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Reality TV "Astronauts" Lift Off

Posted by CmdrTaco on Tue Dec 13, 2005 01:40 PM
from the where-do-you-find-people-this-stupid dept.
Media Television It's funny. Laugh. Space
RJG writes "In the latest reality show on British TV, three British "space tourists" last night succesfully blasted off on a five day mission and are currently orbiting the earth 200 miles up. Or so they think. And to forestall the first question. They aren't experiencing weightlessness due to a combination of being in a low orbit (rather than outer space where the weightlessness is) and a few under-floor gravity generators."
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  • Well, at least it's nice to be reassured that stark raving idiocy isn't an exclusively American trait. Apparently, any prospective 'astronaut' who showed even the slightest glimmer of comprehension of the rudimentaries of physics was automatically disqualified. leaving us with the pick of the litter...people who are stupid enough to believe that 'gravity generators' exist, and that exposure to 'near space' will make you shorter and increase your lung capacity.

    Now add to the mix a psycho Russian pilot:
    Pilot Yevgeny Ivanovich joined the passengers for breakfast, and was asked about the colour painted on his finger. He told them it was a superstition of his. In faltering English he tried to explain his reliance on superstition. "The devil's strokes are sexy. He likes to be somebody sexy, the devil."

    He told them that every day he's in space he paints another finger.
    ...and the hilarity practically writes itself. In fact, perhaps the only way this show could get any more entertaining is if the viewing public were allowed to vote on which indignity the 'astronauts' would have to suffer next.

    • The "Casting Call" episodes must be the best (Score:5, Insightful)

      by ianscot (591483) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @01:53PM (#14248752)
      Apparently, any prospective 'astronaut' who showed even the slightest glimmer of comprehension of the [rudiments] of physics was automatically disqualified.

      No kidding. We don't need to watch the Capricorn One sequences in which these nitwits are faked out by the producers; just show us the moments when a prospective "space tourist" showed that glimmer of intelligence and skepticism, only to be promptly whisked from the room to avoid contaminating the other hopefuls. As with American Idol (supposedly), the early elimination rounds would be the most watchable.

      But I never watched "Idol" because the idea of the early shows bugs me, and I hate this, actually.

      A show in which people volunteered to go through a *real* space training program, say the equivalent of NASA shuttle crew training, could have been interesting and would have taught the audience something. It also could easily have put the audience through the same voyeuristic "look at human nature" experience reality shows are supposed to be good for. (Whatever.)

      Instead we get yet another show by, for, and about mean and stupid people. What's the point of tricking the dufuses this way, other than to ridicule them and to show you can do it? That's sociopathic programming. Oh, wait... Maybe that's the "reality" part.


      • I think the whole idea of this program is sick. The gist of it is to laugh at people who think something great is going to happen to them, so that the audience can go "Ha ha" when it turns out they've been had.

        On the one side you've got the fact that the physics and economics doesn't work.
        On the other side, you have a television companies resources and experience, professional actors, a peer group that all believe what's happening, a sustained attempt to fool these people, a poor education on their part, and the faint glimmer of hope (soon to be extinguished) that something wonderful might actually happen to them.

        Shame on the TV company that has rooted out people who didn't get a decent education so that they can pick on them. Shame on the audience who get off on that.

        IMHO.

        • Re:The "Casting Call" episodes must be the best (Score:4, Funny)

          by golgotha007 (62687) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @04:01PM (#14250208)
          You are right, is is not very nice.

          However, they did get an OK from their close family or friends before putting them on the show.

          Further, when the hoax is up, each of them will receive a wad of cash, a trip to Russia for a taste of the real space program and a trip on the vomit comet so they can experience weightlessness.

          Watching this program (I'm in Russia) is hilarious, and all my Russian friends are getting a big kick out of it. Funny how they are supposedly in a place called Crimpsk (or some crap), however when they pointed to where "Crimpsk" is, they pointed to a place in the Ukraine!

          Also, Kvas (the drink in episode 2) is not a "Russian soft drink". It's a non-alcoholic grain (sometimes veggie) fermented drink (and it is downright nasty).

          The show could have done better; for example, most of the instructors were, oddly enough, British instructors. Why didn't they recruit real Russian folks for the task? lame.


          • This show avenges us...

