tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903086586646984026.post2716754328891348762..comments2023-06-01T09:42:21.545-04:00Comments on The Science of Battlestar Galactica: REVELATIONS THOUGHTS AND SPOILERSPatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08058181251132560150noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903086586646984026.post-40637778684953280572008-06-20T23:55:00.000-04:002008-06-20T23:55:00.000-04:00I think the constellation comparison is vague enou...I think the constellation comparison is vague enough to mean they could be near Earth on a nearby colony. <BR/><BR/>Even if it was Earth, they'd home in on the Temple of Aurura as their prime location to land and possibly ignore the rest of the planet initially - perhaps there are still natives in another hemisphere.<BR/><BR/>Somehow the destroyed bridge reference means enough to the plot to shoot that on location in NY rather than Vancouver with the rest of the episodes. Perhaps an homage to the closing scene Planet Of The Apes?Chris Hutchcrofthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06754745373428631647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903086586646984026.post-68384902827044542862008-06-20T15:09:00.000-04:002008-06-20T15:09:00.000-04:00They certainly recorded the constellations in that...They certainly recorded the constellations in that projection. Hard to believe you would go on an expedition to Kobol to gather clues to Earth and not bring along a camera. <BR/><BR/>Anyway, when Starbuck was whisked to Earth, she certainly had a camera, and her magic viper took lots of photos of the constellations, and they matched them to the Zodiac projection on Kobol.<BR/><BR/>Plus the planet has a giant moon. The only confusing part is that she said it's a yellow moon, and Pythia's description of the moon also described it as yellow. In her photo, we see something that astronomers will recognize -- the moon they used is in partial eclipse! I have yet to come to any solid explanation of all this stuff about the moon, but it looks like our moon (in partial eclipse) and that makes it more likely this is Earth that Starbuck went to and photographed constellations from.<BR/><BR/>Possibly the moon is terraformed, or was before the exodus from Earth to Kobol. (And yes, the only plot consistent with science is that Earth is the true homeworld of humanity.)<BR/><BR/>Now this might be a fake-out, but hard to see why. A ruined Earth is the right plot, drama-wise, so why have a ruined fake Earth and then proceed to a ruined real Earth?Brad Templetonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06518625048611734018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903086586646984026.post-26074806320923022052008-06-20T11:34:00.000-04:002008-06-20T11:34:00.000-04:00These are some really great points. In several gr...These are some really great points. In several groups I post in, everyone is adamant about it being NYC just because of the background view across the water. I don't deny that it looks achingly similar to tourist people have posted of themselves in almost the exact position that provides the background likeness, but I also see a stark contrast in the architecture. Great blog!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903086586646984026.post-85992628920174961622008-06-18T18:01:00.000-04:002008-06-18T18:01:00.000-04:00Did I miss something? How did we know about the "r...Did I miss something? How did we know about the "ruined temple of Aurora"? I was glad for the confirmation that the ruins were the Brooklyn Bridge, and linked the post on the Serenity forum, but somebody wondered how you knew which ruined temple, so I thought I'd ask.Owlfarmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15373358232893937182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903086586646984026.post-37867713336554431422008-06-18T12:13:00.000-04:002008-06-18T12:13:00.000-04:00A good analysis, but in one of the podcasts RDM di...A good analysis, but in one of the podcasts RDM did say that the Temple of Athena was a holographic projector, not a hallucination, and that the constellation patterns were recorded. Even if they weren't, the patterns are replicated on the flags of the Twelve Colonies and even a minor distortion would be notable.<BR/><BR/>The triple star from Starbuck's vision is a reference to the system where they found the crippled basestar and has nothing to do with Earth's system. Also, from Alpha Centauri A or B, Proxima is barely visible and would not be identifiable as being in the same system from direct observation out the cockpit of a Viper.<BR/><BR/>I personally believe it's Earth. Coming back after the break and saying, "Whoops! It isn't Earth after all!" would cheapen that moment at the end of S4.0. I do wonder why they didn't show any recognisable landmarks from orbit though. It seems a bit odd.Adam Whiteheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11383677312079611311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903086586646984026.post-50199465432594198062008-06-18T10:50:00.000-04:002008-06-18T10:50:00.000-04:00You brought up a good point about the constellatio...You brought up a good point about the constellations, namely, that we don't know which constellations they were passing their location upon. This got me thinking.<BR/><BR/>Consider this: Even our real-life star mapping capabilities allow us to calculate the "constellations" (i.e., arrangement of stars in the night sky) from almost anywhere in our region of the Milky Way. Such an astronomical capability would be required for FTL technology to be useful over any significant distance. Ostensibly, the Galactica checks the results of its FTL jumps by comparing the "constellations" they witness with those that they predicted they would witness while they were making the calculations for the jump. Ergo, the constellations referred to by Lt. Gaeta may actually have nothing to do with the zodiac.<BR/><BR/>And then, what is meant by "visible"? Well, fortuitously--and a bit of a stretch of the imagination, although good for television drama--the fleet jumped into orbit around the Earth(-like) planet. The sheer bulk of the planet and its supposed "yellow moon," i.e., if they are still listening to Starbuck's experiential visions/dreams, would occlude most star arrangements ("constellations") by which the Galactica would calculate its position. The result is as you pointed out; they could be in a nearby system. The telling astronomical anomalies from the predicted constellations just may not have been possible to see.