Silver Surfer & Thanos vs Flash & Zoom

Originally posted by Galan007
Personally, I don't think writers would use speed-verbage if they weren't comfortable their 'target audience' could comprehend it. Otherwise, they'd use blanket terminology like: "character x was moving unimaginably fast", as opposed to very specific terminology like: "character x was moving faster than the speed of light, which enabled him to operate by the attosecond." Etc.

Imo, comics aren't geared for people who are still reading Dr. Seuss books- many of them require the reader to think a bit. Superman Beyond, for instance, would be difficult for most well informed adults to ingest... Let alone some dumbass kid.

oh, i agree--there are certain books that require/target older, and better readers. i wouldn't put flash in the same vein as the vertigo books for instance. by and large i'd say the target for most generic books is still much younger. and generally people DO know that a microsecond is fast--really fast, and that was what was being conveyed. again, that doesn't mean that they will willingly ignore what was stated and are capable of doing the math to prove his words were wrong.

^ This isn't an example of complicated metatextual narrative or of complex subtextual metaphor. It's a mistake. FFS, it's a mistake. Talk about missing the forest for the trees.

Originally posted by Galan007
Geeze, if we're getting this nitpicky, it depends entirely on what type of nuclear yield the bomb had in that scene.

If it was comparable to the bomb dropped on Nagasaki (roughly .02MT/20KT) then the people Flash saved would be perfectly fine from 35 miles away. However, if the bomb was comparable to something like the Tsar Bomba (50MT/50,000KT), the people would have been blown to smithereens at that distance. In fact, numerous people received 3rd degree burns from over 100km away, after the latter was detonated.

... speculative.

Originally posted by leonidas
you think a comicbook is targetted for 16-30somethings? not buying that. as far as 'general knowledge' and what most people would or wouldn't know--i'd guess that if you walked into a mall, or grocery store, hell if you walked into a SCHOOL--MOST (a very heavy majority) would NOT know how fast light moves, and would be equally (maybe more) clueless about a microsecond, picosecond, femtosecond or plank lengths. they would know these things meant 'really fast' and why shouldn't that be good enough? why would/SHOULD they be inclined to look beyond what the writer told them?

This is spot on. Even in university institutions a vast majority of undergrads do not know the exact figure of the speed of light (if it doesnt concern them why would they bother?) and they would not at all know the relation between the speed of light and a microsecond.....to the point that they would ignore what was written (i.e how far something moving at light speed could go in a microsecond ). Internet forums are not the same as reality...jeez.

Originally posted by OneDumbG0
^ This isn't an example of complicated metatextual narrative or of complex subtextual metaphor. It's a mistake. FFS, it's a mistake. Talk about missing the forest for the trees.

not sure if that is directed at me or not, but i agree it is obviously a mistake. since we've been discussing the fact that text-numbers are contradictory, i'd say it was rather redundant to point out it was a mistake.

and you're right again--it is NOT complex. to most, what the writer said would have been enough. most readers would not have looked at the numbers and been able to calculate that the writer was in fact wrong.

the question has since become intent, and i think intent should be factored in when looking at that &*^%$#@! scene.

Originally posted by Naija boy
This is spot on. Even in university institutions a vast majority of undergrads do not know the exact figure of the speed of light (if it doesnt concern them why would they bother?) and they would not at all know the relation between the speed of light and a microsecond.....to the point that they would ignore what was written (i.e how far something moving at light speed could go in a microsecond ). Internet forums are not the same as reality...jeez.

😂

👆

can't believe that ppl are arguing whether or not Flash is FTL... Superman is far faster than ftl and Flash and Zoom still smoke his ass to the point where it looks like he's standing still.

Originally posted by leonidas
oh, i agree--there are certain books that require/target older, and better readers. i wouldn't put flash in the same vein as the vertigo books for instance. by and large i'd say the target for most generic books is still much younger. and generally people DO know that a microsecond is fast--really fast, and that was what was being conveyed. again, that doesn't mean that they will willingly ignore what was stated and are capable of doing the math to prove his words were wrong.

Like I mentioned earlier: I doubt very highly that a writer would use speed-verbage as specific as "zeptosecond" if they didn't think their target audience would be able to differentiate it's order of magnitude from, say, a nanosecond. Yes, they both convey "really fast" to the reader- but one is far, FAR different than the other, and has the potential to change a "good" speed feat into a "godly" speed feat.

And just so you know: I'm not talking specifically about the "Flash saved 500,000 people" feat at this point, either. 😉

Originally posted by OneDumbG0
Considering how many people want the distance quantification to be 35 miles away as stated, I find this speculation to be...

... speculative.

There's no speculation to be found in that post. At all. U hav confoosed mee...? 😕

Originally posted by Uriel005
can't believe that ppl are arguing whether or not Flash is FTL... Superman is far faster than ftl and Flash and Zoom still smoke his ass to the point where it looks like he's standing still.

They're not arguing whether or not Flash is FTL, they're arguing whether or not he was going FTL during that specific feat.

Originally posted by Naija boy
This is spot on. Even in university institutions a vast majority of undergrads do not know the exact figure of the speed of light (if it doesnt concern them why would they bother?) and they would not at all know the relation between the speed of light and a microsecond.....to the point that they would ignore what was written (i.e how far something moving at light speed could go in a microsecond ). Internet forums are not the same as reality...jeez.