            Us? This last paragraph says it all. I hate to break this to you, but people who bully others at school are not necessarily stupid. Nor are intelligent people necessarily unpopular.

            If you surround people with "experts" and they tell you that in low-earth orbit there is gravity, then unless you have a good education and faith in it, then wont you believe them? After all, there's gravity on Earth and it doesn't just stop when you leave the ground... it just gets less and less, so if you're close enough to the Earth then you'll still feel gravity wont you? You'll fall you say? Well, get a weight on a string and twirl it around. If you get it going fast enough then it can overcome gravity by not falling, yes? So because the ship is going round the Earth really fast, it doesn't fall, right?

            Now I can see the flaws in that, but then I have a basic knowledge of physics and I'm not being corrected by older engineers and scientists who laugh at me when I try to tell them that I thought gravity would stop in space.

            I have two problems with this show. The first is that few people seem to think about how they would handle a long-lasting and professionally funded and staged hoax. The second is that I find it sad that people get pleasure out of picking on those less able than themselves. Given your rant about bullies at school you once felt the same about that.

            • Re:The "Casting Call" episodes must be the best (Score:4, Interesting)

              by StikyPad (445176) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @05:13PM (#14251076) Homepage
              Exactly.. the people know they're not in space on some level, but they're rationalizing what they've been told because they lack evidence to the contrary.
              "It's strange, this environment. I'm having fun, but I want to see more of the earth," she confided.

              "Don't you find it...strange?" asked Charlie, not leading her on in any way.

              "Yes it feels strange. I'd love to be looking out. Part of me knows we're here but part of me thinks we could be in the simulator," said Keri, shaving close to the truth.

              "Well," reassured Charlie, "Your brain plays tricks on you."
              I'm sure she's more certain than not that she's not in space, but when there are people all around you saying exactly the opposite, it takes more than being 55% sure, or even 75%. You need evidence, or you risk looking like more of a fool.

              The only thing more pathetic than this show is the people who point and laugh while thinking "I'd never do that!" when, in fact, we do it every day. How many times have articles on the front page of /. been discussed until a comment finally crops up saying "Hoax!"

              Now I'm all in favor of ridiculing stupidity and playing practical jokes. But creating an elaborate scheme designed to fool the participants for days on end so they can be derided at the national level is just pathetic.

              • Actually, I'm very very wrong. Hopefully, I've managed to reply to my post before it gets modded up +5 Informative.

                According to what I've just looked up (here [wikipedia.org]), Low Earth Orbit isn't high enough to cause feelings of weightlessness. The sensation is caused by being in free-fall as I described - you are falling, but you keep overshooting due to your speed.

                So basically, I'm wrong. On the plus side, I've just learnt something. :D

              • Re:The "Casting Call" episodes must be the best (Score:4, Informative)

                by Matthaeus (156071) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @04:41PM (#14250696) Homepage
                Okay, you're both wrong, but the parent is more correct than the grandparent.

                The "gravity" we feel standing on solid ground is simply the difference between what acceleration we should be experiencing and what we actually are experiencing. Acceleration due to gravity on the earth's surface is roughly 9.8 m/s^2. When you're actually accelerating at that rate, you feel weightless. It is only because we're not accelerating at all (when at rest with regards to the surface of the earth) that we feel weight.

                An object in orbit is in free fall. There is no force opposing the force of gravity, so that object accelerates freely. If it has sufficient lateral inertia, it will continue to accelerate towards the earth's center but will continually fall around it.

                That feeling you get when the roller coaster starts going down due to gravity? That's semi-weightlessness. There's a plane called the "Vomit Comet" that uses a similar concept: fly up really high, and dive with an acceleration of 9.8 m/s^2. The plane's path looks like a parabola, and as long as it's in free fall, the passengers experience "weightlessness."

                The parent's mistake is assuming that an object in orbit, no matter how low, would feel weight. By definition, an object in orbit is in free fall, accelerating towards the center of the earth at the normal acceleration of gravity. This is countered by a lateral velocity of sufficient magnitude to prevent the object from actually colliding with the earth. An object in free fall feels no weight, because there is no force opposing its acceleration.

                Sorry. People who misunderstand physics are a pet peeve of mine.

