Questionable Content 4: Attack of the 60-Inch AnthroPC

**Gez** · 2012-01-28, 07:27 AM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by memnarch

There's probably only three portholes per side

The question then is, what are those blue circles on the other side, which become black circles in space. Looks like the design is asymmetric, with three portholes on the right side and at least seven on the left.

Does it make sense from an engineering perspective? Probably not; but there's bigger nits to pick in that domain. Such as the excessively huge vertical parts of the wings; with such dimensions they wouldn't stabilize so much as create unnecessary drag during atmospheric flight.

**Turalisj** · 2012-01-28, 01:58 PM (ISO 8601)

Webcomic artists are not engineers.

.....

Well, most of them aren't. I'm sure there's one or two with an engineering degree.

**Gnoman** · 2012-01-28, 02:25 PM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Mando Knight

It's not a proper safety harness in this case, no, and as far as I know you don't just start floating like that... something would have to push you upwards.

All it takes is a slight push, or a very miniscule change in the direction the ship is oriented.

**Gez** · 2012-01-28, 04:33 PM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Turalisj

Webcomic artists are not engineers.

.....

Well, most of them aren't. I'm sure there's one or two with an engineering degree.

I think Mark Stanley (of Freefall) and Darren Bleuel (of Nukees) are both engineers.

**Gator** · 2012-01-28, 04:37 PM (ISO 8601)

And Randall Munroe is a roboticist/physicist.

**Gez** · 2012-01-28, 05:00 PM (ISO 8601)

Yeah, there's plenty of scientists. For example, DMM and DMJ have both a Ph.D. (and a large collection of legos (and initials that start with DM)). But a Ph.D. isn't an Eng.D. AFAIK.

**Gator** · 2012-01-28, 05:33 PM (ISO 8601)

Welcome to the Internet.

**John Campbell** · 2012-01-28, 10:14 PM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by memnarch

There's probably only three portholes per side and the engine probably did cut out between panel one and two. Notice how martin's not unbuckled yet, but he's floating. Though really, a seat belt like that shouldn't be enough for safety.

My issue with the porthole isn't with the number or placement of them, but that in panel two Marten is peering through a porthole, but then in panel three, he's still buckled in (and, from his reactions, probably hasn't just buckled himself back in after being unbuckled and roaming around the craft) in a seat that does not, from panels three and four, appear to be even next to the side of the craft, say nothing about near any porthole.

**Traab** · 2012-01-28, 10:27 PM (ISO 8601)

Could be a perspective thing. Our view is changed from outside the wall he is looking out of to the inside. Basically, he has a window seat. Though the way he is positioned looking out it would seem awkward for being strapped in at the time.

**Ravens_cry** · 2012-01-30, 10:59 PM (ISO 8601)

Not too many complaints on the space station, though I am not sure that's enough solar panel acreage for the amount of space station and there is no visible radiators. If that's the docking station on the side of the axis, I hope the said axis counter-rotates or docking is going to be difficult.
If not, a better docking spot might be be right on the line of the axis, that way the ship just has rotate in place while thrusting toward it, matching the rotation. Have you ever played Elite? A similar manoeuvre is used to dock with trade stations.
I recommend blanking all windows for such a manoeuvre though, as it could be quite nauseating for inexperienced space travellers, and poor Marigold seems to be suffering enough.
Still, as one non-engineer (merely an enthusiast for space travel) to another, it looks pretty good. I also applaud his decision to not include stars.

**Gez** · 2012-01-31, 06:30 AM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Ravens_cry

Have you ever played Elite?

Personally, not really; but I did play a ton of Frontier: Elite II and, later, Frontier: First Encounters.

Then I tried Elite by curiosity, but didn't like it, because I was totally spoiled by all the improvements it got with Frontier.

**Shadowbane** · 2012-02-01, 01:31 AM (ISO 8601)

I don't even know why I'm reading this comic if the science is so bad!

**Marnath** · 2012-02-01, 02:01 AM (ISO 8601)

What could he possibly need security for, it's a space station.

**VariaVespasa** · 2012-02-01, 03:39 AM (ISO 8601)

To make sure nobody hijacks it and flies it to Cuba. Duh! :P

**Ravens_cry** · 2012-02-01, 03:43 AM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Marnath

What could he possibly need security for, it's a space station.

Other people could have spaceships as well. You might also need them depending on the nature of the experiment.

**Glass Mouse** · 2012-02-01, 06:27 AM (ISO 8601)

There are 128 mad scientists in one place, and you wonder why they have security?

