Episode #102: It works with the length of corridors and car journeys too

Episode 102

Saturday 21st February, 2009 @ 12:17 GMT

Latest News (Archive)

Episodes now with transcripts

Posted: 1 month ago

I've started adding transcripts to comics. Currently only new comics will have transcripts, but gradually I'll add transcripts to the archives. You can choose to "Show" or "Hide" transcripts, which will save a cookie to your browser ("Show stores the cookie, "Hide" deletes it). Transscripts are visible on the episode pages (permalinks) only, and not on the home page.

Next time you watch an episode of Star Trek*, unless they explicitly say "halt turbolift," you will notice that the lift takes enough time for the characters to complete their conversation - which has the odd effect of no two lift journeys to the same place being of the same length.

If the writers are aware of this they will make sure never to specify distance to travel. If they are clever, they will work an interruption in to a plot-complication (i.e. so the crucial piece of information is never said). If they are anally-retentive they will know exactly how far and how long it takes to get from point A to point B within their universe.

* I said Star Trek, because that's what I was watching when I had the realisation. But it also applies to other series, even non sci-fi ones.

The poem that Captain Slog is reciting is The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. I thought a space mariner would probably memorise that one (even Malcom Reynolds, of Firefly/Serenity knows it), although maybe not all 143 stanzas! I wonder what a space albatross looks like?

Comments (0)

Nobody has commented yet...

Comments have been disabled for this episode.

The Webcomic List
TopWebComics!