In a science-fiction TV show several years ago, the hero spent the entire 40 min fretting about running out of fuel before he could pilot his spaceship back to base. Time and again the camera cut from his worried face to the blasting rockets, to the trembling fuel gauge, and back to his pained expression as the engines roared and the fuel diminished. What should he have done and why would you say the writers were Aristotelians?
Aristotle had the (very wrong) idea that things could move only as long as something was pushing them. This no doubt seemed reasonable in Earth conditions, before quantitative science, when just about everything that moves is pulling against gravity or friction.
In a vacuum, you don't get friction, and far enough away from a large mass, your progress isn't much affected by the gravity of faraway objects either. (Staying conscious that space is not a perfect vacuum, and you are never entirely unaffected by gravity.)
So the hero should probably have turned off his rockets and just coasted back to the vicinity of his base, where he could have turned them on again for the landing.
... but having said that, there do exist orbital scenarios in which a certain amount of fuel is required for the change in velocity needed to intercept a point at speeds that won't leave you at the bottom of a hole in the ground. One such situation, for example, is when your initial velocity relative to your destination is negative - that is, you are already moving away from your base before you turn on the engines. In a case like that, the amount of fuel you have to burn to change your heading may be a critical factor, so the scenario is not impossible.
where would i find a picture of a solution
In the given scenario, the hero's main concern was running out of fuel before being able to pilot his spaceship back to base. To understand what the hero should have done and why the writers could be considered Aristotelians, we need to analyze Aristotle's philosophical approach and apply it to the situation.
Aristotle's philosophy emphasizes the concept of the golden mean, which suggests that virtuous actions lie between extremes. In the context of the TV show, the hero's constant fretting about running out of fuel demonstrates a lack of finding the proper balance, leaning towards an extreme worry. Aristotle would argue that the hero should have focused on finding the mean between excessive worry and reckless confidence.
So, what could the hero have done differently? Instead of constantly worrying and becoming anxious about the fuel supply, he could have taken a more measured and logical approach. Here are a few possible actions the hero could have taken:
1. Evaluate and monitor the fuel consumption: The hero could have examined his spaceship's fuel efficiency and calculated the estimated return journey time based on the remaining fuel. By keeping track of the fuel consumption and the distance to be covered, he would have had a better understanding of whether he could make it back safely.
2. Optimize the spaceship's speed and trajectory: The hero could have adjusted the spaceship's speed and trajectory to conserve fuel. By finding the optimum balance between velocity and fuel consumption, he could have extended the spaceship's range and maximized the chances of reaching the base without running out of fuel.
3. Seek alternative fuel sources: Depending on the context of the sci-fi universe, the hero might have had the opportunity to look for additional fuel sources during the mission. This could involve identifying nearby celestial bodies or space stations where the spaceship could refuel, ensuring a safe return to base.
Now, as for why the writers of the TV show could be considered Aristotelians, we can infer that from the repetitive nature of the storytelling. Aristotle believed that stories should have a clear beginning, middle, and end, thus following a well-structured plot. By showcasing the hero's worry about fuel throughout the episode, the writers were likely trying to create a dramatic tension that would eventually be resolved by the end of the show. This adherence to a well-defined narrative structure aligns with Aristotle's principles of storytelling, suggesting the writers may have been influenced by his ideas.
In summary, the hero in the TV show could have taken various logical steps to address his concern about running out of fuel. By evaluating and monitoring fuel consumption, optimizing the spaceship's trajectory, and exploring alternative fuel sources, he could have increased his chances of safely returning to the base. The repetition of this worry throughout the episode could indicate that the writers were following Aristotelian principles of storytelling, emphasizing a structured plot with a clear conflict and resolution.