|
|
Post by mctoddridesagain on May 9, 2005 13:16:21 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by EvilNerfherder on May 9, 2005 14:14:47 GMT
Yeah that wasn't something I expected to see on Jeff's site but made for an interesting read.
|
|
|
|
Post by Thunder Child on May 14, 2005 19:39:10 GMT
Very interesting to read!
Johan
|
|
|
|
Post by Lensman on May 17, 2005 23:31:41 GMT
Thanx for posting that, McTodd! A very interesting read indeed. I see the author made the same point I did about it being likely the tripods have different gaits.
Perhaps it's unfair to point out factual errors in what clearly was a tongue-in-cheek article, but Mr. Science notes two scientific errors in the article:
1. Elephants *never* have more than 2 feet off the ground at any time, unlike other 4-legged creatures. So an elephant is a really bad example to use.
2. Vertebrates did *not* evolve from arthropods. The 4-limbed body plan of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals has nothing to do with arthropods' body segments or limbs. The fact that both arthropods and vertebrates have developed legs is a case of parallel evolution.
But I thought the author had some very good points on what the different gaits might be, altho the mention of footpads IMHO is entirely unnecessary. If the legs had "feet"-- and there's no indication in the novel they did, but certainly it makes more sense if they did-- then they could just as easily have been round as rectangular.
I also disagree when he says the tripods did not actually have a very rapid "milking stool tipped on its side and bowled along" gait, where only one-- or very briefly 2-- legs were in contact with the ground at any time. He objects that this would have rendered the Heat Ray unusable. That's probably true-- and I find it rather unlikely that the Martians would *want* to fire something so dangerous while in rapid, unsteady motion. Just as pre-Abrams tanks slowed or stopped to steady their aim before firing, so would the Martians shift to a slower gait to allow for a steady aim.
|
|
|
|
Post by Poyks on May 18, 2005 2:20:08 GMT
It has always seemed to me, that there are at least two "modes" to the tripod movements. Yes, the first obvious advantage is stability in the static mode ie no need for constant adjustment needed with a bipedal design. I love the image of the FMs stood motionless firing the smoke canisters for example. Referring to the research done by Peter Balch, we have the almost arrogent "striding" 123 gait. This works with the JW design, now that the legs have been apparently shortened to allow this gait.
Like a horse in motion, a trot becomes a gallop (hence a third mode), and even though I like Balchs idea of the (123) gait, I imagine the tripod movement at speed as being more wild and random, using the topography to plan every step individually. This could make the organic motion of the machine fit in better with HGs descriptions, especially the rolling motion. As for the "milking stool" action, I have to recall the conversation Wells had with Patrick Moore when he admitted that his descriptions were "tongue in cheek". The main aspect of the tripod though, is that, especially in a victorian setting, it is totally and wonderfully alien.
|
|
