DARPA funding to Eureka

[jackfaire]

Yes this is in the right section. I was wondering how often have you heard people not realize something was fiction because of in the show, movie etc references were made to something real.

For example the show Eureka makes references to getting a lot of funding from DARPA. I can see a this leading a lot of people to believing that the show is to cover up that such a place does exist like they did in the show Stargate with Wormhole Extreme.

Has anyone encountered people convinced that the fictional was real because it was a touch too close to reality?

[HYHYBT]

More often, they're convinced that the fictional is real because *they're* not close enough to reality.

Actually, the closest I can think of to what you're asking was a couple months ago. Mom's friend from Seattle was in Georgia, and she took her and me to Juliette, where "Fried Green Tomatoes" was filmed, to eat in the Whistle Stop Cafe. The buildings across the street have odds and ends shops in them, and we got to hear some of the more bizarre questions other visitors have asked, such as "are those the same bees that were used in the movie," (nearly 20 years later, mind you) or, of course, whether there was anything still there of the guy that got cooked.

[jackfaire]

I was in the town they filmed Dante's Peak in while traveling with a company I was working with. One of my friends grew up there and was showing me around but I couldn't figure out why the place looked familiar.

She finally took pity on me when I was looking at the moutains and said, "Is there something missing"

[draggar]

So many people believe that Hans Corp (sp?) is a real company.

They fund the Dharma initiative in Lost. The producers even went as far as to create a website for the company (and it looked very real), TV commercials during the show, press releases, etc..

Of course, people claimed screenshots from the show Lost (where the plane was breaking apart) was really from actual plane crashes.

There have been, are, and always will be people who believe anything. Stargate, Star Trek, etc..

[Savannah]

Jurors have to be screened now to see if they watch CSI and similar shows. Apparently people believe that a simple grab-something-and-run-out-the-door robber should leave DNA evidence and that pictures can be zoomed in on without any pixilation. (And, of course, if there isn't that DNA evidence, well he must be innocent!)

When I heard this, I was curious, so I watched an episode of CSI. No offense to any fans here, but how can anyone believe that crap is real? :confused: I have next to no knowledge of crime scene investigation, but I can tell that it's ridiculous! (I will admit to watching Bones, but I sure wouldn't expect anything like that if I were in a jury. Common sense, people, common sense.)

[lordlundar]

For example the show Eureka makes references to getting a lot of funding from DARPA. I can see a this leading a lot of people to believing that the show is to cover up that such a place does exist like they did in the show Stargate with Wormhole Extreme.

You do know that there is a door labeled "StarGate Command" in Cheyenne Mountain, right?

Okay, granted it's the door to the janitorial closet, but still.:p

[Bloodsoul]

Wow. I am so out of touch with television that I instinctively match "Eureka" with "Castle" and "Dexter" with "Laboratory."

*considers raiding the Stargate closet for spare candy bars*

[Dreamstalker]

Jurors have to be screened now to see if they watch CSI and similar shows. Apparently people believe that a simple grab-something-and-run-out-the-door robber should leave DNA evidence and that pictures can be zoomed in on without any pixilation.

No offense to any fans here, but how can anyone believe that crap is real? :confused: I have next to no knowledge of crime scene investigation, but I can tell that it's ridiculous!
One of our rituals on Thursday night is to catch how the writers/researchers messed up. I know it's done for dramatic effect/pacing, but it's still fun picking things apart--no safety gear while using luminol (although that seems to have been fixed), getting a crystal-clear face/parking pass/license plate from a surveillance blur (that was attempted in an episode of L&O once; the tech couldn't get anything and said "Even for a blur, it's blurry"), high heels and low-cut tops at a crime scene, etc. I confess to loving CSI, but I've done enough research on my own to know how things are supposed to work.

Every so often there's someone on my Ghostbusters forum who will ask "how can I build a real proton pack?" I think they think that because people have managed to replicate the prop itself means that it actually functions....eh, no. If a real proton pack was possible all the members would either be on a dozen watchlists or have taken over the world already.

