Gravity

[Carole]

I don't normally post about films as we all have different tastes, but I know some of you have watched this previously.  I saw it last night for the first time. 

On the whole it was pretty well accurately represented, but there were a few little niggles I wanted to share with you.

a) When Ryan entered the first craft (got lost with the crafts was it the ISS?) by opening the hatch to the air lock.  I don't recall her going past the second hatch before she took her helmet off and was breathing air.  did I miss something or was it presumed?

b) If this was indeed the ISS, why wasn't it manned, I thought it has been constantly manned?

c) Presume the other astronaut (George Clooney) who had drifted off - when he came into the 2nd craft (? Soyuz), was a hallucination since he disappeared again and in any case he had opened the hatch directly into the compartment Ryan was sitting in, which would have let all the Oxygen out for both of them. 

d)  When she got back to Earth, I thought these capsules were designed to float, though maybe the Soyuz is not as I think that comes back to land with a thump. 

e)  I thought Astronauts who had been weightless could not walk afterwards, or does this only apply to those in space for more than a few days.

Perhaps some-one could iron out my questions?

Still enjoyed it though.

Carole

[JohnP]

Blimey Carole you are worse than me for watching films - that only came out in 2013....

A few answers...

Think crew of ISS had already evacuated
Yes Clooney was an hallucination - Bullock had turned off Oxygen to kill herself but obviously changed her mind at last minute - who knows what mind does when starved of O2
Don't think it was Soyuz that came back to Earth it was some Chinese thing - I thought she did some amazing manouever using a fire extinguisher to get from Soyez to Chinese capsule..

John

[MarkH]

I didn't even get half way through. It's a shame the researchers didn't do their homework on some simple physics on what is a hugely interesting subject. The two simple points that were glaringly obvious were one where George Cluney was hanging on by his finger tips " motion halted" there is no further force to cause him to travel any further , but he slips away.?..? Cue dramatic moment. And second while floating through the space station they came to a corner and magically turned the corner without touching anything. I wonder if the director had dispensation to rewrite Newton's first law.  

[Carole]

George Cluney was hanging on by his finger tips " motion halted" there is no further force to cause him to travel any further , but he slips away.?..? Cue dramatic moment. And second while floating through the space station they came to a corner and magically turned the corner without touching anything. I wonder if the director had dispensation to rewrite Newton's first law.

Wow, missed those two.

Think crew of ISS had already evacuated

, Ah because of the on-coming collision debris?  But if so where did they evacuate too?  Already taken the shuttle back to Earth?

Bullock had turned off Oxygen to kill herself but obviously changed her mind at last minute

, Ah missed that, need to watch it again.

it was some Chinese thing

, I think you're right.

Carole

[Fay]

I thought it was amazing how quick she picked up what button to press everywhere. i seem to remember it was her first trip, and working all those different ships!!

[Carole]

I thought it was amazing how quick she picked up what button to press everywhere. i seem to remember it was her first trip, and working all those different ships!!

She said she had worked the simulator before but always "crashed" it.  She was trying to read foreign instructions, but as you say was pressing buttons very quickly.  Rather stretching credibility and as you say with more than one ship. 

Carole

[Carole]

Just found a brilliant synopsis of the film on Wikipedia which clears up many of my queries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_(2013_film)

[Hugh]

There is one motion picture phrase which covers this ~ 'Dramatic Licence'!

Yes, full of technical holes but just enjoy. 

Hugh

[Fay]

well most films are jazzed up to make them more enjoyable so, yes, you have to forget the lack of reality in a lot of them and just enjoy them..

[doug]

     I just thought it was a good, well produced film. I certainly can`t sub-divide it into questions about the scientific (or not) parts of it... thought the very special effects were excellent.

     Just a good sci-fi film to enjoy. Just watch and not worry about the little screws on the crankledangger on her spacesuit being missing .....

     Doug.

[NoelC]

I thought it was really good; given there was bound to be a lot of cinematic license, the techniques used gave a good feel of weightlessness (unlike most sci fi films). But some of the plot points like 'our finest endeavors in space being wiped out by our propensity to produce space junk' were clever and topical.

Part of the extensive training for astronauts is languages, so it's not beyond possibility that they could pick up a manual and start to use it. On the whole I thought the most unlikely scenarios were the use of a shuttle and the thought that anyone would sanction further spend on Hubble, Oh and the bit where George seems to get blown by space wind into the void...

[Carole]

Yes, can't knock the filming of the special effects and weightlessness, with the Earth in the background, that was pretty brilliant.

Carole

[Hugh]

Hi All

If you enjoyed the 'looking down on Earth' part of the film, do consider visiting the Science Museum for a go on the Space Descent with Tim Peake Ride ~ see link as below.

I did it a while ago with Jim Mehta and the VR effect is quite stunning.  Only last about 15 minutes but well worth the £7.

www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/see-and-do/space-descent-vr-tim-peake

Best

Hug

[Carole]

I recall going to a "descent to Earth" with Imax when we visited Kennedy Space Centre. 

Sounds great, I might think about doing that.

Carole

[The Thing]

Gravity just kinda holds you down, most of what went on on the film wasn't due to gravity, just heavy scriptwriting. It was really good fun in 3D though.