OT: Star Wars and parsecs [was Re: Why not a Python compiler?]

[Grant Edwards]

On 2008-02-10, mensanator at aol.com <mensanator at aol.com> wrote:

>>>> ? ? ? A Parsec is a fixed value (which, admittedly, presumes
>>>> the culture developed a 360degree circle broken into degrees
>>>> => minutes => seconds... or, at least, some units compatible
>>>> with the concept of an "arc second", like 400 grads of, say,
>>>> 100 "minutes", each of 100 "seconds")
>>
>>> It also presumes a standard diamter of that circle.
>>
>> Which is the Earth's orbit. ?So, long, long ago in a galaxy
>> far, far away did they know about the Earth and decide to use
>> it as the basis for length in the universe? ?Even before
>> people on earth defined it? ?
>>
>> Or (ominous music builds here, switch to low voice) is it as
>> some now contend? ?We are the decendents of a long, lost
>> civilization who colonized Earth and used it as a base for
>> their operations to the point of adopting it as their own
>> home?
>>
>> ... ?You Betcha!
>>
>> :-)
>
> How come they spoke English?

In some of the series, they sure didn't do it very well, but I
presume they were forced to read what was written.

If you want to see a movie where the aliens -- at least for
part of the movie -- speak an alien language (with subtitles),
there's "Battlefield Earth".  It's amazingly awful. And not in
a fun, campy, MST3K, way.  It's awful in more of a dull,
aching, why-didn't-the-dentist-prescribe-better-painkillers
sort of way.  Sure glad I didn't see that one in a theater...

-- 
Grant Edwards                   grante             Yow!  I'm working under
                                  at               the direct orders of WAYNE
                               visi.com            NEWTON to deport consenting
                                                   adults!