An Unexpected Intersection

[krpalmer]

In the latest issue of "Scientific American," there's a small article on the Japanese space agency working on that old dream of collecting solar power in space and beaming it down to Earth. That would be interesting enough (in a sort of "I hope that can happen" way), but the introductory paragraph to the article also caught my attention: it mentioned how "solar power from space" is also a world thread in the latest Gundam anime series. (The original Mobile Suit Gundam anime, made close to thirty years ago, featured the huge "O'Neill cylinder" space colonies designed then to possibly be used to build solar power satellites, although that idea seemed more or less absent from the series; "space colonies" wound up their own justification.) It sort of amused me to see this reference to a recent anime series, licensed now but not yet released in North America, be accepted by a writer (based in Tokyo, I noted, which is an obvious suggestion of where the reference came from) and the editors of a general science magazine alike. For at least one reader, too, it made perfect sense instead of just being an odd, half-understood note. For everyone else, I suppose, the magazine's humour columnist provided some very brief synopses for science fiction and fantasy movies. ("The Matrix: A man discovers his true destiny. Star Wars: An adolescent discovers his true destiny. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: A boy discovers his true destiny. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: A hobbit discovers his true destiny.")