Ive had some time to digest the prequel Prometheus, in all its grandeur in the return of Ridley Scott

to the SYFY-Horror genre. I admittedly loved his Prophets of Science Fiction series, even though it was undeniably as non-diverse as Science Fiction started out (no Octavia Butler; alas no movie her works have translated to). Her prophetic utterances were more the social impact of the technological. However, I couldnt resist pointing out some of the faux pas in the film. Yes, were supposed to suspend belief and go with the bit, but after training in physics, you start to catch things that in hindsight you wish you hadnt. Go with the bit

First thoughts: 1. A really buff alien with abs to die for, drinks an elixir, dies and donates his DNA to the cause of panspermia on Earth: couldnt there have been a less painful way? Spit, maybe? 2. Erik von Dniken would have loved the revival of his ancient astronaut theories, which I thought were culturally chauvinistic at best. 3. The Prometheus starship seemed to have gravity, i.e. our astronauts/actors were walking around bearing weight before planet fall. 4. Charlize Therons line: Im half a billion miles from Earth was dramatic hyperbole. That puts you in the local vicinity, between Jupiter and Saturn, 390,682,810 and 794,000,000 (closest conjuncture of orbital ellipse) respectively. Nerd deep: time dilation (for simplicity, t T; t t, so

Big T = time period observed on earth; little t = time period as experienced by our relativistic astronauts, who according to the data from the movie, are traveling at quite a clip! I used this relation to derive the following (hold this in your back pocket for a moment): (

5. Their destination is Zeta Reticuli, described as a binary star system in the southern constellation of Reticulum, a popular destination for Science Fiction stories, and apparently governmenthiding-the-aliens-from-us conspiracy theorists. 1|Page

6. Zeta is 39.17 light years from Earth. The beginning of the movie describe the Prometheus crew as 3.27 x 1014 kilometers from Earth, a distance apparently traversed in (ship time, small t), 28 months. 7. I use the conversion factor: 1 LY = 9,460,528,400,000 km = 9.46 x 1012 km:

8. Android David awakens the crew after 28 months of relativistic flight, or 2.3333.years (note to Microsoft: add a bar superscript to show repeating decimals, please!). 9. From our back-pocket formula, I calculate their velocity as: 10. Before we hear the voice of Scotty, Im giving her all shes got, Captain! lets consider something thats a real drag on going this fast: mass, as in the Prometheus was one large impressive fusion-propelled starship! 11. Briefly: Going back/referencing item 7 above, 4.605334 light years at this speed is roughly 4 months before landing on the world of interest. Talk about stretching your legs! 12. Also: gravity, as in the astronauts/actors never had one thought of weightlessness, or bone loss to deal with. 13. Mass (saved it for #13), is a REAL drag:

Here, m0 rest (initial, non-accelerated) mass of the Prometheus, M the relativistic mass. Since Ridley didnt GIVE a mass for the big mother, Im using something easily known: the International Space Station (source: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/onthestation/facts_and_figures.html), given to be 390,908 kilograms ~ 391 metric tons:

Real drag, man 14. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but = short astronauts! Do the math

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Parting thoughts:

15. I don't care how much morphine you shoot yourself with: a Caesarian robot laser or otherwise - has got to HURT and the pain throw you into unresponsive shock. Pre-Ripley was a beast! 16. From slipped mickey by Dave, to pregnancy in an otherwise unresponsive womb, to octopod/face-hugger to TA-DA: proto-Alien! Along with exploded giant alien soon found by other hapless earthlings. 17. Does EVERY SCIFI android other than Data (when not under the influence of brother Lore), have hidden agendas? 18. The ship left in the same place/position as found by the Nostromo in the original Alien by Sigourney Weaver/Ripley. 19. I guess Earth ignores distress signals to "stay away," hence the Alien trilogy. 20. Will there be a "Prometheus 2," and what's one scientist w/a beheaded android going to say to some buff aliens that decided to end our existence anyway? Just saying Yet ah! Why should they know their fate? Since sorrow never comes too late, And happiness too swiftly flies. Thought would destroy their paradise. No more; where ignorance is bliss, Tis folly to be wise Thomas Gray: Ode to a Distant Prospect at Eton College

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