Physics In Film

When the movie Avatar premiered in 2009, it seemed to usher in a second era of 3D movies from Hollywood-based studios. (For the record I hated that movie; and it was a rip-off of Dances with Wolves, which is awesome.) Ever since then, tons of crappy movies have been produced with the hope that the novelty of 3D would be enough for audiences to lose their sensibilities -- and their wallets. On the flip side, tons of old, really good movies are getting reworked for the 3D format. Studios take just a handful of scenes and make them 3D compatible. Once re-released, box offices charge at least $14 for the 3D experience, 300% more than Jurassic Park's (1993) and Titantic's (1997) original ticket prices.

But 3D films aren't anything new. They gained prominence in the 1950s, after 35 years of obscurity, but fell out of favor within just a few years due to the technical and personnel strains it put on theaters. 3D was largely relegated to niche uses -- theme parks and IMAX -- until very recently.

I'm disappointed by the resurgence of 3D. It feels gimmicky and cheap, and like an excuse to sell a movie to audiences despite its originality or artistic integrity. There is hope that it could fall out of favor again, but that doesn't appear likely with the expected proliferation of 4D.

In 1903, French inventor Leon Gaumont held a demonstration of his chronophone, a sound-on-disc instrument that synchronized sound with films via mechanical interlock. The film industry itself was infantile, so it's understandable that significant drawbacks persisted. It wasn't until 1923 when Lee de Forest produced the first commercially-viable sound-on-film technique. However, Hollywood was hesitant to adapt the technology. Until that time sound-on-film had only been used in short films and music videos. Famed silent comedian Charlie Chaplin said in 1931, "I give the talkies six months more. A year at most. Then they're done." Once sound-on-film had been further improved, there was no going back. Chaplin made silent films through the rest of the 1930s, before finally relenting to voicing gibberish in his appropriately-named Modern Times (1936).

Clearly, talkies were very much the future of cinema in the midst of the Great Depression.

It's difficult to compare the rise of talkies with the popularity of 3D movies. Though both suffered from technical problems and social acceptance when introduced, talkies were perfected much quicker than 3D. In the 'golden era' of 3D movies, films had to have dual projection to create the illusion of depth perception. This made the film reels difficult to splice or repair, and projectionists had to account for two projectors -- a task not suited for careless, minimum wage employees. Even when 3D was moved to a singular reel, it remained sequestered to the studios willing to risk money on the concept. There also wasn't an improvement in the quality of the picture. Some notable 3D films were produced between 1960 and 1985, but for every Jaws 3D, there are three or four Flesh for Frankensteins. It also didn't help that many 3D films could only be screened in adult-themed movie houses.

By 1985 however, IMAX locations had begun screening non-fiction 3D films in stunning resolution. Experts credit IMAX's commitment to picture quality on an enormous scale in re-popularizing 3D. Mathematical formulas were used to render the 3D picture with accuracy, and the screen size of IMAX theaters is three or four times that of a typical theater. Disney Company soon followed by offering similar 3D films at its theme parks.

Disney's 3D film Captain EO, starring Michael Jackson, in reality was the first foray in 4D films. The term '4D' is not equivalent to its geometric definition, but rather refers to additional ways in which the film stimulates the audience. It's more appropriate to call it 4S, since 4 different senses receive stimuli. Anyhow, Captain EO presented a 17-minute program about how Michael Jackson delivers a gift to space-age Anjelica Huston. Added to the experience were seats that rocked and vibrated; fog machines and lasers to simulate a dogfight; and additional displays to imitate a passing star field. At the time of its 1986 release, it was the most expensive film produced on a per-minute basis, at $1.76 million per minute.

Current 4D technologies greatly resemble this original incarnation, albeit without MikeJack. And while many credit Avatar with the resurgence of 3D in films for the North American market, it was also the first feature film ever presented in 4D. In Seoul, South Korea, theater chain 4DX innovated the 4D movie by incorporating another 'track' to be played while the movie rolls. This track dictates when and how seats should move; when fans turn on and off; when to trigger air and water cannons; and when to release scents within the auditorium. Programming a 4DX track takes about a month, and since 2009, 4DX has been able to expand into 63 theaters in 10 countries, with another 80 planned. Converting a theater to be 4DX compatible take about $1 million and now 4DX is looking to partner with American and Canadian theaters.

For what it's worth, CCN rates the 4DX theater in Seoul as the fifth-best movie theater in the world. A few CR4ers may even recall Smellovision, Hollywood's first attempt to put scents in theaters; it lasted for literally one film. The checkered history of innovating films with new dimensions and stimuli keeps me from embracing 4DX. Unfortunately, I may not have a choice someday very soon.

