Orionsarm.org

[Sarevok]

http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html

Orions Arm claims to be website dedicated to give an idea of what the future might look like based on real science. However it is actualy pseudo-science masquerading as science fact. The creators have certainly read too many Culture books. They confuse science fiction with science fact.

So what do you think about this site ?

[kojikun]

the worst offenses are their explanations of their GUT drives, and the physics smaller then atoms. But other then that, it's actually pretty hard science.

[Sarevok]

You forgot the FTL warp bubble sensor. It is funny seeing as how they bash sci-fi for having FTL drive but themselves use FTL technology.

[Peregrin Toker]

http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html

Orions Arm claims to be website dedicated to give an idea of what the future might look like based on real science. However it is actualy pseudo-science masquerading as science fact.

I thought that they made it clear that all they had made was a sci-fi setting.

Would you like to be a part of the future of science fiction? We are looking for writers, musicians, artists, animators, worldbuilders, RPG-enthusiasts, and any other creative individuals who might be interested in contributing to this unique project.

[Sarevok]

http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html

Orions Arm claims to be website dedicated to give an idea of what the future might look like based on real science. However it is actualy pseudo-science masquerading as science fact.

I thought that they made it clear that all they had made was a sci-fi setting.

Would you like to be a part of the future of science fiction? We are looking for writers, musicians, artists, animators, worldbuilders, RPG-enthusiasts, and any other creative individuals who might be interested in contributing to this unique project.

I think this clear things up.

hard science
plausible technology
realistic cultural development
vast setting
10000+ year timeline
no humanoid aliens

They claim hard science, plausible technology and realistic cultural development. Obviously they ignore this when writting the technology pages.

[Sarevok]

As I was writting the previous post I struck a gold mine. This is http://www.orionsarm.com/intro/vs.html their view the Star Trek vs Star Wars debate.

[Stofsk]

I take it these are the sort of people who denounce Star Wars or space opera as possessing "laughable" or "imaginary" science yet dress up their own inventions and disguise it as Hard SF? I always considered that intellectual snobbery ...

Am I wrong in regards to this site? I've only perused it to a limited degree.

[XaLEv]

You forgot the FTL warp bubble sensor. It is funny seeing as how they bash sci-fi for having FTL drive but themselves use FTL technology.

The premise behind that one is that its only impossible to make macroscopic warp drives, because while the physics works out the energy requirement is far too high. But small particles can be propelled by such 'drives' because their small size brings the energy requirements down to realistic levels.

[SirNitram]

In other words, they dress up their own bad science. Orion's Arm has some nice stories, but the snobbery is a turnoff. Most authors simply admit to having bad science and try not to dwell on it(Avoiding the Infodump, so to speak), but when you claim you don't have it, and have it anyway.. Yea.

[Darth Wong]

You forgot the FTL warp bubble sensor. It is funny seeing as how they bash sci-fi for having FTL drive but themselves use FTL technology.

The premise behind that one is that its only impossible to make macroscopic warp drives, because while the physics works out the energy requirement is far too high. But small particles can be propelled by such 'drives' because their small size brings the energy requirements down to realistic levels.

They don't realize that the energy requirement problem for lightspeed travel is independent of the size of an object, and applies equally to a single electron as it does to a planet?

[Knife]

As I was writting the previous post I struck a gold mine. This is their view the Star Trek vs Star Wars debate.

Did I inturprate that correctly? At the end they think that if their race or group magically entered either SW or ST where forcefields and such a possible, then their group or race would be able to make them too?

[Hotfoot]

As I was writting the previous post I struck a gold mine. This is http://www.orionsarm.com/intro/vs.html their view the Star Trek vs Star Wars debate.

A gold mine indeed.

Describing Darkstar's website:

It is a shame that Dr Wong does not apply his sharp intellect to the equally implausible universe he himself supports. Fortunately here is a rival site that - using only canonical sources from both franchises - argues with equal persuasiveness, as to the superiority of Star Trek over Star Wars technology - [link to Darkstar's website]

As for the rest of the site, yeah, it does smack of hypocrisy. There's nothing wrong with space fantasy at all, just as there is nothing wrong with hard SF. I myself am working on a gritty SF universe, but in order to do what I want to do with it, I need a few "magic" techs like FTL and such. The key is internal consistancy and lack of infodumps. Beyond that, most people don't really care.

