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Fantasy Commentator, v. 1, issue 6, Spring 1945
Page 117
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FANTASY COMMENTATOR 117 16-2-M: Though centuries old, the Titans are "still growing." Clever. But it has ben shown that if everyone continued his rate of growth he would be killed by circulation desturbances long before he attained the stature of Mr. Shaver's supersized human "Titans." 17-2-M: Here, weightlessness is said to negate any ill effects due to sudden deceleration. As a matter of cold fact, the inertia of a man decelerating suddenly would be fatal, regardless of his weight. This confusion of mass, weight and inertia shows ignorance fundamental mechanics, dynamics and potential theory. 19-1-M: Genetic studies have shown conclusively that the cross-breeding of different species is impossible, which rules out Mr. Shaver's attempts completely. 19-2-B: "Evil is the opposite of live, the inference being that to be evil is to die. Oddly (or significantly!) evil is live spelled backward." This is childish---live is derived from the Middle English liven, livien; Angle-Saxon libban, lifian; akin to the Old Saxon libbian, etc. No reputably etymologist would ever maintain that a word's derivation is to be found by its inversion. 21-2-M: The theory of the sun's being composed of a ball of glowing carbon dates back some 75 years; it was discarded long ago. Known combustion values for carbon demonstrate conclusively that no such chemical reaction could account for the sun's radiated heat for even a fraction of its age. Palmer certainly should be aware of Bethe's work in this field. Known, measured nuclear reactions were used to calculate and evaluate a system of reactions for main-sequence stars (of which our sun is one). The work is now accepted as the explanation of solar energy, as it checks the measured temperatures we observe, and also because it predicts and explains other stellar phenomena. All evidence we now possess---and that is plenty---denies Shaver's contention, and puts both him and Palmer back into kindergarten. 23-2-B: Not only is an appalling lack of knowledge of the fundamental concepts of radioactivity shown here, but ignorance of the role played by minerals in nutrition is indicated. I would suggest that Mssrs. Palmer attempt to live on a demineralized diet for six months! We would hear of their deaths long before that period had elapsed. The experiment would also be on a par with the recent suggestion in Fantasy Fiction Field to demineralize food by means of a cream separator! I would advise our editor and author to spend a year or so in an actual laboratory, where they might learn a few accurate facts on the subject first-hand. 25-1-B: A single reading is enough to reveal this combination of childish reasoning, fallacious logic and semantic nonsense for what it is. It is hardly necessary to state that every statement in this footnote is untrue. 26-2-B: The Titans again! However strong Mr. Shaver would make them, all present-day scientific evidence indicates that beings with bodies of such size could not accomplish locomotion on this planet. 32-1-M: The context reveals a lack of knowledge of dynamics, especially of centrifugal motion, on the writer's part. If a body leaves the earth it must alter its velocity vector relative to the planet in order to maintain the same radial position. For example, if a stone is dropped down a mine-shaft, it will always strike the side of the bore if the shaft is deep enough... The fallacy of gravity being considered a push is due to the 19th century's mechanical concepts of the phenomenon. Today gravity is considered to be a characteristic of the space coordinates (relativity) and a field connected with the electromagnetic field (field equations). The two postulates are mutually supporting. 37-1-B: Editor Palmer, have you ever heard of Newton's second law of motion? You still have mass present, even when weight is zero. The analogy with sound is of
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FANTASY COMMENTATOR 117 16-2-M: Though centuries old, the Titans are "still growing." Clever. But it has ben shown that if everyone continued his rate of growth he would be killed by circulation desturbances long before he attained the stature of Mr. Shaver's supersized human "Titans." 17-2-M: Here, weightlessness is said to negate any ill effects due to sudden deceleration. As a matter of cold fact, the inertia of a man decelerating suddenly would be fatal, regardless of his weight. This confusion of mass, weight and inertia shows ignorance fundamental mechanics, dynamics and potential theory. 19-1-M: Genetic studies have shown conclusively that the cross-breeding of different species is impossible, which rules out Mr. Shaver's attempts completely. 19-2-B: "Evil is the opposite of live, the inference being that to be evil is to die. Oddly (or significantly!) evil is live spelled backward." This is childish---live is derived from the Middle English liven, livien; Angle-Saxon libban, lifian; akin to the Old Saxon libbian, etc. No reputably etymologist would ever maintain that a word's derivation is to be found by its inversion. 21-2-M: The theory of the sun's being composed of a ball of glowing carbon dates back some 75 years; it was discarded long ago. Known combustion values for carbon demonstrate conclusively that no such chemical reaction could account for the sun's radiated heat for even a fraction of its age. Palmer certainly should be aware of Bethe's work in this field. Known, measured nuclear reactions were used to calculate and evaluate a system of reactions for main-sequence stars (of which our sun is one). The work is now accepted as the explanation of solar energy, as it checks the measured temperatures we observe, and also because it predicts and explains other stellar phenomena. All evidence we now possess---and that is plenty---denies Shaver's contention, and puts both him and Palmer back into kindergarten. 23-2-B: Not only is an appalling lack of knowledge of the fundamental concepts of radioactivity shown here, but ignorance of the role played by minerals in nutrition is indicated. I would suggest that Mssrs. Palmer attempt to live on a demineralized diet for six months! We would hear of their deaths long before that period had elapsed. The experiment would also be on a par with the recent suggestion in Fantasy Fiction Field to demineralize food by means of a cream separator! I would advise our editor and author to spend a year or so in an actual laboratory, where they might learn a few accurate facts on the subject first-hand. 25-1-B: A single reading is enough to reveal this combination of childish reasoning, fallacious logic and semantic nonsense for what it is. It is hardly necessary to state that every statement in this footnote is untrue. 26-2-B: The Titans again! However strong Mr. Shaver would make them, all present-day scientific evidence indicates that beings with bodies of such size could not accomplish locomotion on this planet. 32-1-M: The context reveals a lack of knowledge of dynamics, especially of centrifugal motion, on the writer's part. If a body leaves the earth it must alter its velocity vector relative to the planet in order to maintain the same radial position. For example, if a stone is dropped down a mine-shaft, it will always strike the side of the bore if the shaft is deep enough... The fallacy of gravity being considered a push is due to the 19th century's mechanical concepts of the phenomenon. Today gravity is considered to be a characteristic of the space coordinates (relativity) and a field connected with the electromagnetic field (field equations). The two postulates are mutually supporting. 37-1-B: Editor Palmer, have you ever heard of Newton's second law of motion? You still have mass present, even when weight is zero. The analogy with sound is of
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