Resources

(Image credits: Screenplay Explorer; Wikimedia; Prime Focus World; FanPop; iGeek Trooper)

CNN - 10 of the world's most enjoyable movie theaters

4DX homepage

Time - 4-D Movies...

THR CinemaCon: 4DX Targeting US Market

Wikipedia - 3D film; 4DX; Sound film

James Bond is a man of many W's. War. Wine. Work. Wisdom. Wealth. Women.

...via Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Convention

But most iconic: wheels.

007's liaison to the British Secret Service's technology-Q-supplies Bond with some slick cars that have advanced gadgetry. Ejector seats, caltrops, oil slicks, missiles, submarine conversion, and even an invisibility cloak. Yes, that's right. James Bond had the original Transformer and Harry Potter invisibility cloak.

So in an effort completely based in fiction, let's say Q will give us any Bond car we desire-gadgets and all. And for simplicity's sake, the cars under examination can only be driven by one of the official CR4-recognized James Bonds--Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig. Absolutely NO Timothy Dalton or George Lazenby. Capisce?

They're just too tall to be a believable 007...via The World is Never Enough

Just two more stipulations: the car has to have been owned by Bond. It can't be something he commandeered in the field. The car also must appear in a movie-novels are great and all, but let's stick with the films. Just kidding, reading sucks!

And now that I've whittled the list to a manageable size…

The Aston Martins

DB5...via DuPont Registry

Bond has driven the idolized car brand more than any other manufacturer. The most recognized of the Bond cars would be the Aston Martin DB5 (above), first appearing in Goldfinger and later six more films. The car featured a 3.7 liter, inline six cylinder engine which produced 282 bhp at 5,500 rpm. Top speed of the car was 149 mph, but acceleration suffered from curb weight (0-60 mph in 8 seconds). Later in GoldenEye, the DB5 was shown formidably racing a Ferrari. Notable gadgets on the car included extendable machine guns, a rear-facing bullet shield, and a rotating license plate.

Vanquish...via Aston Martin W

The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish (above) is a 21^st Century 007 design, and is a significant performance upgrade in relation to the DB5. Driven by Bond in Die Another Day, the 12(!) cylinder, 5.93 L engine produced over 450 hp and 400 lb. of torque. With a top speed just below 190 mph, and a 0-60 time of 4.8 seconds, the V12 Vanquish is the second fastest car of this HUSH-approved list. It is also one of the most heavily armed Bond cars, with front-firing rockets and guns (both machine and shot guns), spiked tires, and ejector seats. The car also features an active camouflage that makes the car nearly invisible via mimicry.

DBS...via Aston Martin W

The last Aston Martin to closely examine is the DBS V12 (above), appearing in Daniel Craig's first appearance as 007 in 2006's Casino Royale. A 5.9 L 48-valve V12 powers the newest DBS to 510 hp with 420 lb. of torque, with a top speed of 193 mph and a 0-60 time of 4.3 seconds. While it performs the best of any Bond car, it appears to have no tactical modifications apart from additional storage compartments and a medical kit. Boooooo!

BMW

BMW is the second-most prominent auto manufacturer used by MI5 and James Bond. The German car brand supplies Bond with its Z3, Z8, and 750iL. While BMW puts governor plates on all of its vehicles, they are relatively easy to bypass. The Z3 (below), a.k.a. Landshark, was given a small engine with poor performance for a European roadster. So for the sake of argument, let's say that the Z3 was given a stark upgrade. The Hartge Z3 MQP 5.0 L V8 engine modification has a maximum torque of 420 horsepower and a top speed of 186 mph. This Bond vehicle is equipped with surface-to-air missiles, though they're never witnessed in action. A parachute does deploy however.

Z3...via Auto Moto Portal

The Z8 (below) has a top speed of 170 mph and a 0-60 time of 4.2 seconds, all powered by a terrific 4.9 L 32V 8 cylinder engine. 400 hp and 370 lb. of torque assist James Bond…well, drive properly, of course--he is British after all. The Z8 is destroyed by a large saw rather early in the film The World is Not Enough, and its armament is never fully revealed.

Z8...via Ride Lust

The 750i-iL shown in Tomorrow Never Dies is perhaps the best equipped of all 007's cars. Missile launchers and caltrops were made available for James Bond, while bulletproof armor and run-flat tires are optional consumer packages on this model. Notably, this 750 is also remote control. The M73 5.4 L, V 12 engine offers 320 hp and 360 lb. of torque, providing 155 mph of top speed and a 0-60 acceleration time of 9.3 seconds. Sloowwwwwww!

