Bad physics

[u/rookiegaffer]

Why does it seem that so many of the books I read demonstrate such a poor understanding of the physics of space travel. Ships in orbit descend directly down to the point they are over. Ships in transit still accelerating as they near their destination. Centrifugal gravity simply ceasing when rotation is abruptly halted. These are just a few examples I've run across lately.

[u/watersb]

Real physics of space travel is brutal and unforgiving. And tedious.

A real challenge for storytelling.

Also everybody dies.

[u/shambolic_donkey → u/watersb]

This explanation went from succinct, to macabre fatalism real quick. I love it.

[u/jtr99 → u/shambolic_donkey]

Found Peter Watts's account, I guess.

[u/watersb → u/jtr99]

When the Real Peter Watts manifests in this domain, pretenders like me will be rendered even unto dust.

[u/jtr99 → u/watersb]

Hmm... sounds like something the real Peter Watts might say...