Science fiction technology and the reality of its factual counterparts By James Marley FdA Film Arts PCAD500 - Practice in Context 2
James Marley
FdA Film Arts PCAD500 - Practice in Context 2
“ What’s important about science fiction, even crucial, is the very thing that gave it birth (which is) the perception of change through technology. It is not that science fiction predicts this particular change, or that that makes it important – it is that it predicts change” (Asimov on Science Fiction pg 5) Development in technology has been an ongoing process throughout history although much more prevalent from the 19th century. Writers and later filmmakers have consistently generated wonderful and fantastical creations of things to come, this has lead to the development of the science fiction genre. Early science fiction film gave the viewer fanciful ideas and dreams of machines and tools that when used by the hero’s or protagonists enhanced their screen and public appeal. Journeys to outer space or the moon and battles with laser weapons were created to give viewer spectacular and outlandish visuals, as exampled in: ‘Flash Gordon’ (1936) seen as ridiculous ‘ it epitomizes pop culture and presents a space opera… Also ‘Buck Rogers’ (1939) …’it did inflict on science fiction cinema an imprint of simplicity and ingenious action…”(Ash, 1977, page 294) A time where viewer expectations were much different, without preconceived ideas of whether something was correct or not, but maybe not so different from today’s expectations of wanting to be thrilled by science and technology that goes far beyond our own capabilities. The film set, and their special effect departments had so much creative license, that what ever we might have dreamed about, or heard the expression of “what if’ actually never was a problem when creating effects for a movie “…the growing mastery of `technical effects added an illusion of reality to many productions….” (Ash, 1977b, page 296) Science fiction is just that anyway; it is just stories made by the human mind to entertain the human mind, but we use the tools around us to build the
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FdA Film Arts PCAD500 - Practice in Context 2
science together so it has to have some familiarity about it in order that we understand what’s going on. Change is constant; an example of this is through social evolution, which can be seen to be mediated, by technological advancement, and this is what pushes our science fiction forward. For example the Cold War (1947 - 1991) reflected in science fiction movies themes of rockets, missiles, nuclear devastation, and threats of invasions and infiltrations from enemies and or aliens (e.g. Daleks). But in modern times more accuracy is pushed for in science fiction, as our understanding of everything in science has improved, at the same time as actually developing what was once an idea or a ‘what if’. Accuracy in science fiction has become important to society and the viewer because we have developed and enhanced in a short amount of time our real science, for example, mapping of DNA, cloning, medical / brain scanners, early space exploration, satellites, robotics, mobile technology & world wide web. With this science fiction is becoming less optimistic and too much like present day in terms of technology. We are already beyond the mobile & digital technology portrayed in science fiction films and drama of not long ago, as being centuries away from our present time, or the technology we imagined that only advanced interplanetary races or species were capable of within our own contemporary era. We are in a state of blended realities, where the films we make and fanciful ideas are becoming more believable or reality, for example technology such as “the communicator” & automatic doors in Picture ref (1) 3
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FdA Film Arts PCAD500 - Practice in Context 2
Star Trek & also cloning, ‘Blade Runner‘ Jurassic Park’ (1993), ‘Alien Resurrection’ (1997) have quickly merged in a short time with reality in the form of, mobile / cell phones, and even the first ever cloned sheep, Dolly in 1996. Technology used in modern science fiction now closely parallels the technology of today, as if this seems the ultimate reach of advancing computer science.
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Use of Robots Defined as replications of human beings designed to copy and or perform human like movements and functions, robots have been used in film as early as 1921, with ‘Mechanical Man’, although audiences would probably more easily recognize Fritz Langs’ ‘Metropolis’ (1927) and the seemingly lovely robot, Maria. The technology of the robot has moved in film through the decades with more up to date productions such as ‘A.I.’ (2001), ‘I Robot’ (2004), and the Cylons in Battlestar Galactica. In reality though, are they really parodied by the real development of robots as
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slaves and domestic servants to the public masses? As Baudrillard suggests in his first rule of simulacra: ‘Simulacra that are natural, naturalist, founded on the image, on imitation and counterfeit, that are harmonious, optimistic, and that aim for the restitution or the ideal institution of nature made in God's image;’ (http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/backissues/55/baudrillard55art.htm).