                </pedantic>

      • Re:The "Casting Call" episodes must be the best (Score:5, Interesting)

        by Spudley (171066) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @02:48PM (#14249359) Homepage Journal
        The only had one "casting call" episode, and yes, it was entertaining. They also didn't tell the applicants what they were applying for until the end of the selection process, so these people were doing all sorts of wacky things without any clue as to why.

        I agree with you that it's a horribly cruel trick to be playing. But it does make for cringeingly funny viewing.

        On the other hand, as long as they don't work out the ruse, the participants will be awarded with a trip to the real Russian space training centre, and an experience of weightlessness in the vomit comet, so if they can stay stupid for another five days, they'll at least get the chance to do some of it for real.

        One thing I will place a bet on is that this show will be very quick to make the jump over the Atlantic. ;-)

        One final note -- there are some rumours flying around that all the contestants are actually actors, and that the whole thing is actually a hoax on the viewers. But frankly, the viewing is entertaining enough that it doesn't matter to me one way or the other. hehehe.

    • Re:America has officially lost its monopoly on stu (Score:5, Funny)

      by tnk1 (899206) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @01:56PM (#14248781)
      We must act immediately to close the Stupid Gap!

    • Re:America has officially lost its monopoly on stu (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Aqua OS X (458522) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @02:05PM (#14248883) Homepage
      At least they're making fun of their stupid people, we tend to put our morons on pedestals.

    • Re:America has officially lost its monopoly on stu (Score:5, Funny)

      by lucky130 (267588) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @02:10PM (#14248947)
      Technically speaking, all objects are gravity generators :).

    • No, we haven't... (Score:5, Informative)

      by vishbar (862440) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @02:11PM (#14248959)
      We're still holding on strong. The whole thing, including the cadets, is a huge hoax on us, the viewers. [coolsmartphone.com] Though the brits fell for this one too, so we'll call it even.

      • Re:No, we haven't... (Score:5, Informative)

        by dcollins (135727) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @03:01PM (#14249494) Homepage
        That's some pretty good sleuthing. However, I think it's true that most reality show participants & game show contestants are in actuality actors looking to bulk up their demo reel. The shows identify them with some other (possibly their part-time gig) job to not make it so obvious that everyone is a wannabe actor.

        So it still could possibly go either way.

    • Re:America has officially lost its monopoly on stu (Score:5, Insightful)

      by jeffy210 (214759) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @02:17PM (#14249008)
      You obviously haven't seen any Japanese game shows....

      • Re:America has officially lost its monopoly on stu (Score:5, Insightful)

        by timeOday (582209) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @03:49PM (#14250053)
        Alternately, perhaps the participants know it is fake and choose not to let on. I always suspect this when I see a hypnotism show. I think many of them aren't really "under," but it's a matter of peer pressure, and "hey! I'm on stage in front of everybody!" TV exposure is valuable, and I think a lot of the "reality" shows get overwhelmed by wannabe actors who just want to parlay an appearance into a career in entertainment.

      • Re:America has officially lost its monopoly on stu (Score:5, Informative)

        by carbon116 (792624) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @04:22PM (#14250438)
        You'd be surprised.

        I read an article about this show before it aired. They did intensive physiological tests on the contestants to ensure they chose people who were susceptible to suggestion. These people actually turned out to be of *higher* than average intelligence.

        Intelligence is not necessarily knowledge of how a spacecraft might behave. They're probably not geeks like us, so they probably have no idea of the state of space technology.

  • Dramatic Final Episode (Score:5, Funny)

    by nizo (81281) * on Tuesday December 13 2005, @01:42PM (#14248596) Homepage Journal
    The last episode will be the best one, when the TV show fakes a leak in the station and they have five minutes to decide which of the three gets the two working space suits. Sort of like Lord of the Flies in space. I bet they will think it is soooooo funny when they find out it is just a TV show.

  • Big Brother Space Edition... (Score:3, Funny)

    by matr0x_x (919985) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @01:42PM (#14248598) Homepage
    So how long before other reality TV shows start happening in space? I can see it now, people being voted off the space station every week...

  • "reality" TV? (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 13 2005, @01:42PM (#14248607)
    so remind me why it's called that, again? Because it's "real"?

