The Best Fictional Doomsday Devices 340
Ostracus writes to tell us that Wired has an interesting summary of some of the best fictional doomsday devices. These devices have featured heavily in movies, television, and fiction; their list includes favorites from Dr. Strangelove to Futurama. What devices have they missed? "By the time Futurama's sci-fi satire hit the scene, creator Matt Groening had the doomsday-device shtick down. Case in point: the Spheroboom. This highly explosive space/time-bending device isn't just the prized jewel of the show's mad scientist, Professor Farnsworth. It also destroys anyone/anything not wearing a 'Doom-proof Platinum Vest.'"
Wired slideshow (Score:5, Informative)
It's a Wired slideshow, on 8 separate pages. If you value your time, don't even bother to RTFA. If you don't value your time, please try to find an "all on one page" version for the rest of us.
The Doomsday Machine - Star Trek - missing one (Score:5, Informative)
Monty Phyton (Score:5, Informative)
Hands Down Best FICTIONAL Doomsday Device... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:ICE-9 (Score:5, Informative)
Again, not strictly a doomsday device, but nevertheless, the Lazy Gun [wikipedia.org] is the most ingenious weapon ever inventerised!
Re:Mass Driver (Score:3, Informative)
Comment removed (Score:4, Informative)
Good news, everyone! (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Mass Driver (Score:4, Informative)
And before that in 1966 there was The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" [wikipedia.org] during the war between Luna and Earth. Though I wouldn't be surprised if there were even earlier examples.
Re:Mass Driver (Score:3, Informative)
The Loonies [wikipedia.org] were using mass-driver bombardment (albeit from the Moon) in 1966.
I don't know if that's the first occurrance of orbital bombardment by mass driver in SF history; I'm trying to do a quick Google survey between interruptions, but I'm not making any progress. (Too many interruptions, too little "between".)
Re:Wired slideshow (Score:3, Informative)
to be fair, there's a thumbnail gallery that lets you jump to any page you want. also, since each device description comes with a large image or a YouTube video, it's probably better that they are put on separate pages for users with older powerful computers or netbooks/smartphones/PSPs/etc., which do not have a lot of memory.
besides, it's not really a slide show as it doesn't have a JavaScript timer that automatically flips to the next slide. it's just a paginated list. and it isn't presented in a tiny pop-up window that only uses a quarter of the screen like a lot of other sites.
Re:Ren & Stimpy - History Eraser Button (Score:3, Informative)
You can't link to tripod images offsite, if your referral header is missing or not from the site, you get their logo instead.
Re:ICE-9 (Score:3, Informative)
Re:The Doomsday Machine - Star Trek - missing one (Score:2, Informative)
Doc Smith Lensman Weapons (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Doc Smith Lensman Weapons (Score:3, Informative)
Actually, the planetary negamatter bomb was first. They used it on Jalte's world, on the way to the Second Galaxy. Then the nutcracker - two normal planets with intrinsic velocities in opposite directions to crunch Jarnevon. Then the Sunbeam. Then the nutcracker with FTL planets to use on Ploor and it's sun.
That said, the best weapon Smith ever invented wasn't in the Lensman series. It was the one used by Doctors Seaton and Duquesne to destroy the Chloron Galaxy. Now THAT was a doomsday weapon - it destroyed two entire galaxies.
Re:ICE-9 (Score:3, Informative)
Indeed - Another soul has received his vin-dit and will soon become a part of our karass, with Cat's Cradle as our wampeter. Sure, Bokonism may be largely comprised of foma, but it's a welcome escape from the slashdot granfaloon.
The new-convert's guide [wikipedia.org]
Re:Lensman (Score:3, Informative)
Well if you're gonna go for sheer exotic exuberant overkill... "negaspheres of planetary anti-mass" come to mind.
Although where the Galactic Patrol found entire planets made of organized antimatter*, I'll never figure out. That's one of those little things that "Doc" didn't even bother to hand-wave. You need to suspend disbelief with a Bergenholm inertialess drive to buy the entire hurried ending of the series.
*Not our conception of antimatter, but the older "Dirac sea" [wikipedia.org] vacuum anti-energy. But I still liked them.