Is there a term for this?

[Ixfd64]

In many works of fiction, characters often do not use the best of their abilities for the sake of the plot. This is called PIS ("plot-induced stupidity").

Similarly, fictional civilizations may lack a certain technology for the sake of the plot. For example, a civilization with star-destroying weapons may lack the technology to bring a dead person back to life, even though the latter would realistically be easier to achieve. Is there a term that is used to describe such limits?

[Arvandor]

Dunno. But that's a bad example. Destroying stars probably IS more realistic and easier than resurrecting the dead.

[Donald M.]

In many works of fiction, characters often do not use the best of their abilities for the sake of the plot. This is called PIS ("plot-induced stupidity").

Similarly, fictional civilizations may lack a certain technology for the sake of the plot. For example, a civilization with star-destroying weapons may lack the technology to bring a dead person back to life, even though the latter would realistically be easier to achieve. Is there a term that is used to describe such limits?

If such a term exists, I'm not familiar with it. You could try asking on the forums at TV Tropes. That crowd seems to love coming up with names for everything.

I also don't agree with your example. I for one have no trouble buying that a starfaring civilization could conceivably work out how to start supernova jumpstarting chain reaction within a star without knowing how to resurrect the dead.

There's no correlation there. It's not like A naturally follows B. There's nothing that says you can't destroy stars until you've figured out how to raise the dead.

[Spike-X]

Yes, it's called "Stop picking everything you read/watch/claim to enjoy to pieces".

[howyadoin]

For example, a civilization with star-destroying weapons may lack the technology to bring a dead person back to life, even though the latter would realistically be easier to achieve. I think there's a fundamental flaw in your theory here. Being able to blow up a star just requires extrapolation of existing science. Reanimating the dead, on the other hand, is more like fantasy.

[Rob Allen]

Reanimating the dead, on the other hand, is more like fantasy.

I heard a rumor that somebody figured out how to do it about 2,000 years ago.

[Chris N]

I would use the same term.

Though I agree your example is terrible.

I was just thinking about Star Trek where they have miraculous univeral translators that almost instantly translate completely alien languages, yet still have a team of archaeologists trying to decipher ruins in an ancient language which evolved into modern Bajoran and should be easier to translate than, say, the language of a random race in the Gamma Quadrant.

[Michael P]

I heard a rumor that somebody figured out how to do it about 2,000 years ago.

Yeah, but he didn't tell anyone how he did it, the selfish git.

[StoneGold]

I think there's a fundamental flaw in your theory here. Being able to blow up a star just requires extrapolation of existing science. Reanimating the dead, on the other hand, is more like fantasy.

All you have to do is wear a Thriller album on your head.


And not wreck the car.

[Paul McEnery]

Yes, it's called "Stop picking everything you read/watch/claim to enjoy to pieces".

Really? I thought it was called "hire a fucking editor to make sense of your high school project".

[Karl O'Neill]

It's not always about inventing. it is about discovery.

They just need to find those lazarus pits!

Crap. Those are fictional too!:biggrin:

[Paul McEnery]

I think there's a fundamental flaw in your theory here. Being able to blow up a star just requires extrapolation of existing science. Reanimating the dead, on the other hand, is more like fantasy.

Plus, two completely different technologies, reflecting different cultural biases.

Plus, why did we invent nuclear weapons before we perfected the heart transplant?

[Tages]

Plus, two completely different technologies, reflecting different cultural biases.

Plus, why did we invent nuclear weapons before we perfected the heart transplant?

'Cuz there were Nazis that needed killin'.

'Course, when Hitler had to pussy out and die first, we had to find a substitute.

[Donald M.]

So, am I alone in figuring that this thread was probably meant for the Rumbles board and that it would have gotten a very different reaction there?

[Asmith]

It's called Plot Contrivance.


