandalf= Super amazing immortal demigod who can bend the ear of the creator of all the universe. Win.
Some fun with Q&A on Sci-Fi
Nathaniel Woodward