Here we begin the real separation of ‘fanciful’ science fiction and the cold hard facts of reality. Our development of robots, even in the most advanced of
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technological labs, is extremely slow compared to the ‘bots we see on the screen. Surely there are as stated earlier robots that can perform human like movements and functions, one only has to visit a car manufacturing plant to see these in action, and on a smaller scale there is development of life like robotic fingers capable of social touching, and robotic prosthetics that when attached respond through neural muscular control however, even these are far from our filmic examples as the article suggests: “ As realistic as they may look, the currently available prosthetic hands have physical properties that are still far from the characteristics of human skins because they are much stiffer…” (http://www.technovelgy.com) However modern robotic advancement seems to be placing ‘devices’ within every field of our lives from medical through to recreational, without us as humans seeming to recognise what’s happening. However still a long way of ’service droids’ making a cup of tea in our own homes or driving us to work although still at developmental stage, there still seems a Picture ref (4)
plan for human like robots with development of “ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility), a humanoid robot
created by Honda, has a total of 34 DOF (Degrees of Freedom) in all joints, can react to the natural movements of human beings, recognizes the objects and terrain of its environment, can respond to questions and costs $1 million USD to manufacture - setting the new world record for the most advanced humanoid robot” (www.worldrecordsacademy.org/.../most_Advanced_Humanoid_Robot_) At 1million USD though, it’s along way off from regular manufacturing. Space Travel Science fiction was once far-fetched in the sense of having ideals and dreams about covering vast distances in vessels that can support people at high speeds or in luxury, or filled with as yet un-invented gadgets because going
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into space had not yet begun, so all we had were the stories, our science had not the major development of today. “Films such as ‘Things to Come' (Wells) ‘Destination Moon’ (1950) and books like ‘Rocket Ship Galliano’ by Robert A. Heinlein, published in 1947 gave indication to audiences that going into space was the final frontier…” (Ash, 1977, page 296). Although we could use a parody of Verne’s idea to use a large cannon as a method to get people beyond earths Atmosphere and into space (From Earth to the Moon 1865 book 1958 film) with how in reality we have developed rockets and missiles. In these modern times our thoughts and science fiction stories are clearly marked by a sense of distance to rescue someone or save the day, distances that through advancing science fictional creations go from global (and inner global) to a planetary and further still, galactic travel encompassing warp drives and worm holes, and any other technologies seem to fit the story. We (the human race) have huge desires for different worlds and imaginary lives and lifestyles, as reflected in such films “Star Trek” movies & its TV dramas. With such ideologies as a utopian moneyless & democratic interplanetary society and egalitarianism made possible with technology such as, unlimited “replicators” (making food & inanimate objects materialize fully prepared before your eyes), teleportation, handheld communicators & faster-than-light warp drives.
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Although this became a reality with the actual accomplishments of first human space flight of Yuri Gregorin in 1961 & NASA Moon Landing of 1969, our space adventuring with ‘people on board’ has not really developed any further. On a global scale there is representation with the International Space Station. The rest of our space adventure rests with hugely budgeted
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unmanned missions to Mars and various investigative probes and telescopes. All this suggests that we are far from the science fictional dreams. Perhaps the biggest of our problems being the methods we use to exit our own atmosphere. Still waiting for that warp drive. Sentient Computers What we’re talking about here is the manufacturing of computers or software that by being ‘sentient’ means also to have the ability to have conscience free thought, feelings and subjective experiences. The idea is to create computers (or mainframes) that can simulate, or replicate a sense of self-awareness & reasoned thought independently. Another feature prevalent in science fiction is the taking of this theme and using it with malevolent computers, where films such as ‘2001 A Space Odyssey’ (1968), ‘Demon Seed’ (1978), ‘The Terminator’ (1984) and ‘The Matrix’ (1999), show sentient and self-aware computer and computer systems becoming renegade or rogue.
