The Unofficial Laughing At Andromeda Thread

[Moonshadow]

he fell from a set for a Movie he was doing in Hong Kong i think.

[Anarchist Bunny]

That sucks, I like him mostly in Herc and Xena until they had them doing all the silly(read: mind dumbingly stupid) shit.

[XaLEv]

I knew right off that this was a reheat, and the way they worked the whole angle of Hunt in suspension was just plain ludicrous. Their whole idea that the Andromeda was orbiting within the event horizon of the black hole, which froze time on board the ship, was about as laughable as anything ever seen on Voyager.

Andromeda was not within the event horizon, just close to it. The time dilation effect of the black hole was increased by an interaction with Andromeda's artificial gravity.

Doubly so for the idea of being able to grapple a starship and pull it out of the orbit, assuming that somehow it hadn't simply been drawn right into the singularity itself.

Not as ludicrous once you realize that they were outside of it. It was also stated that Andromeda was moving away from the black hole, and would have escaped on it's own eventually.

When they put forth the even more laughable notion of "exploding" the black hole to free the starship, that was when I knew this show was going to be, inconceivably, dumber than Voyager.

This was done with 40 nova bombs, which are gravity nullification/reversal devices. The effect was also temporary, with only some of the singularity's mass/energy liberated.

[Patrick Degan]

I knew right off that this was a reheat, and the way they worked the whole angle of Hunt in suspension was just plain ludicrous. Their whole idea that the Andromeda was orbiting within the event horizon of the black hole, which froze time on board the ship, was about as laughable as anything ever seen on Voyager.

Andromeda was not within the event horizon, just close to it. The time dilation effect of the black hole was increased by an interaction with Andromeda's artificial gravity.

Then that's even more ludicrous than the idea that the ship might have been within the event horizon. There's no reason why there should be any such interaction, much less one which would produce a time-dilation effect.

Doubly so for the idea of being able to grapple a starship and pull it out of the orbit, assuming that somehow it hadn't simply been drawn right into the singularity itself.

Not as ludicrous once you realize that they were outside of it. It was also stated that Andromeda was moving away from the black hole, and would have escaped on it's own eventually.

Even more nonsensical. Outside the event horizon (out to three Schwarzchild radii), it is quite possible to orbit a black hole as you would any body in normal space. Even out to two SR, it would be possible to escape with minimimal thrust. But once at the event horizon, a body is on a long drop to nowhere and there is no escape.

When they put forth the even more laughable notion of "exploding" the black hole to free the starship, that was when I knew this show was going to be, inconceivably, dumber than Voyager.

This was done with 40 nova bombs, which are gravity nullification/reversal devices. The effect was also temporary, with only some of the singularity's mass/energy liberated.

Technobabble, technobabble, blah blah blahblahblah... Never mind that this makes FTL seem reasonable by comparison. Yes, I am well aware of the Nova bombs, and the idea is still laughable. Any mass or energy from the bombs that drops below the event horizon would simply drain away into the singularity. Drop the bombs themselves beyond the EH, and they drop right into the singularity and are shredded into their constituent subatomic particles before they can conceivably function. The black hole itself would remain quite unaffected.

[XaLEv]

You seem to be having some difficulty applying suspension of disbelief here, Patrick.

Then that's even more ludicrous than the idea that the ship might have been within the event horizon. There's no reason why there should be any such interaction, much less one which would produce a time-dilation effect.

How do you know what would or would not happen? Are you suddenly an expert on the technology and physics of the Andromeda universe?

Even more nonsensical. Outside the event horizon (out to three Schwarzchild radii), it is quite possible to orbit a black hole as you would any body in normal space. Even out to two SR, it would be possible to escape with minimimal thrust. But once at the event horizon, a body is on a long drop to nowhere and there is no escape.

When did I say otherwise?

Technobabble, technobabble, blah blah blahblahblah... Never mind that this makes FTL seem reasonable by comparison. Yes, I am well aware of the Nova bombs, and the idea is still laughable. Any mass or energy from the bombs that drops below the event horizon would simply drain away into the singularity. Drop the bombs themselves beyond the EH, and they drop right into the singularity and are shredded into their constituent subatomic particles before they can conceivably function. The black hole itself would remain quite unaffected.

And your proof that the nova bombs have to actually pass beyond the event horizon? Your proof that their effects are themselves affected by gravity?

[Patrick Degan]

As one sage phrased it, I have an open mind, but not so open that my brains fall out of my skull.

How do you know what would or would not happen? Are you suddenly an expert on the technology and physics of the Andromeda universe?

And why should the physics of the Andromeda universe be any different from our own? Physical law is universal; it doesn't change from one era to the next. And any technology which is developed conforms itself to those laws —unavoidably.

Even more nonsensical. Outside the event horizon (out to three Schwarzchild radii), it is quite possible to orbit a black hole as you would any body in normal space. Even out to two SR, it would be possible to escape with minimimal thrust. But once at the event horizon, a body is on a long drop to nowhere and there is no escape.

When did I say otherwise?

The only way to buy into the ludicrous situation posited by the Andromeda pilot is to believe otherwise. Orbiting beyond a black hole's event horizon should not result in any unusual time dilation effects, which means there is no credible mechanism by which time would have slowed or frozen to account for the 300-year gap between Dylan Hunt's experience of the universe and the normal flow of time. It would have been far more credible had the ship been trapped in a closed timelike loop, insulated from the normal flow of time in the normal universe as the result of a Slipstream Drive malfunction.

Technobabble, technobabble, blah blah blahblahblah... Never mind that this makes FTL seem reasonable by comparison. Yes, I am well aware of the Nova bombs, and the idea is still laughable. Any mass or energy from the bombs that drops below the event horizon would simply drain away into the singularity. Drop the bombs themselves beyond the EH, and they drop right into the singularity and are shredded into their constituent subatomic particles before they can conceivably function. The black hole itself would remain quite unaffected.