Terrible example though... a better one, staying on the sci-fi theme, may be Independence Day, where the giant alien space ships had to use the Earth's television satellites to communicate with one another... for the sole purpose of involving the Goldblum character and his magic Mac laptop in the plot...

[Chris N]

It's called Plot Contrivance.


Terrible example though... a better one, staying on the sci-fi theme, may be Independence Day, where the giant alien space ships had to use the Earth's television satellites to communicate with one another... for the sole purpose of involving the Goldblum character and his magic Mac laptop in the plot...

I don't find it that inconceivable that they needed something to relay signals to ships the mass of earth was blocking a straight line path in between.


That his laptop hooked up so readily with an alien computer when the same thing wouldn't have worked with an Apple product...

[Donald M.]

I don't find it that inconceivable that they needed something to relay signals to ships the mass of earth was blocking a straight line path in between.


That his laptop hooked up so readily with an alien computer when the same thing wouldn't have worked with an Apple product...

Yeah. It's kinda cool they attempted a modern update to the ending of War of the Worlds. Too bad it fails even the simplest logic check.

[Asmith]

I don't find it that inconceivable that they needed something to relay signals to ships the mass of earth was blocking a straight line path in between.


If I recall correctly the aliens used the satellites to relay a countdown clock to attack, yes? So these aliens travelled halfway across the galaxy and forgot to bring there own communication system... or even some egg timers...??

[Donald M.]

If I recall correctly the aliens used the satellites to relay a countdown clock to attack, yes? So these aliens travelled halfway across the galaxy and forgot to bring there own communication system... or even some egg timers...??

Hell, they could've all just agreed ahead of time, wait this long after we arrive, then attack.

Was there some pressing reason their attacks needed to be coordinated to the precise second?

[howyadoin]

So, am I alone in figuring that this thread was probably meant for the Rumbles board and that it would have gotten a very different reaction there?No.

http://forums.comicbookresources.com/search.php?searchid=4214245

[Asmith]

Hell, they could've all just agreed ahead of time, wait this long after we arrive, then attack.

Was there some pressing reason their attacks needed to be coordinated to the precise second?

Yes... it gave Goldblum something to do and elevated suspense and drama. E.g.: plot contrivance...

[Gary_B]

I was just thinking about Star Trek where they have miraculous univeral translators that almost instantly translate completely alien languages, yet still have a team of archaeologists trying to decipher ruins in an ancient language which evolved into modern Bajoran and should be easier to translate than, say, the language of a random race in the Gamma Quadrant.

Nerd!

.....

[Chris N]

Hell, they could've all just agreed ahead of time, wait this long after we arrive, then attack.

Was there some pressing reason their attacks needed to be coordinated to the precise second?

True. You would think an alien ship would somehow be able to notice that Washington got blown up and take the cue to blow up Paris in a timely manner.

[Paradox]

"Signal? That whole city of white buildings exploding isn't enough for you?" :wink:

[Asmith]

"Signal? That whole city of white buildings exploding isn't enough for you?" :wink:

Maybe that's what made them sooo alien... they're a species that don't notice giant apocolyptic explosions... ooh freaky!

But still better than aliens who melt at the touch of water... ala Signs... also Alien Nation and Wizard of Oz...

[Paradox]

Ugh, don't mention Signs to me. That movie was so dumb it actually gave me brain damage.

Maybe I should have been wearing a tinfoil hat.

[Asmith]

Ugh, don't mention Signs to me. That movie was so dumb it actually gave me brain damage.

Maybe I should have been wearing a tinfoil hat.

"Quick! Confound the space aliens with our inscruitable doorknob technology!!"

[carabas]

Star Trek actually should be able to resurrect the daed quite easily.

Lt. Redshirt McExpendible dies by falling off a cliff on an away mission? No problem. Just use his pattern stored in the transporter buffer with replication tech and he's as good as new.

[Donald M.]

"Quick! Confound the space aliens with our inscruitable doorknob technology!!"

Don't forget the baseball bat!

