OT - James Cameron's "Aliens of the Deep"
I thought I would pass along my enjoyment of this 3-D movie. I love the ocean and thought this movie was just another documentary of strange critters that live deep in the sea. I had also heard that the 3-D technology was worth the visit (gone are the red and blue glasses). But it is more than that. A significant portion of the movie details NASA's planned nuclear-powered Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) mission and the possible landing of a probe that would melt through Europa's surface to explore its subsurface ocean. The graphics are well done and it was a fun way to spend an hour. It is playing at Thanksgiving Point. -A
Thanks for the recommendation, Ann. Thanksgiving Point's a nice way to spend an afternoon anyway. 3D on top of that makes it nearly irresistible. I'm curious. If the old Red/Blue glasses weren't used, what was? Polarized lenses? mc On Jan 4, 2006, at 1:44 PM, Ann House wrote:
I thought I would pass along my enjoyment of this 3-D movie. I love the ocean and thought this movie was just another documentary of strange critters that live deep in the sea. I had also heard that the 3-D technology was worth the visit (gone are the red and blue glasses). But it is more than that. A significant portion of the movie details NASA's planned nuclear-powered Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) mission and the possible landing of a probe that would melt through Europa's surface to explore its subsurface ocean. The graphics are well done and it was a fun way to spend an hour. It is playing at Thanksgiving Point.
-A
Michael, Yes, polarized lenses. I didn't think much of it as polarized means to me - wearing sunglasses and getting no glare on the windshield as I drive in the early morn. But I just did a little research on the web and found this on Box Office Prophets: And then we have 3D. Apparently left for dead after the short-lived 3D craze in the 1950s, 3D films have occasionally resurfaced, usually to disappear as quickly as they came. However, two things have changed the fate of 3D: IMAX 3D, and high-profile directors taking on ambitious new 3D projects. IMAX 3D took 3D filmmaking from its ignominious red-and-green paper-glasses (known as the 'anaglyph' <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaglyph_glasses> method) stereotype, and elevated it to incredible heights. Based on radically improved technology (polarized lenses or synchronized LCD shutters in glasses, the superior 'rolling loop' IMAX technology, and higher frame rates), IMAX 3D films produced jaw-dropping results. As more and more 3D films are released to IMAX theaters, the potential audience for high-quality theatrical 3D releases continues to grow. Some filmmakers have jumped in with both feet. James Cameron took the bathtub of money from his blockbuster hit film Titanic and poured it into pet projects. In 2003, he released Ghosts of the Abyss, an IMAX 3D film that returned to the site of the Titanic. This year, Cameron released Aliens of the Deep, an IMAX 3D film digging into undersea science and its relationship to space exploration. He is currently working on a feature film using the 3D rig developed for Aliens of the Deep. Thanksgiving Point is fun, especially decorated for the holidays. If any of you get out there to see the movie, let me know what you think. Is an ice probe possible that can cut through perhaps miles of ice on Europa? -A
Ann House wrote:
Is an ice probe possible that can cut through perhaps miles of ice on Europa?
Hi, The two methods I've seen proposed are an impacting explosive spike and a melter. Using the first an orbiter would first locate a fissure or thin spot in the ice and then fire an explosive wedge to ram and blow a hole in the ice through which an instrumented lander could then descend. The other (and the one that seems to have the most promise) would be a lander who's exterior would be heated by a Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator) that would also power the craft. The heated craft would then melt its way through the ice, paying out an antenna cable on the way down. The hole would probably freeze over but the antenna would remain on the surface so the lander could still communicate with an orbiting mother craft or direct to Earth. Patrick -- Patrick Wiggins NASA Solar System Ambassador to Utah http://www.trilobyte.net/paw/ paw@trilobyte.net 435.882.1209
participants (3)
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Ann House -
Michael Carnes -
Patrick Wiggins