750i...via Car Update

Lotus

What car where? ...via Lotus Espirit Turbo

Sean Connery drove a Lotus Espirit S1 (above) in The Spy Who Loved Me. Most notably, this car converts into a submarine during a chase. It also has a surface-to-air rocket launcher and a reverse-spray car mace. A top speed of 133 mph, and a 0-6 time of more than 8 seconds makes this car an afterthought of the Bond arsenal. It was powered by an inline, 2.0 L 4 cylinder engine.

I know what you're thinking CR4er: there are some missing Bond cars here. Remember, No Tim Dalton or George Lazenby. And it has to be a vehicle equipped by MI5. I may have missed one or two, and if so feel free call me stupid in the comments below. I know you have no problem with that.

...via Soda Head

As far as my choice, it seems pretty simple. The V12 Vanquish is as versatile and deadly as any Bond car. I don't care if I get 10 mpg! It's a free Aston Martin from MI5! I'd be hanging with Rick Ross baby!

Rick Ross - Aston Martin Music

Finally, this blog wasn't created to provoke an argument about which actor portrayed the best James Bond, BUT I feel like that discussion would be very much on-topic. *cough* Brosnan *cough*

Resources

Wikipedia - List of James Bond Vehicles; List of James Bond Gadgets

BMT 216A: The James Bond Vehicle Library

In the first and second parts of this series, many of the fantastic events written into the "Lost" television show were brought to light from an engineering perspective. In this final entry, I'll wrap it up with just a few more.

Moving the Island

When Locke initially discussed moving the island, I assumed that he meant geographically re-positioning the land – which in and of itself would have been quite the feat. It later became clear, however, when they wound up back in the 1950s that he was actually moving the island in time. But the donkey-wheel underneath the island does even more than mere time travel. It manages to "skip" or "flash" the island through time as if it were a scratched CD. Dr. Emmett Brown (from "Back to the Future") would be so proud! Although research in the field of string theory has come a long way in recent years, it is still not a likely means of time travel - yet.

Bomb Detonation

The characters on the island finally figure out a way to make the flashes through time stop – by blowing up the site of the wheel with a bomb. After carefully preparing it, they drop it down a deep hole into the ground where it smashes on the rock. Unfortunately, Juliet also falls down the same hole (despite Sawyer's desperate attempts to save her) and finds herself lying next to the undetonated bomb. Upset that all their trouble was for nothing, she proceeds to hit the bomb with a rock in an effort to smash it. When the flash of white light comes, we know that she was successful. This situation baffles me along with the rest. If the bomb did not detonate on its way down the long, hard tunnel, I don't believe her helplessly striking it would force it to blow either. Any demolition experts out there?

A Sixth Sense

Each character was well-developed and had his or her own set of personality traits that made the character very different from anyone else on the island. Miles, a member of the team sent by Whitmore to find Linus, had one of the most exceptional abilities – he could speak to dead people. While I initially questioned whether he was truly capable of what he claimed he was performing, he did successfully acquire information on the deaths of people on the island. There have been scientific experiments involving telepathy, of course, but communicating with the dead is generally the stuff of spiritualists rather than scientists.

The viewers also learned that before his mission to the island, Miles used this skill to help several clients and to con others. Regardless of Miles' ability in the show, though, I'm doubtful that this quality is present in today's world. Just think of the criminals we could catch and the catastrophes we could remedy if someone like him were among us!

Never Quite Over the Hill

Despite the situations in various time periods on the island, one man never seems to change. Jacob gives Richard the facility to remain the same age. But don't take this decision lightly; it is probably better that this is a fantasy and an impossibility for us in our modern times. It may seem like a blessing, but it does manage to take a toll on his relationships. So consider this when reading advertisements about the wonders of anti-aging drugs.

What do you think are some of the other unusual occurrences of the Oceanic Six and the various groups they met?

In Part 1, I discussed the plane crash of Oceanic Flight 815 and the magical healing power of the island it landed on. Now let's see what else was in store for the survivors and their acquaintances during their stay. Although I'm a "Lost" fan, there were some things about the show that drove me crazy as an engineer.

The Black Smoke Monster

A frequent dilemma that the people on the island must deal with is the black smoke monster. From their first night on the island, the Oceanic survivors are haunted by the cryptic stream of black smoke that rushes through the air and captures their friends, who never again see the light of day. While more is explained about this tormenter in the final season, it is still quite a far-fetched idea to be taken as reality. As if this made any logical sense to begin with, the monster takes on human form. John Locke – a human whose dead body is present on the island – even became the monster near the end of the series. Clearly, the properties of this mysterious "smoke" would boggle the minds of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE).

