Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site topaz.RUTGERS.EDU Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!cbdkc1!desoto!packard!topaz!milne From: milne@uci-icse Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: Re: (SPOILER) Inconsistency in "The Fantastic Voyage"??? Message-ID: <3289@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> Date: Thu, 15-Aug-85 03:04:52 EDT Article-I.D.: topaz.3289 Posted: Thu Aug 15 03:04:52 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 17-Aug-85 16:16:31 EDT Sender: daemon@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 53 From: Alastair Milne> Just the other night I watched the movie "The Fantastic Voyage". > . . . Now, almost 10 years later, I finally got to see it > again and found what may be a mistake on Isaac Asimov's part. Several matters that were rather loosely handled in the film were explained much better (or even worked completely differently) in the book; for example, does a multi-ton submarine normally many metres long still weigh several tons when it fits inside the needle of a syringe? and if it does, how is the syringe handled?. Careful, non-technical explanations are given to Grant, and thereby to the reader. Personally, I recall 2 blatant mistakes from the film, which is quite remarkable given the restrictions of the time at which it was made. 1. The Proteus was left in Benes after Grant sliced its flank open and the white cell consumed Michaels. In the book, Grant makes certain that the white cell, having engulfed Proteus, follows him out: he does not want several tons of metal, however corroded, returning to normal size in Benes' skull. 2. Far too few red cells in Benes' blood. They should have been like a swamp around Proteus. As it appeared, he would have been too anaemic to survive. > . . . Well, wouldn't there be a problem with > the size of the air molecules? I mean, when the sub was > miniaturized, the air inside it was shrunken also. Now, wouldn't > there be at least a bogus air pressure reading when they fill up > with normal air that hasn't been miniaturized? For that matter, > would the air molecules even be able to fit into the sub? You are talking about something so fantastically small that, even un-miniaturised, they would have been too small for the Proteus' crew to see. I think even the lipoproteins (which are macromolecules) comprising the surface of the red blood cells would have been just on the limit of miniaturised sight. As for how effective they would be, I doubt that they would make any difference unless one had to breathe them; and as far as I'm aware, it was, just as you say, the ballast tanks that were being replenished. It probably is true, though, that atoms so enormously different in size could not be assimilated into miniaturised metabolisms. Also, I seem faintly to recall something about Captain Owens' extending a reduced miniaturising field along the snorkel. They obviously couldn't do a full effect, since the entire capacity of a man's lungs couldn't begin to fill a sub's ballast tanks if they are on the same scale; and they only had access to a single alveolus. But they could probably get a decent compromise size. Hope this helps. Alastair Milne