  • To qualify, participants... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 13 2005, @01:43PM (#14248614)
    ...had to fail a drug test, physics test, and IQ test.

    • Re:To qualify, participants... (Score:4, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 13 2005, @02:09PM (#14248928)
      Not to mention take science classes in Kansas...

    • Re:To qualify, participants... (Score:4, Informative)

      by frostilicus2 (889524) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @02:11PM (#14248954)
      In fact, they did. The "astronauts" were selected on the basis of their suggestibility and ignorance of physics, space and Russia. The extent of which is quite astounding - they are told that they are "too close to earth" to experience any weightlessness. Which has interesting implications for the fate of their shuttle...

      Here are the deeply patronising contestant profiles from the Channel Four [channel4.com] web site:

      Andrew is a student who lives at home with his parents. He's good looking and confident, and describes himself as funny, intelligent, charming and considerate. One of his luckiest moments was going out with the prettiest girl in his primary school.
      Andrew finds the R Kelly track 'I Believe I Can Fly' inspirational because it gives him self-belief and makes him feel he can do anything.
      He is a keen Arsenal fan and plays football in a local league - but that's not his only interest: he also confesses to being a church attendee but sadly he only mimes the words to the hymns, as he doesn't know the words.
      Andrew is also scared of moths.

      Astrid is looking for some real excitement in her life. She's a pretty blonde from Mid Glamorgan, who went to school in Cardiff with pop chick Charlotte Church. She now lives in the sticks, so can't hit the town every night.
      Astrid works in a call centre, and has had five different jobs this year but still doesn't know what she wants to do. In fact, she wants to do everything! She's also quite clumsy and has a habit of losing mobile phones. Like her old school chum Charlotte, she also likes to sing, but suffers from stagefright and can only perform in front of her family.
      Astrid's had a boyfriend for the last 6 months and claims she has lots of friends. She's an adventurous girl who dreams of riding in a Formula 1 car. She gets annoyed by two-faced people and hates seeing others being picked on.

      Billy is one for the ladies. He is a semi-pro footballer and his ultimate ambition is a to be a footballer or film star. He realises he's too old for professional football but there is still time to hit Hollywood. He describes himself as tall, dark and handsome, funny, outgoing, polite and caring but also one of the lads.
      Billy loves the film Armageddon, hates spiders and the idea of drowning and says his most embarrassing moment was when his ex girlfriend's dad witnessed him walking down the catwalk in a red silk thong. He believes in reincarnation and wants to return as a golden eagle. Billy does not believe in ghosts but claims to have seen an alien.

      Cheryl is a lively, ambitious and opinionated girl who loves people. She is also impatient and hates being alone. A firm believer in fate, she believes in reincarnation and ghosts - she says a guardian angel visited her when she was aged sixteen. She fears drowning and fire but feels that taking part in a 'thrill-seekers' show will give her the chance to do something unique.
      Cheryl describes herself as a typical, up-for-it 23 year old girl. She hates liars and smoking, and enjoys clubbing with her friends, clothes and relaxing in a bath with a glass of wine.

      Keri's so keen on space travel that her ultimate fancy dress outfit is dressing up as an astronaut. She describes herself as a friendly, outgoing girl who will try anything once, and compares herself to Bridget Jones. She's also a team player - as long as the team wins! Her fears include drowning and spiders, and she never, ever wants to free-fall into water or sing in front of a group of people.
      Keri's strangest job was dressing up as a human eyeball to promote Specsavers. Other unusual achievements include being able to put her fist in her mouth.
      Things Keri likes include Christmas, white-knuckle rides, family, friends, holidays, romance and chocolate.

      Louise is sporty and competitive and represents her county in basketball and athletics. She lived in Canada for ten months, and admits to being afraid of

  • gravity generators? (Score:5, Funny)

    by at_18 (224304) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @01:44PM (#14248638) Journal
    ...gravity generators

    Sure proof that those onboard deserve to be laughed at, assuming that they aren't paid actors.

  • Some Quotes From the Site (Score:3, Interesting)

    by eldavojohn (898314) * <my/.username@@@gmail.com> on Tuesday December 13 2005, @01:45PM (#14248644) Homepage Journal
    So they're setting these people up to be made idiots in front of entire nations of television watchers.

