Exchanges with People that Make Your Brain Hurt

[PeterM]

Him: Mercedes Lackey?  She's fantasy!  You couldn't pay me enough to read fantasy. I have to read Sci Fi like Star Trek because it's not crazy-made up stuff.  It's real life!

And then my brain just hurt. I don't think I came up with a suitable answer, I think I just stared at him in horror.

Wow. A whole lot of science fiction fans call stuff like Star Trek or Star Wars science fantasy because it has elements that boil down to "It's magic!" despite the supposedly scientific background. I don't discriminate to that degree (and for some of these fans it really is discrimination) but I can see their point and would never, ever put Trek or Star Wars into any category that even vaguely resembles "Hard SF" or "real life." Yeesh.

[Diane AKA Traska]

I wish such a thing as a replicator actually existed in real life!

... wait, no, I don't.  Being able to get a cheeseburger any time I want would be a very bad idea.

But you could also get a free, unlimited supply of whatever healthy, tasty, and difficult as all get out dish you love, too.  Plus, if we start tinkering around with molecular structures enough (and being able to whip something out of free atoms means we'll have to), we'll likely be able to make it healthier while still remaining a cheeseburger.

No, no.  In an episode of TNG, it is established that all of Deanna Troi's chocolate sundaes are in reality healthy.  But she still longs for a "real" one.  I think this means that it might be OK for me to install a replicator and request pizza every night, but that won't stop me from popping out the Ben & Jerry's every now and then. Well...maybe a little more than now and then, who am I kidding?

I'm not sure whether remembering that detail 18 years after the show went off the air is awesome or pathetic.  I just made my own brain hurt.

I liken this to foodies who think that if it's not made with whole grain wheat pasta and organic finely aged cheddar, it isn't *really* macaroni and cheese.  It's food snobbery of the 24th century.  Convince people that you can discern a difference so they'll be in awe of your culinary knowledge.

I always thought of it more along the lines of getting ice milk instead of ice cream.  It doesn't take a connoisseur to tell the difference and the former just doesn't cut it some days.

The thing is, the replicator makes an exact molecular duplicate of the object in question.  The most I could make a case for is that a replicated burger would be akin to fast food... it's the same *exact* burger every time with no deviation.

[Nikko-chan]

I wish such a thing as a replicator actually existed in real life!

... wait, no, I don't.  Being able to get a cheeseburger any time I want would be a very bad idea.

But you could also get a free, unlimited supply of whatever healthy, tasty, and difficult as all get out dish you love, too.  Plus, if we start tinkering around with molecular structures enough (and being able to whip something out of free atoms means we'll have to), we'll likely be able to make it healthier while still remaining a cheeseburger.

No, no.  In an episode of TNG, it is established that all of Deanna Troi's chocolate sundaes are in reality healthy.  But she still longs for a "real" one.  I think this means that it might be OK for me to install a replicator and request pizza every night, but that won't stop me from popping out the Ben & Jerry's every now and then. Well...maybe a little more than now and then, who am I kidding?

I'm not sure whether remembering that detail 18 years after the show went off the air is awesome or pathetic.  I just made my own brain hurt.

I liken this to foodies who think that if it's not made with whole grain wheat pasta and organic finely aged cheddar, it isn't *really* macaroni and cheese.  It's food snobbery of the 24th century.  Convince people that you can discern a difference so they'll be in awe of your culinary knowledge.

I always thought of it more along the lines of getting ice milk instead of ice cream.  It doesn't take a connoisseur to tell the difference and the former just doesn't cut it some days.

The thing is, the replicator makes an exact molecular duplicate of the object in question.  The most I could make a case for is that a replicated burger would be akin to fast food... it's the same *exact* burger every time with no deviation.

Traska... all that science-y talk made my brain hurt!

[BB-VA]

Him: Mercedes Lackey?  She's fantasy!  You couldn't pay me enough to read fantasy. I have to read Sci Fi like Star Trek because it's not crazy-made up stuff.  It's real life!

And then my brain just hurt. I don't think I came up with a suitable answer, I think I just stared at him in horror.

Wow. A whole lot of science fiction fans call stuff like Star Trek or Star Wars science fantasy because it has elements that boil down to "It's magic!" despite the supposedly scientific background. I don't discriminate to that degree (and for some of these fans it really is discrimination) but I can see their point and would never, ever put Trek or Star Wars into any category that even vaguely resembles "Hard SF" or "real life." Yeesh.

With a lot of mundanes (at least around here) Star Trek = Science Fiction.  They have no idea that it is an enormous body of literature. 