And your proof that the nova bombs have to actually pass beyond the event horizon? Your proof that their effects are themselves affected by gravity?

Two little things called common sense and the known physical properties of black holes. Common sense: any bomb, no matter the design, is going to discharge its energy omnidirectionally. The hemisphere of blast oriented toward the hypermass is going to deposit its energy toward the gravity well, which means it's going to be absorbed by the black hole's gravity. Known properties: any matter or energy which drops beyond the periphery of the event horizon is going to vanish into the singularity. For any such object, time actually does freeze, because it's being accelerated toward c very rapidly. Which means any clocks on board the device are going to be affected. This does not bode well for the function of timed devices which fall into a black hole's gravity field.

Either way, this does not open the means for reversing the black hole's gravity, converting the black hole into a white hole, or affecting it in any other way.

It's not my fault the laws of physics render the damn show impossible.

[neoolong]

Just an aside: Uh, what about shaped charges? I thought the explosion goes in a certain direction?

[NecronLord]

usually by placing a blast resistand cone over the way you don't want it to explode. (english language mangled )

[ViciousMink]

I do have to admit, Andromeda had great promise. One thing I'm glad to have seen is that http://allsystems.org is still around. It's probably one of the best and most reasonable organizations for a spacefaring military I've ever seen. Too bad it all got thrown out the window within the first half hour of the show. But even then, I got the first Andromeda DVD set, and the show was really pretty good. I didn't see many episodes, and only one of the newer season's ones (where Trance was... somehow a future version of herself, and Rommie had this stunning purple hair) but that was about it.

Still, I liked the stuff on allsystems.org. That would've made a great series... kind of like 'Victory At Sea' set in space....

[neoolong]

usually by placing a blast resistand cone over the way you don't want it to explode. (english language mangled )

Yeah, the explosion is omnidirectional, but the end result is still the blast going in one direction.

[neoolong]

I do have to admit, Andromeda had great promise. One thing I'm glad to have seen is that http://allsystems.org is still around. It's probably one of the best and most reasonable organizations for a spacefaring military I've ever seen. Too bad it all got thrown out the window within the first half hour of the show. But even then, I got the first Andromeda DVD set, and the show was really pretty good. I didn't see many episodes, and only one of the newer season's ones (where Trance was... somehow a future version of herself, and Rommie had this stunning purple hair) but that was about it.

Still, I liked the stuff on allsystems.org. That would've made a great series... kind of like 'Victory At Sea' set in space....

Hehe. Rommie always looks good. And while Trance looks nice now, I thought the purple look was kinda cute.

[Slartibartfast]

usually by placing a blast resistand cone over the way you don't want it to explode. (english language mangled )

Yeah, the explosion is omnidirectional, but the end result is still the blast going in one direction.

And first there should be some material resistant to the effects of a star-busting bomb.

[Slartibartfast]

I never thought much of Andromeda. I think I haven't even watched the first season, and everything already seems badly written, and acted. Kevin Sorbo barely pulls it off, for someone who can't really act very convincingly. The worst of all is the tech-boy who's always slobbering over the chicks.

And why they had to put Lester from Beakman's show? And he's even uglier. At least the original Lester was funny, and didn't spout a lot of phylosophical nonsense.

Plus: exploding consoles. Ergh.

Honestly, even Buck Rogers was a better show.

[ClaysGhost]

And why should the physics of the Andromeda universe be any different from our own?

It's a sci-fi show, and breaks rules like any other; ST, SG1, SW, B5, Farscape et al?

[Pcm979]

I predict that even hot chicks will not save this series.

Hot chicks never save a T.V. series. They merely drag it through kicking and screaming.

[neoolong]

usually by placing a blast resistand cone over the way you don't want it to explode. (english language mangled )

Yeah, the explosion is omnidirectional, but the end result is still the blast going in one direction.

And first there should be some material resistant to the effects of a star-busting bomb.

I was speaking generally, but yeah.

[neoolong]

I predict that even hot chicks will not save this series.

Hot chicks never save a T.V. series. They merely drag it through kicking and screaming.

Which is why changing some of the characters to show off their assets will not save the series.

[starfury]

For the first two seasons, the whole impetus of the series is Hunt's quest to restore the Systems Commonwealth to power. Except several episodes accidently dropped more than enough hints that the SC was actually a fascist dictatorship which enforced loyalty to the state with a large arsenal of planet-killing superweapons available to the High Guard. And it mystifies Hunt that few people actually wanted the Systems Commonwealth back in power.

I actually have watched very little of Andromeda, so will you help me on this little fact, as most andromeda fans argue the commonwealth is not a dictatorship like the empire of SW.

[neoolong]

For the first two seasons, the whole impetus of the series is Hunt's quest to restore the Systems Commonwealth to power. Except several episodes accidently dropped more than enough hints that the SC was actually a fascist dictatorship which enforced loyalty to the state with a large arsenal of planet-killing superweapons available to the High Guard. And it mystifies Hunt that few people actually wanted the Systems Commonwealth back in power.

I actually have watched very little of Andromeda, so will you help me on this little fact, as most andromeda fans argue the commonwealth is not a dictatorship like the empire of SW.

Hmmm. I can't remember some specific examples, but I think that the Commonwealth could be a bit strict, though I don't think it was as strict as the Empire. Of course, the Restored Commonwealth is based more on ideology and good stuff like that so probably be even less dictatorial than the Commonwealth.

Though, the threat of nova bombs may be a deterrent. I don't know how widely they were used or known about. Or even if there was an implied threat.