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Yet in reality scientific groups are trying to develop a freethinking computer ‘brain’, and one wonders why really, when all the versions we see of this on film always end in disaster. Though I guess there would be no point or thrill to these stories, if films about freethinking computers did not have some calamity in the plot “…Perhaps we should make sure these machines aren't intelligent at all. Not capable of making any decision beyond mechanical, programmed movement, and certainly not capable of any deductive reasoning and not in any position where it could influence or have control over humans or human society.” (http://www.links999.net) Our current ‘sentient’ computer development really is something quite different to my malevolent filmic examples. There is progress to be had in
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creating sentient buildings, that seemingly are aware of their surrounding environment, and adjust, temperatures, lighting etc. In accordance to the expected desires of the humans it is designed to take care of. So, not really that sentient at all, by comparison. If the building were self aware, it would adjust to the environment to suite itself as a priority. Other more ‘robotic’ based companies are looking at technology that response to a specific part or area of being self-aware: http://sentientai.com/home.html “Development of the Sentient Vision System started in 1999. Our goal is to develop a spatially aware vision system suitable for autonomous robots. We have the right team of specialist, PhD-qualified researchers to make it happen.” But again it does not really give the AI emotions or feelings, and works only to the functionality of its creators. Perhaps we, as humans, don’t really at this stage of technological development, need computers or robots that are emotional, or totally independent of the need for human interfacing or support, specifically when our filmic and screen examples include more recent inventions such as Kryton, Holly (Red Dwarf), Bender (Futurama) and Data (Star Trek). These are all dysfunctional over emotional, problematic and somewhat dangerous, all attributes really of human beings. Conclusion There are things or concepts that still remain fanciful or unobtainable or unreachable – such as ‘Avatar’ (2009) – where the item the humans want to mine is in fact an oxymoron insomuch that it is named Unobtainium equates to an unobtainable object. Other far-reaching science technology examples easily include teleportation, wormholes, and light speed space travel, anti gravity, replicators and time travel Science fiction films now are all about grandeur stuff, where the science is much, much bigger and far reaching such as, ‘Event Horizon’ (1997) ‘The
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Chronicles of Riddick’ (2004), ‘Dune’ (1984), ‘Dr.Who’ and even ‘Futurama’. Expanding this further one major example of still highly fanciful and unreachable theme commonly explored throughout science fiction films & dramas from it early beginnings is the concept of Time Travel & the issues that we can image come with it. For example, the ‘Doctor Who’ series (1963 – present), ‘Back To The Future’ & ‘The Time Machine’ (1960 & 2002); again an example stemming from the classic science fiction novel by H.G. Welles (1895). Time Travel (especially backwards in time) remains as the most major examples of a highly implausible technology or power, though as is shown in many of these films, why would we want too, considering the consequences & paradoxes, such
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meddling with time is shown to cause, even if sometimes with good intent of saving us from a what ever can be imagined ‘apocalyptic doom’ or just for pure curiosity of really achieving this; Taking ‘The Terminator’ films again as an example; where in (again) cyborg machines from the future are continuously sent back in time from a nuclear induced apocalyptic future to retroactively kill the future savior of mankind before he is born & ready to lead a resistance by attempting unsuccessfully to ‘terminate’ his mother & later him in his youth; so attempting in a way a kind of ‘grandfather paradox’. Maybe such films as ‘Avatar’ as seen in these most modern of times with its slow space travel requiring cryogenic sleep, use of mind linking between two living bodies via computer interface and mining of other worlds be something that could happen in our near future. So how then do we create ‘newer’ or more ‘better’ science fiction. New
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technology cannot solely be considered as science fiction in this day and age – the only thing that keeps it science fiction is the backdrop, as exampled in Baudrillard’s Simulacrum & Science Fiction: “It is at a maximum in utopias, where a transcendent world, a radically different universe, is portrayed (its most individualized form remains the Romantic dream, wherein transcendence is represented in all its depth, even unto its subconscious structure; but, in all cases, the separation from the real world is maximal” (http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/backissues/55/baudrillard55art.htm).