Originally posted by Galan007
Huh?

There's no speculation to be found in that post. At all. U hav confoosed mee...? 😕

Originally posted by Naija boy
This is spot on. Even in university institutions a vast majority of undergrads do not know the exact figure of the speed of light (if it doesnt concern them why would they bother?)

The speed of light is something you learn in basic science classes (around junior high/high school- maybe earlier.) So these "university-level undergrads" must be quite stupid if they aren't aware how fast light moves, considering they've likely taken several science classes to get to that point.
srsly

Originally posted by OneDumbG0
I don't see how citing examples of weapons with bomb yields extending beyond 35 miles matters when the stated safety distance quantification is 35 miles.

g007-psyduck

Lightspeed is 299,270,??? m/s and I drew a blank for the last few numbers

Originally posted by Galan007
And I don't see why you were arguing the safe distance either, for that matter. I don't even know what's being argued at this point, tbh.

g007-psyduck

Originally posted by Galan007
Eh, what research have you read that states this?

The speed of light is something you learn in basic science classes (around junior high/high school- maybe earlier.) So these "university-level undergrads" must be quite stupid if they aren't aware how fast light moves, considering they've likely taken several science classes to get to that point.
srsly

Originally posted by Galan007
Surprisingly enough, I personally think a lot of Flash material targets a bit older of an audience. Some of the speed-related terminology that frequents its pages isn't something I think the average 12-16 year old would be able to fully grasp, tbh.

Like I mentioned earlier: I doubt very highly that a writer would use speed-verbage as specific as "zeptosecond" if they didn't think their target audience would be able to differentiate it's order of magnitude from, say, a nanosecond.

whoa.... you actually think the common fan would be able to differentiate these types of terms? we'll agree to very much disagree on that score. i think most often those types of terms are thrown around by a writer in an effort to avoid saying really really fast and to, perhaps, add a sense of 'real world science'. i certainly don't think the average fan can differentiate between these orders of magnitude. i'd say the VAST majority would have no idea if a femto, zepto, pico or attosecond is shortest. damn, i'd go so far as to say that a large percent of their audience may not even know they were REAL terms. nor, do i think they would care as they would understand the concept of 'really really fast'. it's not even a question of intelligence--it's a question of never having had a reason to be introduced to the concepts in the first place.

Yes, they both convey "really fast" to the reader- but one is far, FAR different than the other, and has the potential to change a "good" speed feat into a "godly" speed feat.

or, the terms just sound cool. 🙂

And just so you know: I'm not talking specifically about the "Flash saved 500,000 people" feat at this point, either. 😉

👆

Originally posted by Naija boy
Not remebering an exact figure that u learnt in junior year highschool science class hardly makes you stupid. Gimme a freaking break. Its not like that fiure is as prevalent in daily human interaction as the human body temperature, number of planets etc. There are loads of minute bits of information learnt during highschool and even earlier that people dont retain due to its irrelevance in their day to day life......once again jeez.

pretty much my thinking exactly..... and i for one never learned the speed light travels at school--least i don't think i did. i learned it in a comicbook. 🙂

Originally posted by Galan007

Like I mentioned earlier: I doubt very highly that a writer would use speed-verbage as specific as "zeptosecond" if they didn't think their target audience would be able to differentiate it's order of magnitude from, say, a nanosecond. Yes, they both convey "really fast" to the reader- but one is far, FAR different than the other, and has the potential to change a "good" speed feat into a "godly" speed feat.

Do you really think most writers understand what it takes to do most of the feats they have their characters perform.

That's why the writer chose to use the speed of light for the city evacuating feat.

The average person not having done any real research into the speed of the light would have probably been like yeah light speed is really fast so it makes sense that would work.

But then there is also when writers throw out contradictions. After all there is also a scan saying that Flash is not faster than the speed of thought when he fought Gorilla Grodd.
This happens to so many characters in comics, but when it comes to speed at least on this board I think we tend to forget things are mostly relative.

Particularly with speed people go oh he can think in an attosecond that is hands down proof now no one can beat him yet in a comic a few weeks after that feat the same character will be getting hit by other characters or the character has been beaten before.

A lot of people like to scream CIS but personally I just feel most other characters aren't getting their due. Yes there is PIS, a Batman shouldn't be able to hit Flash but a Wonder Woman or Superman. We've seen enough that the obvious intention is they are also fast so I don't think it would be PIS for Superman to hit Flash. Personally I actually think Superman would take a solid majority against him.

Originally posted by Uriel005
Lightspeed is 299,270,??? m/s and I drew a blank for the last few numbers

But most people just remember that light travels 186,000 miles/second. Don't know why that's s hard. 😕

I know the speed of C, I know the speed of sound, I have a rough idea of detonation velocities of these explosives, overpressure distance etc.

And even I would not have bothered to double check the writer's statement.

The Flash story obviously did not require the reader to understand any specific figures since the buffoon writer didn't know himself, and there is nothing to suggest that laymen would know it by heart anyway. All that is required is that they understand the concept of light as being very very fast.

Originally posted by Galan007
facepalm
But most people just remember that light travels 186,000,000 miles/second. Don't know why that's s hard. 😕

I can attest that 'most' people would not bother to remember something that will be useless to them.

So no. You are wrong. 🙂