'Pacific Rim' Vs. Real World Physics: Giant Robots, Galileo, And The Square Cube Law
The square cube law also affects constructed objects. Aircraft, for instance, need increasingly bigger proportional wingspans the larger the plane, until they get so big they're too heavy to get enough speed to take advantage of whatever lift their giant wingspans can provide. (Imagine a Boeing 747-sized flying monster try to take off. Those broken wings ain't ever going to learn to fly again.) And buildings, for that matter, have a natural limit to their size as well; without modern support structures most skyscrapers would collapse under their own weight. And, in case we forgot, robots would affected too.
Giant robots would have to contend with the way the square cube law affects both biomechanical processes and constructed objects. Lubricants that keep the machine from overheating and freezing up would have to travel enormous distances in incredibly short periods of time, something anyone familiar with city-sized plumbing systems know would be a serious problem. Gigantic, powerful motors, gears, levers and the like would be required to move the machine's monster-sized limbs in earth-normal gravity. And of course, these processes would have to be able to do so despite the machines' incredible weight**.
That's another issue — weight distribution. A giant humanoid machine would, as we've seen, be insanely heavy - all that weight supported by the machine's two humanoid legs. Those tow legs then become points through which the machine's enormous bulk is focused. Those legs are going to punch through anything remotely pliable – dirt, sand, grassland, concrete, streets, etc – like a knife plunging through a graham cracker. Oops.
The epic battle between giant robot and giant monster? In real life it's going to involve a fragile robot sunk waist-deep in the ground, punching slowly and feebly at a heart attack-suffering reptile reduced to the humiliation of using a skyscraper-sized mobility scooter just to forage for food. Forget spending billions developing mecha; all humanity needs to do is wait for the creature to pass out, which should be about 15 minutes after it begins its attack.
Obviously, I don't want to watch that version of Pacific Rim – unless it ends with the UN establishing a chain of monster burger restaurants as a way of funding the rebuilding effort. So I'll go in ready to accept the premise with a open mind and heart. But for the love of science, let's hope they at least a throw in a stray line of dialogue explaining how these things are even possible. Nothing too elaborate, just a simple “It's a good thing we went back in time and punched Galileo,” or “Thank heavens we completely pwned the square cube law at the same time we invented cold fusion.”
On the other hand, that skyscraper-sized scooter sounds pretty awesome. Maybe bring it out for the sequel?
** No doubt this is why most of Voltron's battles take place in space.
READ MORE ON PACIFIC RIM:
WATCH: Do The Jaeger Meisters In New 'Pacific Rim' Trailer Defy Logic?
WATCH: 'Pacific Rim' Trailer Dares Mayan Calendar To End The World
Ross Lincoln is a LA-based freelance writer from Oklahoma with an unhealthy obsession with comics, movies, video games, ancient history, Gore Vidal, and wine. Follow him on twitter (@rossalincoln).
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Comments
Nerd.
The best possible kind.
Interesting. Now you owe it to the dreamers to explain how our beloved monsters and mechs (or jaegers) can be made plausible.
I’ll be watching, and waiting.
Interesting article, but seeing as this films based around monsters that come through a dimensional rift, well that MacGuffin is all that's needed to explain their biology, as for the Jaegers, perhaps around the very same rift, some kind of ultra light and ultra durable alloy (that can be manipulated by hopes and dreams to create the bad a$$ machines we'll be hopefully enjoying when the movie comes out) will be found. Pacific Rim doesn't look to have the high science of Asimov, it looks like a less metaphysical version of Evangelion and as long as Zilla doesnt turn up to spoil the fun, I'm sure it'll be at its worst a solid fun beer and popcorn fest.
SCREW EARTH THEN!! LETS GO TO SPACE!!!!! THEN WE CAN MAKE ALL THE EPIC MECH SUITS WE WANT!!!!
The monsters are so large they adapted to the water and Earth's crust pressure when they lived under it. So once they are on the surface the gravity for them is much easier to bare, this is why they move fast. Their muscles feel stronger. You can ask how is that possible that they've developed at all, well... it's a mystery. Maybe they were born inside the magma of the earth, eating giant crystals. I don't know, maybe they have hot air chambers in their body to inhale air that makes them light, whatever.
The robots have anti-gravity technology, making them lighter, like in zero gravity. But when they move or fight, the anti-gravity distributes the weight in such manner they can walk and punch very hard, and can defeat the monsters.
It's not supposed to be scientifically correct. It's a movie about giant monsters that come through a pandimensional portal in the ocean floor as well as a throwback to kaiju films.
Giant robots aren't realistic?
YOU DON'T SAY?
Thoughts on physics...
1. An Artic Cat tractor can go on ice thinner than we can, because its weight is more evenly distributed.
Why is this relevant, well, what is the proportions being spoken of here? If it's a bipedal human form, it may sink into the earth, but is it sinking in any more than if we were to walk in mud? Probably not...
2. The scale of square is not necessarily the relevant factor. The scale of mass is. For example, I could scale up a human to 80ft. It'd be bad. Humans are mostly water.
But scale up a human form to 80ft. Use an advanced hitherto unknown alloy 100x stronger than steel for the skeletal structure. (Not as implausible as one might think.) Construct the exterior to function as an exo-skeleton. Providing double the structural support. And keep 90% of the internal area "empty" space. That's right. The unit should mostly be empty. (Actually, I'd argue most of the interior space would be designed to circulate and pump air along thin metal fins in order to cool and extract excess heat out of the unit.
3. Stability, stability is going to likely be a mix. First you have numerous muscular fiber bundles that are computer controlled. Think Segway and numerous other self balancing devices. And let's not forget the agile quadrocopters. Then combine that with a fusion reactor turbine, Two actually. Both spinning larger circular systems. In an effect - giant gyroscopes.
4. Darn it, a little imagination. But as anyone knows. It's a matter of materials and designs. We build numerous bridges and buildings today that 150 years ago would have been thought impossible. The Burj Dubai, the Russky Bridge and the Three Gorges Dam. Structures that would have been considered impossible to build. Heck, the Burj Dubai seems nigh impossible even though it's built.
But advances in design, and materials engineering has allowed those structures to be built.
- All super mecha jokes aside, I have a question: How do the monsters escape through an 'interdimensional' portal at the bottom of the ocean without draining the entire Pacific Ocean ? I don't think they can turn it (the portal) on and off at will. Just saying.
- And - how do they 'push past' the torrent of the water pouring in without getting sucked back down due to the whirlpool on the other side ?
Who ever wrote this article seems to forget that science is continually destroying previously limiting laws of physics and establishing new limits. For a long time science considered it impossible to break free of the gravity of Earth or that anything could exceed the speed of light, but both of these assumptions have been proven wrong. he laws dictating size limits is also disregarded as technology improves. The Egyptians could never have built a building like Taipei Tower or Burj Khalifa yet it is possible with modern technology. In many instances science fiction gives way to science fact, simply because someone followed an idea and made it possible. Modern flight would not be possible if people had not dreamed of flying as birds do, nor would we have people in orbit around the planet if not for others wondering what was out there and if it was possible to get there. Time is the only limiting factor in truth, for in time what we believe is impossible may very likely become possible or even common place.