An example of this would be ‘Star Wars’; set in an entirely different fictional galaxy with no basis in the any known time or real region of space at all. It’s high fantasy meets Sci-fi. Though it is still romanticized vision of a far of future beyond anything we’ve reached or may never reach. However, you could also count other sci-fi worlds into this, Star Trek’s Vulcan or even Battlestar Galactica’s 12 Colonies. Some filmic examples of that high speed distant travel are seen in Star Wars because though certain bits have creative license such, as ‘hyperspace’ which gives instant travel outside true space, but isn’t this also a similar to a wormhole exampled by ‘Stargate’ franchise (1994-present) & ‘Star Trek DS9. Also warp speed in Star Trek is a similarly fanciful idea of Faster Than Light (FTL) travel. Picture ref (9)
The idea of teleport as exampled in Star Trek again but also in ‘The Fly’ (1986), where the science in this eighties film is about the exploration and eventual disaster of the potential of teleporting, whereas in the Star Trek dramas teleporting is almost blasé and just part of a future utopian transport scheme. We do know though that it is really quite fallible (just like Brundle’s (Jeff Goldblum) horrific attempt). Also of reference again is Stargate, where within this there are Picture ref (10) 10
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FdA Film Arts PCAD500 - Practice in Context 2
two different methods of science fictional transportation 1) the wormhole net work that links up so many different planets through using a dialing technique (telephonic worm holing!) but also 2) their own devised teleporting method of metallic rings that seemingly goes through solid objects, as a much closer range of instant transporting. In fact come to think of it, Star Trek is close range in their teleporting too. So what of the future? Does it need to be so accurate? Does the science in the fiction still need to become so fanciful, but still fit with the practicalities of potentially getting it right? Or is it that films currently being planned are so fanciful that we don’t worry about the fact that it might be inaccurate because it has never been tested or proved or even looked into.
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FdA Film Arts PCAD500 - Practice in Context 2
Bibliography Baudrillard, J (1991) Simulacra & Science Fiction, Science Fiction Studies (http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/backissues/55/baudrillard55art.htm) (accessed 04/03/2011) Telotte, S (1999) A Distant Technology, Hanover, NH; University Press of New England Holdstock, R (Ed), (1978) The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction WhSmith Ash, B (Ed), (1977) The Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, Pan Books LTD London Lifelike Robotic Fingers For Social Touching, Technovelgy.com, Technovelgy LLC, http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=3272 (accessed 15/03/2011) World Records Academy (2010) “Most Advanced Humanoid Robot: ASIMO sets world record”, http://www.worldrecordsacademy.org/technology/most_Advanced_Humanoid _Robot_ASIMO_sets_world_record_112091.html (accessed 22/04/2011) ‘Ethical and moral issues of artificial intelligence, Links999.net, http://www.links999.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12:e thical-and-moral-issues-of-artificial-intelligence&catid=2:artificial-intelligence&I temid=30 (accessed 27/04/2011) Sentient AI Company, http://sentientai.com/company.html (accessed 27/04/2011)
Images: Ref (.): As numbered on essay
(1.) A 23rd-century communicator as used in Star Trek: The Original Series, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:20090704-1971_StarTrekTOSCommunicator Replica.jpg (2.) Image of a mobile flip phone, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip_phone
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(3.) Poster for Metropolis, Jraige, G (2010), Metropolis Case Study, Blogspot, http://www.gjraigecasestudy.blogspot.com/ (4.) Photo of Asimo robot, World Records Academy (2010) “Most Advanced Humanoid Robot: ASIMO sets world record” http://www.worldrecordsacademy.org/technology/most_Advanced_Humanoid _Robot_ASIMO_sets_world_record_112091.html (5.) Image of a Replicator from Star Trek, Future Timeline.net http://www.futuretimeline.net/22ndcentury/2150-2199.htm (6.) Transporter chamber aboard U.S.S. Enterprise-D, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Transporter2.jpg (7.) Image of HAL 9000 (2001 A Space Odyssey), Lewinski, J.S (2009) HAL’s Pals: Top 10 Evil Computers, Wired http://www.wired.com/underwire/2009/01/top-10-evil-com/ (8.) T800 in Los Angeles 2029 from Terminator 2 (print screened), Terminator 2 Judgment Day [1991] part 1 In HD, Youtube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNEX5C3YGYQ&feature=related (9.) Poster for The Fly (1986), Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fly_(1986_film) (10.) Earth’s Stargate, tvtropes.org, http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StargateVerse