I once wore a costume (basically a long dress of black fabric with silver threads - no insignia or any other device) on Halloween with a wired flashing lighting fixture that my husband made from a single-digit calculator display turned sideways, set to flash different parts randomly.  To my coworkers, that was my "Star Trek" costume.  Just because of the flashy thingy.

Gets kinda old...

[Adelaide]

I have on a MyLawSchool sweatshirt today. In Wegmans a woman passed by me, saw my shirt, laughed, and said "Law School, huh? Guess you'll be paying for that for awhile!" I just bit my tongue and said "It'll be worth it in the end!" The nerve of some people. And that was a pretty big assumption about the state of my family's financial affairs.

[greencat]

I wish such a thing as a replicator actually existed in real life!

... wait, no, I don't.  Being able to get a cheeseburger any time I want would be a very bad idea.

But you could also get a free, unlimited supply of whatever healthy, tasty, and difficult as all get out dish you love, too.  Plus, if we start tinkering around with molecular structures enough (and being able to whip something out of free atoms means we'll have to), we'll likely be able to make it healthier while still remaining a cheeseburger.

No, no.  In an episode of TNG, it is established that all of Deanna Troi's chocolate sundaes are in reality healthy.  But she still longs for a "real" one.  I think this means that it might be OK for me to install a replicator and request pizza every night, but that won't stop me from popping out the Ben & Jerry's every now and then. Well...maybe a little more than now and then, who am I kidding?

I'm not sure whether remembering that detail 18 years after the show went off the air is awesome or pathetic.  I just made my own brain hurt.

I liken this to foodies who think that if it's not made with whole grain wheat pasta and organic finely aged cheddar, it isn't *really* macaroni and cheese.  It's food snobbery of the 24th century.  Convince people that you can discern a difference so they'll be in awe of your culinary knowledge.

I always thought of it more along the lines of getting ice milk instead of ice cream.  It doesn't take a connoisseur to tell the difference and the former just doesn't cut it some days.

The thing is, the replicator makes an exact molecular duplicate of the object in question.  The most I could make a case for is that a replicated burger would be akin to fast food... it's the same *exact* burger every time with no deviation.

Traska... all that science-y talk made my brain hurt!

Actually, for the sundaes, and anything else "made healthy" - part of what our brain is interpreting as "These things taste awesome!" is actually an assessment of the fat and sugar content.  Unless the ice cream was just made to contain its normal amount of fat and sugar but with added fiber and protein and vitamins...it probably really wouldn't taste as good as the real thing.

[jaxsue]

I have on a MyLawSchool sweatshirt today. In Wegmans a woman passed by me, saw my shirt, laughed, and said "Law School, huh? Guess you'll be paying for that for awhile!" I just bit my tongue and said "It'll be worth it in the end!" The nerve of some people. And that was a pretty big assumption about the state of my family's financial affairs.

I's say it was an odd assumption, too.

And off topic, but isn't Wegmans a great store? 

[mmswm]

I have on a MyLawSchool sweatshirt today. In Wegmans a woman passed by me, saw my shirt, laughed, and said "Law School, huh? Guess you'll be paying for that for awhile!" I just bit my tongue and said "It'll be worth it in the end!" The nerve of some people. And that was a pretty big assumption about the state of my family's financial affairs.

I've gotten that comment when I'm wearing MyGradSchool shirts/hats. Thankfully for me, it only comes up when people ask if I went there or am I just a fan, as it's also a football powerhouse.  It still irritates me. 

[Diane AKA Traska]

I wish such a thing as a replicator actually existed in real life!

... wait, no, I don't.  Being able to get a cheeseburger any time I want would be a very bad idea.

But you could also get a free, unlimited supply of whatever healthy, tasty, and difficult as all get out dish you love, too.  Plus, if we start tinkering around with molecular structures enough (and being able to whip something out of free atoms means we'll have to), we'll likely be able to make it healthier while still remaining a cheeseburger.

No, no.  In an episode of TNG, it is established that all of Deanna Troi's chocolate sundaes are in reality healthy.  But she still longs for a "real" one.  I think this means that it might be OK for me to install a replicator and request pizza every night, but that won't stop me from popping out the Ben & Jerry's every now and then. Well...maybe a little more than now and then, who am I kidding?

I'm not sure whether remembering that detail 18 years after the show went off the air is awesome or pathetic.  I just made my own brain hurt.

I liken this to foodies who think that if it's not made with whole grain wheat pasta and organic finely aged cheddar, it isn't *really* macaroni and cheese.  It's food snobbery of the 24th century.  Convince people that you can discern a difference so they'll be in awe of your culinary knowledge.