    At first I was disgusted from the initial appearance of this show, and unfortunately after a few quotes from the profiles such as these:
    Andrew is also scared of moths.
    Astrid's had a boyfriend for the last 6 months and claims she has lots of friends. She's an adventurous girl who dreams of riding in a Formula 1 car.
    He believes in reincarnation and wants to return as a golden eagle. Billy does not believe in ghosts but claims to have seen an alien.
    Keri's strangest job was dressing up as a human eyeball to promote Specsavers. Other unusual achievements include being able to put her fist in her mouth.
    Ryan is happiest when he has no responsibility, but he has big plans for the future - so watch out world!
    I realize that this will probably be an instant success. It appears to be on a UK channel but I'm guessing it will be picked up and aired in the states.

    I guess when you put people like this together, you have a formula for an instant TV hit (like every reality show before it). Am I allowed to hate this show if it's making light of the people I dislike the most in this world?

    If you disagree that it's going to be a hit, check out the 9 pages of posts on its bulletin boards.

    Also to note, there are posts on the bulletin [channel4.com] that this may be a hoax on the viewing public. Just relaying that speculation.

  • For safety's sake... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 13 2005, @01:45PM (#14248649)
    I hope they brought an inanimate carbon rod.

  • the producers believe the players think this? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by frovingslosh (582462) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @01:45PM (#14248654)
    The lesson here is the same one as in the U.S. with Jay Leno's Tonight Show: You get to be on TV if you can act like you are really stupid.

  • *sigh* gravity generators (Score:3, Insightful)

    by luvirini (753157) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @01:46PM (#14248658)
    Seems indeed that many people are stupid.. if we could manipulate gravity.. would not likely need rocket engines..

    not to mention the fact that a TV show would not be first one to have them for real.. :)

  • Heavy, man! (Score:5, Funny)

    by oddaddresstrap (702574) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @01:47PM (#14248674)
    "They aren't experiencing weightlessnes due to ... a few under-floor gravity generators." - "gravity generators" like, for instance, the EARTH?

  • again? (Score:5, Funny)

    by gfanboy (937770) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @01:52PM (#14248751)
    I wonder if this is how they faked the original Apollo moon landing?

  • How to find people that gullible (Score:5, Informative)

    by n0mad6 (668307) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @01:53PM (#14248755)
    For other Americans like myself who don't get to watch the show and are wondering just how they found enough people that stupid to fall for this, Wikipedia [wikipedia.org] had some of the answers:

    In order for the hoax to stand a realistic chance of succeeding, the Cadets would have to remain unaware of the true nature of the show, even given any production mistakes and implausible explanations. As such, a strict set of criteria were applied to filter out inappropriate applicants:

    • Eliminating anyone who had ever served in the armed forces, or who already had a significant interest in space travel or science fiction.
    • Psychological tests used to single out the highly suggestible and those who would conform to groupthink
    • Physiological tests to determine claustrophobia, including being in restraining jackets and trapped in a full lift
    • Being asked to dance blindfolded, without music, and with others watching, to gauge inhibition levels
    • Asking the candidates to nominate a friend or relative they trusted implicitly, to make a vital and important decision for them. These friends or relatives were contacted, and fully let in on the hoax, and given the final say of whether or not the Cadet should be included

    The intention was to obtain a group of Cadets who were highly gullible, conformist, and ignorant about the show's subject matter; and also ideally suited to appearing in a Reality TV show (e.g. uninhibited extroverts, "wacky personalities", or characters otherwise able to capture the public interest).

  • The joke is on all of you. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by ashitaka (27544) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @01:59PM (#14248813) Homepage
    Of course the "astronauts" know it's just a show.

    Of course they know they're not in space.

    What you are witnessing is the first real reality show backlash. The TV programmers have figured out that there are enough gullible people in the world who watch and believe these shows that they can hire a basically competant series of actors who go through the motions of a reality series. Come on, they've been able to study the reactions of reality show participants for months if not years.

    The real "participants" in this series are the audience who laugh at "players" they think are stupid enough to believe what they are going through and post messages on blogs and sites like Slashdot being so witty about America not being the only stupid country. The producers can then show all these blogs and the reactions of audience members who they've interviewed before revealing the that the joke is on them.