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Appendix: Text 1: “ What’s important about science fiction, even crucial, is the very thing that gave it birth (which is) the perception of change through technology. It is not that science fiction predicts this particular change, or that that makes it important – it is that it predicts change” (Asimov on Science Fiction pg 5) Holdstock, R (Ed), (1978) The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction WhSmith I decided to use this as an opening statement to my work. I feel that it explains quite well the connections I intended to make in science fiction, technology, and the reality of where we, as humans are really at with our own technological development. How many of the technological changes it predicts have come or coming to be true.
Text 2: “‘Simulacra that are natural, naturalist, founded on the image, on imitation and counterfeit, that are harmonious, optimistic, and that aim for the restitution or the ideal institution of nature made in God's image;” (http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/backissues/55/baudrillard55art.htm).
This was chosen as the original basis of the essay of ‘science fiction films’ & the fanciful technology. I have decided to adapt this by focusing in my essay on the simulating of nature being attempted in creation & use of robots with the same level of functionality as human movement & reactions. The intended aim being the imitation of the ideal natural form, to a level where, the simulated is indistinguishable from it.
Text 3: “ As realistic as they may look, the currently available prosthetic hands 14
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have physical properties that are still far from the characteristics of human skins because they are much stiffer…” (http://www.technovelgy.com) I found this text useful evidence of where a plan to comment on the limitations of the current development of our real world robotics when compared to the science fiction film examples (A.I, I-Robot). Development of life like robotic fingers capable of social touching, and robotic prosthetics that when attached respond through neural muscular control, however even these are far from our filmic examples.
Text 4: “…Perhaps we should make sure these machines aren't intelligent at all. Not capable of making any decision beyond mechanical, programmed movement, and certainly not capable of any deductive reasoning and not in any position where it could influence or have control over humans or human society.” (http://www.links999.net) This is useful evidence for where I point out, why really would we want to develop a freethinking computer ‘brain’, when all the versions we see of this on film always end in disaster. My focus here is on whether we as humans, don’t really at this stage of technological development, need computers that are emotional, or totally independent of the need for human interfacing or support, considering the dysfunctional or psychotic examples from films, I am to detail in my essay.
Text 5: “It is at a maximum in utopias, where a transcendent world, a radically different universe, is portrayed (its most individualized form remains the Romantic dream, wherein transcendence is represented in all its depth, even unto its subconscious structure; but, in all cases, the separation from the real world is maximal” (http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/backissues/55/baudrillard55art.htm). 15
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An example of this could be ‘Star Wars’; set in an entirely different fictional galaxy with no basis in the any known time or real region of space at all. It’s high fantasy meets Sci-fi. Though it is still romanticized vision of a far of future beyond anything we’ve reached or may never reach. However, you could also count other sci-fi worlds into this, Star Trek’s Vulcan or even Battlestar Galactica’s 12 Colonies.
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