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Subject: 
Re: LEGO.COM/mars now running!
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.year.2001, lugnet.space
Date: 
Sat, 25 Nov 2000 21:41:14 GMT
Viewed: 
27 times
  
In lugnet.year.2001, Kevin Wilson writes:

My point is not that Lego shouldn't get
the accurate facts, but that we shouldn't be surprised that they don't. This
is the company who has pictures of Antarctic vehicles (with "Antarctic"
written on their sides, no less!) in the Arctic set instructions.

Kevin

I essentially agree with all the technical criticisms made of this story but
I want to play Devil's advocate for a second.  This story is written in the
form of a letter from a presumably average person, not a rocket scientist or
trained observer.  Things I'm not sure would be unusual to an average person:

-an exaggerated statement about 'millions of stars and planets' during your
first visit into space and seeing more stars than you are used to from earth

-using the phrase 'twikling stars' without realizing that they actually
aren't because you're not viewing them through an atmosphere

-calling any threatening hunk of rock in space a meteor

-understanding that the phrase 'no gravity' means the observer is floating

C'mon, the average person does not look at a box of cereal and understand
that a net weight in kilograms doesn't make any sense (or at very best uses
a conversion ratio from ounces that only works at sea level)?  How many
average people learned or remember what a Newton is (and I don't mean the
fig kind)?

It is a shame that LEGO does not take the extra step to help rid the world
of these typical misconceptions but I have to agree that we shouldn't be
surprised.

John
#388



Message is in Reply To:
  Re: LEGO.COM/mars now running!
 
Matthew Miller wrote in message ... (...) what (...) possible. True, but normally sci-fi (as opposed to fantasy) takes its different premises from things where we are not sure yet, not things we already know are untrue (e.g. blue aliens on Mars). (...) (24 years ago, 24-Nov-00, to lugnet.year.2001, lugnet.space)

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