13th May 2010, 2:29 AM
Energy is not a "raw thing" like that.
What's wrong with this interaction?
Holographic lifeform A: It's like his body has been transformed into pure matter!
Holographic lifeform B: So like, lead, water, baryonic, dark, what?
A: Just, pure matter!
If you see why that sort of statement makes no sense, maybe you'll get my big issue with this common cliche in sci-fi. It's just lazy writing, and it makes no sense by the very definition of what energy is. I'd have accepted "unobtanium force" or "spirit energy" or even "magic energy" but "pure energy"? That's just gibberish!
What's wrong with this interaction?
Holographic lifeform A: It's like his body has been transformed into pure matter!
Holographic lifeform B: So like, lead, water, baryonic, dark, what?
A: Just, pure matter!
If you see why that sort of statement makes no sense, maybe you'll get my big issue with this common cliche in sci-fi. It's just lazy writing, and it makes no sense by the very definition of what energy is. I'd have accepted "unobtanium force" or "spirit energy" or even "magic energy" but "pure energy"? That's just gibberish!
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)