Comments on: Highway sign of the times http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/10/04/highway-sign-of-the-times/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:15:18 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: skeptigirl http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/10/04/highway-sign-of-the-times/comment-page-1/#comment-21732 skeptigirl Sun, 08 Oct 2006 19:23:50 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/10/04/highway-sign-of-the-times/#comment-21732 I forgot there was the obligatory girl fainting with fear in that scene. And of course she must remain unconscious until just the right moment, rather than when one becomes horizontal and increases venous return as in a real vaso-vagal fainting incident. I wonder if females had really evolved an unfortunate unnaturally selected universal fainting reflex with fear rather than fight or flight if the human species would have survived. Men on the other hand, have the ability to be knocked unconscious for convenient lengths of movie time. It would be nice if such injuries really didn't result in brain swelling and subsequently longer periods of recovery time, but it would be very unfortunate if it were really that easy to render a man unconscious with a single blow. I forgot there was the obligatory girl fainting with fear in that scene. And of course she must remain unconscious until just the right moment, rather than when one becomes horizontal and increases venous return as in a real vaso-vagal fainting incident.

I wonder if females had really evolved an unfortunate unnaturally selected universal fainting reflex with fear rather than fight or flight if the human species would have survived.

Men on the other hand, have the ability to be knocked unconscious for convenient lengths of movie time. It would be nice if such injuries really didn’t result in brain swelling and subsequently longer periods of recovery time, but it would be very unfortunate if it were really that easy to render a man unconscious with a single blow.

]]> By: antaresrichard http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/10/04/highway-sign-of-the-times/comment-page-1/#comment-21734 antaresrichard Sat, 07 Oct 2006 21:35:06 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/10/04/highway-sign-of-the-times/#comment-21734 Still it's nice to know that Helen Benson, the sensible skeptic played by actress, later best actress ('Hud' 1963) and real life heroine Patricia Neal, had the courage to stand her ground against world opinion (even though she and feminine dignity once again have to lose some of it to Gort -read male- via the obligatory faint and being carried away captive by the strong man scene. Why couldn't Gort just extend his hand?). Notwithstanding, Helen's willingness to put herself in harm's way literally saves the world, making me, among other things, one very grateful, nearly "burnt out cinder". I know, it's only a film. "Neemray Klaatu netherwah..." Still it’s nice to know that Helen Benson, the sensible skeptic played by actress, later best actress (’Hud’ 1963) and real life heroine Patricia Neal, had the courage to stand her ground against world opinion (even though she and feminine dignity once again have to lose some of it to Gort -read male- via the obligatory faint and being carried away captive by the strong man scene. Why couldn’t Gort just extend his hand?).
Notwithstanding, Helen’s willingness to put herself in harm’s way literally saves the world, making me, among other things, one very grateful, nearly “burnt out cinder”.
I know, it’s only a film. “Neemray Klaatu netherwah…”

]]> By: Wendy http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/10/04/highway-sign-of-the-times/comment-page-1/#comment-21733 Wendy Sat, 07 Oct 2006 14:12:00 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/10/04/highway-sign-of-the-times/#comment-21733 So -- I like most of the same movies. I will watch some of the ones on the BA movie list I have never seen. Here's one of my favorites that was not mentioned. Altho the science is impossible, time travel, I have enjoyed watching Frequency with Dennis Quaid over and over and over again, and recommend that it has to be watched from BEFORE the opening credits start rolling. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0186151/ So — I like most of the same movies. I will watch some of the ones on the BA movie list I have never seen. Here’s one of my favorites that was not mentioned.

Altho the science is impossible, time travel, I have enjoyed watching Frequency with Dennis Quaid over and over and over again, and recommend that it has to be watched from BEFORE the opening credits start rolling.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0186151/

]]> By: skeptigirl http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/10/04/highway-sign-of-the-times/comment-page-1/#comment-21735 skeptigirl Fri, 06 Oct 2006 07:45:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/10/04/highway-sign-of-the-times/#comment-21735 Troy Says: <i>I thought that was Klingon (Instead it is a robot halt command). Cute story.</i> Not exactly "halt", Troy, you must be younger than the movie. It was the command for the robot to retrieve and revive (Mr.) Klaatu, though it did stop the Robot from killing the girl. (Always had to be a girl rescue scene even if the hero rescued her by proxy. It's a wonder I don't have a complex.) Troy Says: I thought that was Klingon (Instead it is a robot halt command). Cute story.

Not exactly “halt”, Troy, you must be younger than the movie. It was the command for the robot to retrieve and revive (Mr.) Klaatu, though it did stop the Robot from killing the girl. (Always had to be a girl rescue scene even if the hero rescued her by proxy. It’s a wonder I don’t have a complex.)

]]> By: antaresrichard http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/10/04/highway-sign-of-the-times/comment-page-1/#comment-21736 antaresrichard Fri, 06 Oct 2006 07:35:49 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/10/04/highway-sign-of-the-times/#comment-21736 "Gort! Meringa!" Gosh, I wish I had my flashlight in hand! Enjoyed the post. “Gort! Meringa!” Gosh, I wish I had my flashlight in hand! Enjoyed the post.

]]> By: bkallee http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/10/04/highway-sign-of-the-times/comment-page-1/#comment-21737 bkallee Fri, 06 Oct 2006 00:01:58 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/10/04/highway-sign-of-the-times/#comment-21737 Priceless Priceless

]]> By: Carey http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/10/04/highway-sign-of-the-times/comment-page-1/#comment-21738 Carey Thu, 05 Oct 2006 22:51:09 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/10/04/highway-sign-of-the-times/#comment-21738 We had a scrolling one line sign in our high school cafeteria that I was responsible for programming. A friend and I had been teaching ourselves to juggle (using beanbags colored and shaped like penguins) in the cafeteria during our "aide" period our senior year, and surprisingly never got in trouble for it. I programmed the sign to say "Please do not toss penguins in the cafeteria." I never got in trouble for that either. I'm pretty sure no one really noticed. I hated high school. We had a scrolling one line sign in our high school cafeteria that I was responsible for programming. A friend and I had been teaching ourselves to juggle (using beanbags colored and shaped like penguins) in the cafeteria during our “aide” period our senior year, and surprisingly never got in trouble for it. I programmed the sign to say “Please do not toss penguins in the cafeteria.” I never got in trouble for that either. I’m pretty sure no one really noticed. I hated high school.

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