A White Pickett…Sonar Fence?

After Linus killed off the members of the DHARMA Initiative, the Others move into the "village" that the DHARMA group had called home. Surrounding their region on the island was a fence that used sonar technology to protect their living area. This invisible fence could only be turned off with a code. If someone (or something) passed through the barrier, the intruder would begin to bleed and foam at the mouth (as demonstrated by Patchy when he was pushed through by the crash survivors as an experiment).

While a fence like this may seem like the ultimate in home security, don't rush out to your nearest home improvement store for parts to build one just yet. Not only does it seem like a difficult task to complete on an island with limited resources, but Patchy appears again several episodes later – so the fence didn't even kill him. If that had been my shielding fence, I'd want my money back.

Duct Tape Fixes Anything

I appreciate duct tape as much as the next guy and have even used it as an anti-slip layer on the bottom of dance shoes. But one place that duct tape doesn't belong is patching holes on a helicopter. When Frank (the pilot) needs to have the fuel tank patched quickly so they can escape the freighter before it blows up, someone throws a roll of duct tape to Jack to patch the gaping hole where gas had been pouring out. Covering a pressurized fuel tank with duct tape seems like a poor excuse for quick engineering. But luckily for the Oceanic Six, it does the job.

In the final part of this series, I'll mention the movement of the island, bomb detonation, and two characters' special abilities. What are you favorite unrealistic elements of "Lost"?

Although I don't watch much television, a friend got me interested in "Lost" and I became an avid follower. The show had a well-balanced mix of action, drama, romance, and mystery. It also left the audience wanting more at the end of each episode. Despite any critique of the show that may ensue with these entries, I would describe myself as a fan of the series.

As an engineer, however, there were some things about this show that drove me crazy. Time travel and a black smoke monster? Magnetic fields and people that don't age? In this 3-part series, I'll explore some of the scientific anomalies that aired in the show and discuss whether any of them could really happen.

The Crash of Oceanic Flight 815

Plane crashes occur for many reasons, and these reasons have plausible explanations. The Oceanic flight that crashes in the pilot episode of "Lost" is not normal, however, nor is it realistic. As depicted in the illustration and described in the show, the tail section of the plane literally rips off. Aerodynamically speaking, this is basically impossible. A rough estimate of the forces acting on the aircraft concludes that there would have to be significant defects in the vehicle for this to occur, issues that would have been detected in a pre-flight check.

Hypothetically, if the tail section did fall off and the plane split in two, the pieces that would crash down would hit with such force that those individuals inside the airplane would be fatally injured. Maybe a lucky few would survive with only life-threatening injuries, but what about 48 survivors from the front half of the plane alone? That seems excessive. Passengers in a tail section with no wings to help glide the plane down from the sky, with gravity accelerating their fall, would certainly be killed. Amazingly on "Lost", a group from each section survived (unbeknown to each other) in order to add drama to the plot of the series.

The Healing Power of the Island

Throughout the six seasons of the show, many of the characters on "Lost" are miraculously healed while residing on the island. I do not wish to argue to the potential of miracles; that being said, it is statistically unlikely that so many fantastic events could be managed under the given circumstances.

John Locke, paralyzed four years before the plane crash due to a fall out of a second story window, boards the plane with the necessity of a wheelchair. Not only does he survive the plane crash itself, but walks away (literally) with only a scratch. Not only does the potential for such a tragic event to cause this medical marvel seem unrealistic, but it begs further questioning. If Locke did regain function of his legs after such a long time of being unable to use them, he would need to re-learn to walk and re-gain the muscles necessary for mobility. Somehow, though, Locke gets up from the rubble and barely falters. He does not even show a significant limp while meandering from the crash site.

Another survivor of Oceanic Flight 815 was Rose, who was previously diagnosed with terminal cancer. After reaching the island and accepting that it was her new home, her cancer seemed to disappear. Whether this was a psychological shift caused by living differently or another medical phenomenon, the possibility of such an event occurring seems doubtful from a scientific perspective.

Throughout the series, Locke appeared again with one injury after another. For example, he became trapped underneath a large metal door in the hatch and a peg penetrated his leg. He was also shot and left for dead by Benjamin Linus, a recurring member of the Others. In both cases, Locke healed not only very rapidly but incredibly well, especially considering the damage done to his body. He was even told by Richard (the man who doesn't age and will be discussed later in this series) to keep his wound clean and "the island will take care of the rest." It would be quite something if one day an island was discovered where infirm individuals could go on vacation to heal.

Stay tuned for the next part of this series, where I'll touch on the black smoke monster, sonar fence, and the unusual use of duct tape. What do you think of some of these crazy ideas?