[lordlundar]

If a real proton pack was possible all the members would either be on a dozen watchlists or have taken over the world already.

Those people would be the ones with the mysterious black helicopters following their every move.:D

[Amanita]

I remember somebody on a Star Wars costuming and props forum demanding to know how to build a blaster that fired actual balls of static electricity around. Needless to say, he got very upset when we didn't tell him, and asked him where in bloody hell he was planning to use the thing, even if he could build it. Some of us asked just what he was planning to do with the thing- a prop that fires balls of static around could be very dangerous, and most likely somebody idiotic enough to wave a "working" blaster around at a sci-fi con or similar event would get bounced PDQ.

I've also seen aspiring poi/staff dancers who wanted to build a bladed version of Darth Maul's staff- razor-sharp, of course. And then get all bent out of shape when we would not tell them.

[HYHYBT]

See, now you're convincing me there are real people like 8-Bit Theater's Fighter. That sounds very much like sword-chucks.

[lordlundar]

They're actually a weapon type in D&D 3.5 called Dire weapons. Dire Blades and Dire Axes for example, which are essentially two one-handed, dual edged weapons that are attached to a single handle in the middle.

[Nyoibo]

I've also seen aspiring poi/staff dancers who wanted to build a bladed version of Darth Maul's staff- razor-sharp, of course. And then get all bent out of shape when we would not tell them.

If you have to ask how to make it, you shouldn't have it.

BTW, not particularly hard to make or use but most of the people who want them would end up injuring themselves or someone else.

[jackfaire]

If you have to ask how to make it, you shouldn't have it.

BTW, not particularly hard to make or use but most of the people who want them would end up injuring themselves or someone else.

The only weapons I have are functional or for training. I can't understand people who want "toys" that are functional weapons.

[Amanita]

I actually made a post on that over on the forums at homeofpoi.com after reading a pile of posts from what sounded like teenagers, asking about where to get sai, hookswords, and kamas.
The person asking for sai described them as "You know, those fork things that Raphael of TMNT uses".

I made a post about knowing local laws, spending lots of time training and practicing, the importance of instruction, and said that in my honest opinion, unless you are planning to cut something in your act, you don't need to use a sharp blade. (samoan fireknife dancing excepted)

I've got a few "fantasy" collector swords- one is Sting from LOTR, and another is a Kit Rae sword that I use as a ritual blade (I'm pagan). I don't confuse those with my working Katana!
(Anyone else here HATE the term "samurai sword"? It grates on my ears!)

[BlaqueKatt]

The person asking for sai described them as "You know, those fork things that Raphael of TMNT uses".<mr snippy was here>
(Anyone else here HATE the term "samurai sword"? It grates on my ears!)

Hmm upset because people want things from a culture they obviously don't understand(if they don't even know the proper names).....no I didn't bring this up before in a tattoo thread and have people say just the opposite-that they should be allowed to co-opt anything they want from another culture........

[Fryk]

My wife and I love us some Bones, but I do wonder how many people think that Angela's magic 3D Holosuite is real.

[Amanita]

.Are you saying that any non-japanese have no business training with a Katana, sai, or kamas? Non-Chinese have no business owning hookswords or studying kung-fu? Or do you simply mean that people regardless of ethnicity shouldn't mess with things they don't understand, regardless of what culture that "thing" comes from? I'm not sure which one you are getting at.

The difference between getting a kanji tattoo with no understanding of what it means, and messing with weapons you don't understand is a big one.
Get a tattoo you don't understand and then you later find out that it means something completely rediculous or offensive? All that happens is you feel embarrased, look stupid, and maybe want to get the thing removed or covered up.

Mess with weapons whose use you don't understand, and you could do a helluvalot worse than look stupid. You could severely injure yourself or somebody else, even kill somebody if you're really careless and unlucky. And it has nothing to do with the ethnicity or cultural origin of the weapon involved. A replica european sword can cause just as much hurt as a Katana if mishandled.