<BR/><BR/>As a counterpoint to one of yours, however, in the Temple of Athena, Roslin did say that the ancient flags of the colonies carried star patterns that matched our zodiac constellations. It would not be unreasonable to assume that among the surviving records there would be depictions of those ancient flags. (If for nothing else, they would survive as a matter of course because in the end, this is a television show with its share of dramatic machinations.) As a result, then, Lt. Gaeta (or whoever) would not have to rely on a group's sketches from memory of the constellations they witnessed.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12766713353657476140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903086586646984026.post-46134767627405971882008-06-18T07:59:00.000-04:002008-06-18T07:59:00.000-04:00But you are forgetting.... The tomb is not their o...But you are forgetting.... The tomb is not their only record of these star patterns. Roslin noted that the star patterns were recorded on the original colonial flags.<BR/><BR/>Assuming naturalistic science fiction and that this is an Earth-descended people, those representations, even if stylized, would be accurate.<BR/><BR/>No - they're at Earth. With only ten episodes left, that's fairly abundantly clear.evolverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14487690899392280597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903086586646984026.post-70661169778564089452008-06-17T20:00:00.000-04:002008-06-17T20:00:00.000-04:00No, it is Earth for sure. Notice the beached tugbo...No, it is Earth for sure. Notice the beached tugboat under the bridge pylon as well as the collapsed dome of the monument. It is only one small location on Earth as well. <BR/>I think they will find that other parts of the Earth are ok, most likely Australia and New Zealand.<BR/><BR/>Perhaps, with the combined technology of the remaining cylons, they may collectively figure out how to jump to an earlier part of Earth history and save the world!<BR/><BR/>Love this show.CharlyVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05371549027795347219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903086586646984026.post-41473265305576268412008-06-17T02:36:00.000-04:002008-06-17T02:36:00.000-04:00Good points all around but I'm wont to take it as ...Good points all around but I'm wont to take it as wrote.<BR/><BR/>You <I>must</I> tell me more about Telectroscope! I'm currently living on the West Coast but I make it back East now and again. I'd like to know if it's worth the trip. All that I've seen and read about it has me really interested.<BR/><BR/>~jj4yx0rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16622227186764567751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903086586646984026.post-50638459091144710242008-06-16T23:47:00.000-04:002008-06-16T23:47:00.000-04:00Perhaps Gaeta dropping his what I perceived to be ...Perhaps Gaeta dropping his what I perceived to be pain pills on the deck was foreshadowing that his data might be a little whack for a while.Jessehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06645878801958562959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903086586646984026.post-18863612953085854292008-06-16T10:18:00.000-04:002008-06-16T10:18:00.000-04:00I understand your point. But I am not sure if I a...I understand your point. But I am not sure if I agree. One of the striking differences between BSG and all other SF shows (other than Firefly) has been a lack of any intelligent life anywhere else in the Galaxy. <BR/><BR/>So if that is not Earth, then humanity has spread to many worlds. And yet in their travels, the Colonials have found no trace of humanity other than on Kobol and on the planet that may be Earth.<BR/><BR/>(It chaps my ass that we are going to have to wait a year or so to find out what happened.)Comrade Misfithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15404477636451308763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903086586646984026.post-64233826098731570142008-06-16T02:17:00.000-04:002008-06-16T02:17:00.000-04:00i personally dont want it to be earth. i am hoping...i personally dont want it to be earth. i am hoping it is not. i cant be. starbuck is basically the one that brought them there and she is "the harbinger of death" according to the hybrid and will lead the human race to its end. and the final five didnt really "know" where earth was. i think that if this planet is earth it is a little bit of a cop out for the show. i want to know what earth was like and i want to know how the people would've greeted them or attacked them maybe. <BR/><BR/>also i think it is convenient that there are now only 4 cylons in the fleet when they had said there were 5 cylons in previous episodes.... where is the final cylon then?? cant wait until next year to find outcoolshoeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05713604638760768769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903086586646984026.post-4352511962328647032008-06-15T22:45:00.000-04:002008-06-15T22:45:00.000-04:00I just wanted to say that I read your blog quite o...I just wanted to say that I read your blog quite often, and I really enjoy your scientific insight into the show. I have to say, though, that I do separate what you write and what happens on BSG quite a bit sometimes, as I know the show is 'fiction' and not exactly based on true science. That said, however, your observations and explanations are very interesting, and I hope you will continue to write on this for a long time to come...I love it!Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02906683108026094090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903086586646984026.post-23261396950528122002008-06-15T21:55:00.000-04:002008-06-15T21:55:00.000-04:00I think it’s the planet Paradeen. Even though it l...I think it’s the planet Paradeen. Even though it looked like Manhattan. When the ships passed over the planet I did not see any of the continents.wait2cmehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07942905531586778832noreply@blogger.com