I always thought of it more along the lines of getting ice milk instead of ice cream.  It doesn't take a connoisseur to tell the difference and the former just doesn't cut it some days.

The thing is, the replicator makes an exact molecular duplicate of the object in question.  The most I could make a case for is that a replicated burger would be akin to fast food... it's the same *exact* burger every time with no deviation.

Traska... all that science-y talk made my brain hurt!

Actually, for the sundaes, and anything else "made healthy" - part of what our brain is interpreting as "These things taste awesome!" is actually an assessment of the fat and sugar content.  Unless the ice cream was just made to contain its normal amount of fat and sugar but with added fiber and protein and vitamins...it probably really wouldn't taste as good as the real thing.

Again, though, as long as we're tinkering with molecules, chances are we can come up with some form of fat and sugar that the body wouldn't metabolize... it'd just get passed through on the next trip to one of those bathrooms that Starfleet ships don't seem to have.

[Slartibartfast]

Again, though, as long as we're tinkering with molecules, chances are we can come up with some form of fat and sugar that the body wouldn't metabolize... it'd just get passed through on the next trip to one of those bathrooms that Starfleet ships don't seem to have.

They already have that - and Alli has some pretty unpleasant side effects to make up for it 

[Diane AKA Traska]

Again, though, as long as we're tinkering with molecules, chances are we can come up with some form of fat and sugar that the body wouldn't metabolize... it'd just get passed through on the next trip to one of those bathrooms that Starfleet ships don't seem to have.

They already have that - and Alli has some pretty unpleasant side effects to make up for it 

Yeah, but replicated food additives wouldn't suffer that fate.  It's a future where anesthesia is so foolproof that people use it like an off-button for people. 

[Iris]

Him: Mercedes Lackey?  She's fantasy!  You couldn't pay me enough to read fantasy. I have to read Sci Fi like Star Trek because it's not crazy-made up stuff.  It's real life!

And then my brain just hurt. I don't think I came up with a suitable answer, I think I just stared at him in horror.

Wow. A whole lot of science fiction fans call stuff like Star Trek or Star Wars science fantasy because it has elements that boil down to "It's magic!" despite the supposedly scientific background. I don't discriminate to that degree (and for some of these fans it really is discrimination) but I can see their point and would never, ever put Trek or Star Wars into any category that even vaguely resembles "Hard SF" or "real life." Yeesh.

With a lot of mundanes (at least around here) Star Trek = Science Fiction.  They have no idea that it is an enormous body of literature. 

I once wore a costume (basically a long dress of black fabric with silver threads - no insignia or any other device) on Halloween with a wired flashing lighting fixture that my husband made from a single-digit calculator display turned sideways, set to flash different parts randomly.  To my coworkers, that was my "Star Trek" costume.  Just because of the flashy thingy.

Gets kinda old...

Did you just refer to the group of people that don't share your specific interest as "mundanes"?

[sevenday]

Confession: when the "mundane" word came up,  I didn't think of Star Trek. I thought of Piers Anthony's Xanth series, in which people without magic are called mundanes.  It was a nice mental picture

[PeterM]

With a lot of mundanes (at least around here) Star Trek = Science Fiction.  They have no idea that it is an enormous body of literature. 

Did you just refer to the group of people that don't share your specific interest as "mundanes"?

It's a fairly common term among various fandoms, and I'm quite confident BB-VA is like most of those who use it in not meaning any offense.

I'm not personally a fan of the term (Ha, ha) but we've gone around and around on this very topic in the past without resolving a single thing, so I suggest we just leave it alone.

[VorFemme]

To me (and a lot of other people who like science fiction, fantasy, and Renn Faires) the term "Mundane" is a short hand way of referring to people who do not read science fiction or fantasy literature, do not watch science fiction or fantasy movies or television shows, or (in some but not all cases) know that there is a difference between Star Trek, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Valdemar, Pern, Xanth, and other really popular series in the sort-of-related genres (both are fiction set in locations that did not happen in our documented past, present, or under our present understanding of physics).  Vampires, werewolves, faeries, witches, wizards, dinosaurs brought back by DNA reconstruction, and other creatures not able to be seen in everyday life are included, more or less.  At least for now - DNA reconstruction may make advanced in the near future so that field is no longer "fiction" but fact (with the references in scientific journals to document it).

I don't see it as pejorative - unless someone is poking fun at the mundanes.  I see it as a valid description - although one that could easily be twisted by those with that sort of bent in their brains....