I've heard some real horror stories- somebody who bought a cheap cast alloy sword and made a fire prop out of it- drilling holes in the blade, attaching kevlar wicking and lighting it up. Thanks to the poor quality of the metal, and weakening of said cheap metal due to repeated heating/cooling cycles, the thing failed catastrophically after only a few uses. Literally shattered. The guy who made it was lucky that it none of the pieces hit him, his partner, or anyone else.

Perhaps you've heard of two idiots in the UK who tried to stage a lightsaber fight using glass flourescent light tubes filled with petrol, which they lit on fire? And these people were in their late teens/early 20's.

To me, people messing with weapons they have no clue about has nothing to do with cultural appropriation, or political issues. It has everything to do with safety and ignorance.

*The person asking about sai DID know what they were called, they just threw the "fork things rapheal uses" in there, in case anyone else didn't know what sai were.

[lordlundar]

(Anyone else here HATE the term "samurai sword"? It grates on my ears!)

Very much so, as someone asking for a "samurai sword" can be asking for a katana, wakizashi, tachi, Tsurugi, Ōtachi, Nodachi, Jin tachi, Tantō, Aikuchi, and all variants to the names thereof. Usually someone asking for a "samurai sword" has NO clue about what they want, let alone how to handle it safely.

[Nyoibo]

I think you could safely argue that a Tanto wouldn't be mistaken for a sword.

[Slytovhand]

(Anyone else here HATE the term "samurai sword"? It grates on my ears!)

I'll vote 'yes' to that one! :p I'm not an expert, but I know a little (did Kendo, Aikido and a little Iaijutsu)

Very much so, as someone asking for a "samurai sword" can be asking for a katana, wakizashi, tachi, Tsurugi, Ōtachi, Nodachi, Jin tachi, Tantō, Aikuchi, and all variants to the names thereof. Usually someone asking for a "samurai sword" has NO clue about what they want, let alone how to handle it safely.

Or Ninjato... :p (well, you never know, some people really have no idea!).

Similarly, don't ya just love it when people say they study 'Ninjitsu'? Especially when it's 'real'. (Ok, let's start the flaming.... :D But, it was an assassin's art, not just a nice way to defend yourself... which makes me think weird stuff when I hear about the TMNT's.


Back to OP, the other side of the coin is, there are some real things out there that people believe totally fictional because it's been on TV!!

[Nyoibo]

Similarly, don't ya just love it when people say they study 'Ninjitsu'? Especially when it's 'real'.

Well Ninjutsu is real, and it can be used for defence, however the basic aim of pretty much any technique in it is to destroy your opponent.

[Dreamstalker]

Those people would be the ones with the mysterious black helicopters following their every move.:D
Not for very long. More fun than a flamethrower...and less mess!
I think you could safely argue that a Tanto wouldn't be mistaken for a sword.
True, but I'd bet that anyone painting everything with the "samurai sword" brush couldn't care less about things like details.

[lordlundar]

Not for very long. More fun than a flamethrower...and less mess!

Well, that's like saying the 10 ton boulder landing on you is less painful than the 20 ton boulder landing on you. Technically right, but not nearly the point. :p

[Amanita]

I think that when most people say "Samurai sword", they mean Katana. It's the most widely known of the Japanese sword types. But how hard is it to say "Katana"? That's what it's called, Call it that already!

[Boozy]

But how hard is it to say "Katana"? That's what it's called, Call it that already!

It's not hard to say "Katana", but most people probably don't realize that the sword is called that. Most people don't know the terminology surrounding a specific Japanese military time period. It's really not an unreasonable thing to be uneducated about. I wouldn't get upset about it.

[Dreamstalker]

Well, that's like saying the 10 ton boulder landing on you is less painful than the 20 ton boulder landing on you. Technically right, but not nearly the point. :p
Aw, c'mon. I'd think the 'less mess' aspect at least would be worth something :p

At a group meeting last month to show off props/have an excuse to act like total nerds, we were trying to explain to a newcomer that technically there is a RL equivalent of the PKE meter (EMF/K-2). Even after seeing a few, he seemed unconvinced. That just struck us as odd (wait, it only exists if it look exactly like the one in the movies)?

I've also heard "katana" being used to describe any type of Japanese sword (argh!)