Space Does Not Work That Way: Difference between revisions

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Because... you know... space is grape-flavored.

Captain, we've been attacked by some sort of force ray! Gah! Gyah! Space air is flooding in!

Right. Goggles on!

—The Simpsons, The Planet from Outer Space

Thanks largely to Speculative Fiction, space is probably one of the most inaccurately portrayed things in modern media, to the extent that complete falsehoods are widely accepted as fact.

This is a very specific kind of Did Not Do the Research, which may have been partially justified in earlier media as the research back then wasn't up to much. Modern portrayals of space, however, still haven't changed much from the rock-filled, noisy place which will make an unprotected human instantly explode into clouds of ice.

Some of this is due to a lack of research or just lack of interest. But most of the modern misrepresentations can be put down to the Rule of Cool (the idea that things with sound are cooler, or at least not as scary, as a famous tagline pointed out, as things without), artistic license, or simply the belief that audiences wouldn't accept it any other way.

Overlaps Artistic License Astronomy. Compare Space Is Magic, which goes above and beyond mere technical inaccuracy. See also: Mohs Scale of Sci Fi Hardness, The Coconut Effect.

Specific kinds of Space Does Not Work That Way include:

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{trope}}
-[[File:planets_stars_asteroids_140_8170.jpg|frame| Because... you know... [[Atop the Fourth Wall (Web Video)|space is grape-flavored]].]]
+[[File:planets_stars_asteroids_140_8170.jpg|frame| Because... you know... [[Atop the Fourth Wall|space is grape-flavored]].]]
@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 This is a very specific kind of [[Did Not Do the Research]], which may have been partially justified in earlier media as [[Science Marches On|the research back then wasn't up to much]]. Modern portrayals of space, however, still haven't changed much from the [[The Asteroid Thicket|rock-filled]], [[Space Is Noisy|noisy]] place which will make an unprotected human instantly [[Explosive Decompression|explode]] into [[Space Is Cold|clouds of ice]].
-Some of this is due to a [[Did Not Do the Research|lack of research]] or just [[They Just Didn't Care|lack of interest]]. But most of the modern misrepresentations can be put down to the [[Rule of Cool]] (the idea that [[Space Is Noisy|things with sound]] are cooler, or at least [[Nothing Is Scarier|not as scary]], as [[Alien (Film)|a famous tagline]] pointed out, as things without), [[Acceptable Breaks From Reality|artistic license]], or simply the belief [[Viewers are Morons|that audiences]] [[The Coconut Effect|wouldn't accept it any other way]].
+Some of this is due to a [[Did Not Do the Research|lack of research]] or just [[They Just Didn't Care|lack of interest]]. But most of the modern misrepresentations can be put down to the [[Rule of Cool]] (the idea that [[Space Is Noisy|things with sound]] are cooler, or at least [[Nothing Is Scarier|not as scary]], as [[Alien (franchise)|a famous tagline]] pointed out, as things without), [[Acceptable Breaks From Reality|artistic license]], or simply the belief [[Viewers are Morons|that audiences]] [[The Coconut Effect|wouldn't accept it any other way]].
 Overlaps [[Artistic License Astronomy]]. Compare [[Space Is Magic]], which goes [[Refuge in Audacity|above and beyond]] mere technical inaccuracy. See also: [[Mohs Scale of Sci Fi Hardness]], [[The Coconut Effect]].