**Eldan** · 2012-02-01, 08:49 AM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Glass Mouse

There are 128 mad scientists in one place, and you wonder why they have security?

We prefer rigour-challenged, differently security concious scientists of non-standard ethics, thank you very much.

**Traab** · 2012-02-01, 08:57 AM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Eldan

We prefer rigour-challenged, differently security concious scientists of non-standard ethics, thank you very much.

This from the guy who appears to be holding a cthulu heart in his hand?

**Coidzor** · 2012-02-01, 09:11 PM (ISO 8601)

That would be an electric squid and an electric kitty. Or possibly an electric octopuss about to be combined with an electric cat in a sort of visual pun.

In any event, I believe there's a relatively popular online game set on a space station with saboteurs and alien attacks and geneticists and chemists and captains and cooks and clowns and security. The shenanigans that they get up to often make them wish there were competent security personnel.

Though I think it means that there are 128 personnel of those various categories on board, not that there are 128 researchers alone. It didn't quite look that big.

Also, annoyed at identical feeling holograms now.

**Shogo** · 2012-02-02, 08:46 AM (ISO 8601)

I like that Air Force lady already.

Station, why you gotta make her job more difficult. You're a bastard. I don't like you.

Besides . . . There's room for only one Station in all the multiverse, and that's Bill and Ted's Station.

**SlyGuyMcFly** · 2012-02-02, 09:11 AM (ISO 8601)

The turnover rate among the security personnel must be astronomical. Poor USAF Lady. She seems nice.

**eee** · 2012-02-02, 09:24 AM (ISO 8601)

Gad! Station is EVIL!!

**The Glyphstone** · 2012-02-02, 09:40 AM (ISO 8601)

If you had to put up with 128 mad scientists+support personnel simultaneously on a 24/7 basis, I doubt any of us would be particularly stable or good-natured ourselves.

**Tirian** · 2012-02-02, 11:05 AM (ISO 8601)

Station is bitter because he's the only one that doesn't get to eat SPACE CAKE.

**Coidzor** · 2012-02-02, 01:47 PM (ISO 8601)

Yet more fodder for the Momo is the only sympathetic AI theory.

C'mon Jeph, make with some funny or at least interesting.

**memnarch** · 2012-02-02, 02:15 PM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Coidzor

Yet more fodder for the Momo is the only sympathetic AI theory.

...

What about Winslow? He's fairly decent right?

**The Glyphstone** · 2012-02-02, 02:22 PM (ISO 8601)

Yeah, what do you have against Winslow?

There's also the salesAI in the shop (not Charlotte).

**Coidzor** · 2012-02-02, 03:12 PM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by The Glyphstone

Yeah, what do you have against Winslow?

There's also the salesAI in the shop (not Charlotte).

Originally Posted by memnarch

What about Winslow? He's fairly decent right?

I'm sorry, but who is this? I have not seen this Winslow in the comic. Was he an earlier character that got written out of the script?

As for the Sales AI, I'm increasingly convinced she would have revealed some deep character flaw if she had been afforded any more screen time.

This most recent one managed to introduce himself as a pervert and/or of damaged mental faculties (unless something very wrong was going on in the design of AIs, they wouldn't forget a default setting without something very wrong going on with them) and is now showing himself to be a cad to boot.

I suppose the fact that he's allowed to keep his job despite his flagrant misconduct could also be taken in the light of AI having more protections and rights than humans given the government involvement...

Though I can't even think of an amoral reason to keep on an AI with a flawed morality core in charge of one's life support systems. As a separate AI for monitoring the labs and keeping unethical experiments under AI scrutiny without leaking the wrongdoing, sure, but not the life support systems. Did these people learn nothing from SHODAN?

**Eldan** · 2012-02-02, 03:17 PM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Coidzor

In any event, I believe there's a relatively popular online game set on a space station with saboteurs and alien attacks and geneticists and chemists and captains and cooks and clowns and security. The shenanigans that they get up to often make them wish there were competent security personnel.

Space station Something. A number. 17 or 19, I think. It's a ton of fun, once you get the controls, which are more than a bit wonky. I played an engineer for a while, and I don't think I ever managed to get the engine running without the station getting swallowed by a black hole.

**Yuki Akuma** · 2012-02-02, 04:16 PM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Coidzor

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]This most recent one managed to introduce himself as a pervert and/or of damaged mental faculties (unless something very wrong was going on in the design of AIs, they wouldn't forget a default setting without something very wrong going on with them) and is now showing himself to be a cad to boot.

These are two separate characters.

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