[Admiral Valdemar]

As I was writting the previous post I struck a gold mine. This is http://www.orionsarm.com/intro/vs.html their view the Star Trek vs Star Wars debate.

A gold mine indeed.

Describing Darkstar's website:

It is a shame that Dr Wong does not apply his sharp intellect to the equally implausible universe he himself supports. Fortunately here is a rival site that - using only canonical sources from both franchises - argues with equal persuasiveness, as to the superiority of Star Trek over Star Wars technology - [link to Darkstar's website]

As for the rest of the site, yeah, it does smack of hypocrisy. There's nothing wrong with space fantasy at all, just as there is nothing wrong with hard SF. I myself am working on a gritty SF universe, but in order to do what I want to do with it, I need a few "magic" techs like FTL and such. The key is internal consistancy and lack of infodumps. Beyond that, most people don't really care.

Dr. Wong?

[Hotfoot]

Dr. Wong?

Just further goes to show how well they were paying attention to actual site content.

[Oddity]

Orions Arm claims to be website dedicated to give an idea of what the future might look like based on real science. However it is actualy pseudo-science masquerading as science fact.

Perhaps you could provide a few examples of this pseudo-science? And keep in mind that it is impossible to create a sci-fi setting without a certain amount of 'handwaveium'. What Orion's Arm is trying to do is keep this to a minimum, i.e. no humanoid aliens, FTL drives etc.

You forgot the FTL warp bubble sensor. It is funny seeing as how they bash sci-fi for having FTL drive but themselves use FTL technology.

Actually, FTL warp bubbles aren't mentioned. Warp bubbles, yes, but not FTL warp bubbles. And FTL drives are a big no-no, macroscopic or otherwise.

As I was writting the previous post I struck a gold mine. This is http://www.orionsarm.com/intro/vs.html their view the Star Trek vs Star Wars debate.

That they obviously only skimmed through Mr. Wong's and RSA's websites has no bearing on whether Orion's Arm technology is psuedo-science or not.

[Kuroneko]

Actually, FTL warp bubbles aren't mentioned. Warp bubbles, yes, but not FTL warp bubbles. And FTL drives are a big no-no, macroscopic or otherwise.

There is no such thing as FTL warp-bubbles regardless. The thing to realize is that general relativity does not prohibit faster than light travel per se. The only requirement is that at every point the ship travels inside its own light cone. In Minkowski space, that is equivalent to traveling below light speed (by any interpretation), but in general relativity it means that the only requirement that at every point the ship's speed is locally slower than light. A warp bubble can be exploited to make the ship get from A to B faster than light would, even though at any point in its journey the ship travels slower than light with respect to its immediate surroundings. The `FTL warp-bubble' vs `non-FTL warp-bubble' distinction is absolutely meaningless. If you can make warp bubbles at all, you can send things faster than light.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Mike, I didn't know you had a Doctorate.

You should put that on your entry-page:

"Doctors everywhere say Star Wars beats Star Trek. Just Ask Dr. Wong."

[Spanky The Dolphin]

He doesn't.

[mauldooku]

As I was writting the previous post I struck a gold mine. This is http://www.orionsarm.com/intro/vs.html their view the Star Trek vs Star Wars debate.

I especially like how they ignore basic suspension of disbelief at the bottom when stating that rival universes would be transported to theirs where 'their FTL drives won't work'.

Priceless.

[kojikun]

I support that we start calling my Dr. Wong from now on!

[Rye]

I support that we start calling my Dr. Wong from now on!

Doctor of what though...proctology?

[Admiral Valdemar]

I support that we start calling my Dr. Wong from now on!

Doctor of what though...proctology?

How'd I know that'd come up sooner or later...

[Oddity]

You forgot the FTL warp bubble sensor. It is funny seeing as how they bash sci-fi for having FTL drive but themselves use FTL technology.

Actually, FTL warp bubbles aren't mentioned. Warp bubbles, yes, but not FTL warp bubbles. And FTL drives are a big no-no, macroscopic or otherwise.

Update: Warp bubbles come from the time when Orion's Arm wasn't stritly hard science. Today this concept have been scrapped and there are no 'warp bubbles', FTL or otherwise.

[SirNitram]

Aren't they currently worshipping wormholes as the ideal and perfect hard-scifi means of getting around?

[kojikun]

Dr. Michael Wong, Doctor of Proctological Sexuality!