Shouldn’t’ve thawed it out, boys!
Given really bad weather yesterday, we stayed in and watched a movie: classic science fiction, The Thing, vintage 1951.
A flying saucer crashes near the North Pole, and a scientific team makes a lot of not-so-wise decisions that result in a Thing From Another World (James Arness, pre-Gunsmoke) getting loose and killing people. It’s a monster vegetable, just about impossible to kill. Like, what do you get if you cross the Frankenstein monster with a turnip?
Directed by Howard Hawks, and based on a 1938 story by science fiction great John W. Campbell, The Thing crackles with suspense; but to me it’s more a great big air raid siren blasting out a warning: “Do not make an idol of Science!”
Still true today. Maybe even more so. Damn the consequences, jump right in–head-first. What could possibly go wrong?
“ a scientific team makes a lot of not-so-wise decisions”
Impossible! Haven’t you learned anything from Neil deGrasse Tyson? 🙂
“ it’s more a great big air raid siren blasting out a warning: ‘Do not make an idol of Science!’”
That’s my first reaction. It’s certainly happened in the computer field.
Yep, Science goes off the rails about as often as anybody. I never cared much for science, even in school. It has only got worse since then.
Science + Politics = Politics
Science, especially these days, has taken on mythic proportions and from what I can see, actual discovery has become secondary to supporting the narrative. Especially in the origin of life field, it’s all but impossible to find funding, unless you are willing to go along with the party line, regarding evolution.
Dr. Andrew Snelling applied for a permit to take some rock samples at Grand Canyon, and his request was denied. Upon investigation, it was discovered that his request was denied, not because of its validity, but instead because he is known as a creationist. He wanted to investigate some rock folds at the Grand Canyon, because he believes that they are evidence of a global flood, and that was not a popular view to espouse. He did, eventually, win permission, but had to jump through a lot of hoops, along the way.
It’s getting harder and harder to do business, without the mark of the Beast.
I like the remake better with Kurt Russell. A year ago, my wife and I were watching a monster movie set in Antartica, but it was too scary for her. I still wonder how they killed the beast. I am waiting for next Jurassic World movie where the dinosaur’s roam freely among civilization.
The remake actually seems closer to Campbell’s original story.