moDErn sCiEnCE FiCtion moviEs ArE oFtEn known For thEir BrEAthtAking spECiAl
linE EFFECts. thEsE EFFECts CAn show us A glimpsE oF thE FuturE, AnD FrEquEntly hAvE
trEmEnDous DrAmAtiC ForCE. somEtimEs, howEvEr, spECiAl EFFECts CAn lEAvE thE
sCiEnCE BEhinD to FoCus only on thE FiCtion. onE oF thE worst oFFEnDErs is A Film’s
(5) DEpiCtion oF Explosions in outEr spACE.
on thEEArth, Explosions oCCur in somE Form oF mAttEr, usuAlly Air or wAtEr.
thE ChAngE in EnErgy lEvEl in thE mAttEr CrEAtEs thE EnErgy DiFFErEntiAl known As
A shoCk wAvE. thE wAvE is whAt CrEAtEs thE ChArACtEristiC "Boom" oF An Explosion.
sinCE thErE is vEry littlE mAttEr in outEr spACE, thE EnErgy trAnsFEr nEvEr tAkEs
(10) plACE.ConsEquEntly, thErE is no soun
D、FurthEr, BECAusE Air AnD wAtEr ArE not
pErFECt ConDuits For EnErgy, thEy mEAsurABly slow thE trAvEl oF thE ExplosivE
ForCE. this Allows thE Explosion to unFolD in rElAtivEly slow motion, whiCh
rEnDErs it visiBlE to thE EyE. in spACE, thErE is nothing to slow thE EnErgy, whiCh
woulD DispErsE Almost immEDiAtEly. thE EFFECt For An oBsErvEr woulD BE A Bright
(15) FlAsh, gonE Almost As soon As it AppEArED, AnD nothing likE thE grEAt Billowing
spACE ClouDs shown in thE moviEs, suggEsting thAt rEAlity is insuFFiCiEntly
DrAmAtiC For CinEmAtiC rEprEsEntAtion.
thE Author’s ArgumEnt is DEvElopED primArily By thE usE oFA．An AttACk on thE misusE oF sCiEntiFiC DisCovEriEs By moDErn Film DirECtors
B．A CritiquE oF tEChniCAl DEvElopmEnts in sCiEnCE FiCtion moviE spECiAl EFFECts
C．An ExAmplE oF how sCiEnCE FiCtion DirECtors Distort sCiEnCE to inCrEAsE DrAmAtiC EFFECt
D、An AnAlogy BEtwEEn sCiEnCE FiCtion moviE spECiAl EFFECt AnD sCiEnCE EDuCAtion in sChools
E、A wArning AgAinst An ovErrEliAnCE on Films to tEACh sCiEnCE to youngstErs