June 15, 2005
This Is Cool
Our pal Tee Bee brings word of the discovery of a "Super-Earth," a rocky planet orbiting a star about 15 light years away. Apparently, this is the first such planet spotted outside our own solar system.
Speaking of which, I happened to catch Forbidden Planet on the tee vee last night. Aside from the fact that one simply cannot take Leslie Nielson seriously after watching his Airplane! and Naked Gun performances, the film turned out to be not half as silly as I thought it might. And you could see the heavy influence the film had on future outer space shows and movies: Nielson's Commander Adams, who out-thinks the computer, fights off the monster and bags the space babe, is practically the prototype of James T. Kirk. Robbie the Robot could have been the father of the Robot from Lost in Space. Other references in Star Wars, Star Trek and other flicks no doubt abound, but I'm sure there are plenty of geeks fans out there that know a lot more about it than I do.
Robbie actually made several appearances on Lost in Space as an evil robot. LIS was very good at recycling anything lying around the sound stage.
Posted by: LB buddy at June 15, 2005 10:05 AMThe thing about iconic sci-fi - a new experience of which I am dearly hoping for as the fruit of this new discovery - is that it manages to reflect the muddled state of the culture while projecting the possibilities and foibles inherent in dreams becoming reality. Where is Heinlein when you need him? Laz Long, arise! Take up thy pen!
Posted by: tee bee at June 15, 2005 12:12 PM
