Sci-fi Art versus Science (2): „Prometheus” Case.

So, let's see.

The plot of the film, summarized in just a few words, can read as follows:

They, the aliens, have made us, the humans, but then they decided to destroy us. Anyway, they didn’t live to get this done because other beings destroyed them.

In most general terms, science has two purposes:

- to explain the surrounding Universe and, if possible, the reason of our presence within its framework;

- to provide us with equipment and technologies designed to improve our lives.

Accordingly, a film related to science (even if it is science conveyed through fiction) should present to the audience, insofar as possible, new ideas focused on the two above mentioned directions.

So, let's see how Prometheus serves these two purposes:

1.      Explanations regarding the surrounding Universe & the reason of our presence within its framework.

Regarding this topic, we identify two or three ideas illustrated by the film:

The paleoastronautics hypothesis: some of the cave paintings made by several ancient human civilizations, which had no contact with one other (Egyptians, Mayans, Babylonians, etc.), indicate the presence of some visitors from space who presented the ancient humans with a map of the stars.

The hypothesis that we have been created by aliens: sometime in the distant past the Earth was visited by an extra-terrestrial humanoid civilization that spread its genes in the young terrestrial environment and consequently the human species appeared at the end of the evolutionary chain.

The hypothesis regarding the diversity of life in the Universe: the Universe could host a wide diversity of life forms and some of them may cause the destruction of the humanoid one. Those destructive life forms could multiply by gestation inside the human body.

2.      Presentation of some technologies meant to improve our lives:

Like any other respectable sci-fi movie, Prometheus gives us the image of some advanced technologies:

- spaceships that undertake journeys into the far-off space/ galaxies;

- cryogenics systems,

- robotic surgical  station that operates the human body by itself;

- android robots,

- terraforming,

- flying balls that map the overflown terrain,

- holographic communication;

- etc.

Conclusion:

In brief, this is the science included in the two-hour movie, in a package that also contains a lot of action and many special effects. Is this much, is this little, could it have been more than that?

Is there any objective truth in the above mentioned suppositions or is everything just pure fantasy? Each of us can come up with their own answer to this question. As far as I’m concerned, I would say that, regarding the first category, we are dealing strictly with assumptions related rather to fantasy, and clearly not based on strong arguments, but which are very popular due to their unusual statements. Regarding the second category, things are slightly better, as the presented technologies have, in my opinion, good chances to become reality in the not too distant future.

Regarding the novelty of these ideas, is there something that hasn’t been seen or heard before? I think the answer to this question is "no", with 2 exceptions, both belonging in the category of technology, namely: the robotic surgical station that operates the human body by itself and the flying balls mapping the overflown terrain. As far as I'm concerned, this is the first time I see these technologies illustrated in an artistic work.

And, finally, one last clarification:

What may seem a new idea to some, namely the hypothesis of human creation by the alien through the dissemination of their genes within the terrestrial environment (not through the "manufacturing" of humans in some kind of an alien lab, but by stimulating the natural evolution to move in a certain direction) is not at its first use in the sci-fi art.

I personally have come across this idea in at least one other work, namely the two-volume novel "First day" and "First Night" by Marc Levy, which is to be discussed here soon.