They may not like water, but baseball bats are their kryptonite!

Shyamalan had some small promise as a director, once upon a time. It just keeps getting worse with him though, doesn't it?

After Signs he's gone from The Village, with possibly the dumbest twist ending ever, to Lady in the Water where he cast himself as a writer whose work was destined to change the world (just the tip of what was wrong with that movie, though a truly egregious bit of hubris) to The Happening, which had scenes of people trying to outrun the wind.

[howyadoin]

Shyamalan had some small promise as a director, once upon a time. It just keeps getting worse with him though, doesn't it?What a tweest!

[Asmith]

Don't forget the baseball bat!

They may not like water, but baseball bats are their kryptonite!

Shyamalan had some small promise as a director, once upon a time. It just keeps getting worse with him though, doesn't it?

After Signs he's gone from The Village, with possibly the dumbest twist ending ever, to Lady in the Water where he cast himself as a writer whose work was destined to change the world (just the tip of what was wrong with that movie, though a truly egregious bit of hubris) to The Happening, which had scenes of people trying to outrun the wind.

Well The Village was one of the nicest shot Twilight Zone episodes ever... but just way to long. However it left me with zero interest in ever seeing another one of his films... outrunning the wind?? Really?? Gah!

And let's not forget the unflushed turd that was Unbreakable... or Unbearable as I prefer to think of it as... Love how he has the Willis character spending every minute with his son but still tries to push the theme that he's an absentee father... And the twist at the end? Yeah sure whatever, can I go home now?

[howyadoin]

And let's not forget the unflushed turd that was Unbreakable.I wish I could.

[Paul McEnery]

It's called Plot Contrivance.


Terrible example though....

I am deeply amused by the rule of internet pedantry being once again proven.

[Asmith]

I am deeply amused by the rule of internet pedantry being once again proven.

Well as I'm sure you're fully aware, the rest of us exist solely to help you get your giggle on...

...anyway, does that 'rule' really apply here? None of us were pretending that we didn't understand what he was trying to say... just being heartless critics about the way he chose to express it...

[Paradox]

So, correcting anyone or pointing out a flaw in what they're saying is "pedantry" now? I don't think it was particularly pedantic to point out that the original comparison made no sense whatsoever.

[thehod]

So, correcting anyone or pointing out a flaw in what they're saying is "pedantry" now? I don't think it was particularly pedantic to point out that the original comparison made no sense whatsoever.

Meh, most of the internet makes no sense whatsoever. Pointing it out seems like a exercise in futility to me.

[howyadoin]

Meh, most of the internet makes no sense whatsoever. Pointing it out seems like a exercise in futility to me.True enough. But at the risk of sounding pedantic, pedantic doesn't mean "futile".

[Paradox]

**decides not to go for the West3man dictionary joke** :wink:

[howyadoin]

**decides not to go for the West3man dictionary joke** :wink:Hah. I came pretty close myself.

[Paul McEnery]

Well as I'm sure you're fully aware, the rest of us exist solely to help you get your giggle on...

...anyway, does that 'rule' really apply here? None of us were pretending that we didn't understand what he was trying to say... just being heartless critics about the way he chose to express it...

So, correcting anyone or pointing out a flaw in what they're saying is "pedantry" now? I don't think it was particularly pedantic to point out that the original comparison made no sense whatsoever.

*ahem*

Your man is complaining about other people making mistakes. And then makes a mistake in so doing.

Which is then pointed out by other people.

Who in their turn, apparently, make mistakes.

And so it goes.

[Paradox]

Sounds more like irony than pedantry. :evilsmile:

[Asmith]

Sounds more like irony than pedantry. :evilsmile:

Smilies suck, 'Dox... Evil smilies suck even eviler... By extension you evily suck...

Now I've got that off my chest... yeah, I think Paul may be barking up the wrong tree on this one. The OP's example was too odd not to draw attention to itself...