  • Who gets voted into space? (Score:4, Funny)

    by gelfling (6534) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @02:01PM (#14248836) Homepage Journal
    Sorry, 19 year old TV middle-ish attractive chick who whines alot. We've decided that for the greater good you have to bail. You can take it two ways. Either with a helmet where you slowly run out of air or no helmet and it's quick. Your call.

    Now that I would watch. What are the 5 stages of reality TV grief?

    Begging
    Figthing
    Urinating
    Yet more drama
    Hugging
    Wins a car

  • Gravity generators. Uhh huh. (Score:5, Funny)

    by RomulusNR (29439) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @02:02PM (#14248853) Homepage
    Dammit, if I wanted to watch idiots being fooled by a large corporation, couldn't I just go to the mall?

  • Wow! (Score:4, Informative)

    by Quiet_Desperation (858215) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @02:06PM (#14248900)
    They aren't experiencing weightlessnes due to a combination of being in a low orbit (rather than outer space where the wightlessnes is)

    No. Gravity is everywhere. The "weightlessness" is an artifact of being in an orbit. The Earth is pulling you down, but you are also moving perpendicular to the Earth's surface, so the ground falls away from you with the curve of the Earth. It's free fall. You just fall continuously over the horizon. It's falling with style, to quote Buzz Lightyear. ;-)

    Build a stationary tower with it's top floor at the level of a space orbit, and you'll just feel the Earth's gravity.

    That's how the shuttle gets back down. They do a burn to cut their velocity and start falling toward the Earth instead of over the horizon. Such is the way of all orbits. Move faster to get to a higher orbit. Move slower to get to a lower orbit.

    • Re:Wow! (Score:5, Informative)

      by merlin_jim (302773) <James.McCracken@ ... m ['apu' in gap]> on Tuesday December 13 2005, @02:44PM (#14249306)
      Build a stationary tower with it's top floor at the level of a space orbit, and you'll just feel the Earth's gravity.

      Actually, not true. As you move away from the center of the earth, the speed of a circular free falling orbit approaches ground speed of the earth's rotation.

      Space elevators capitalise on this. So do geosynchronous sattelites.

      If you built a stationary tower on the equator and the top floor was at GEO, you would be weightless. In fact, when they build such a thing, it will be a bit higher than that; higher than GEO and you experience acceleration AWAY from earth. The space elevator will capitalise on this, using tension to hold the elevator in balance (rather than resting on the crust of the earth)

      If you built such a tower anywhere else on earth you would experience precession directly - the only force you would feel would be due to the fact that your orbit isn't circular - your "weight" would no longer be attracted to the earth beneath your feet, but rather towards the equator.

      • Re:Wow! (Score:4, Informative)

        by yo303 (558777) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @05:40PM (#14251333)
        Build a stationary tower with it's top floor at the level of a space orbit, and you'll just feel the Earth's gravity.

        Actually, not true.
        The GP is correct.

        If you built a tower at LEO (low earth orbit) and stood at the top you would definitely feel gravity... pretty much the same gravity as on the surface, as you are not that much higher up, compared to the Earth's radius.

        It is only if you built a tower to the height of a geosynchronous orbit (far, far higher) that you would feel weightless. And this is only because the (apparent, I know) centrifugal force of the rotation of the earth. On a non-rotating earth, you could never build a tower high enough to escape Earth's gravity.

        Or put another way, on one of the Earth's poles you could never build a tower high enough to escape Earth's gravity. Even one the height of a geosynchronous orbit.

        yo.

  • "low orbit" (Score:5, Funny)

    by Digital_Quartz (75366) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @02:08PM (#14248916) Homepage
    low orbit (rather than outer space where the wightlessnes is)

    It's a little known fact, but this is why things always fall off the bottom of the moon.

  • Better idea (Score:5, Funny)

    by Quiet_Desperation (858215) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @02:09PM (#14248929)
    Can they be voted out the airlock? I'd pay to watch that.

  • Are they really that stupid? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by CastrTroy (595695) on Tuesday December 13 2005, @02:10PM (#14248945) Homepage
    Everybody seems to think that these people are really stupid. But firstly, I think people on slashdot are into technology, and therefore know what is and isn't possible. Also, these people have no reason not to believe the producers aren't telling them the truth. The Milgram Experiment [wikipedia.org] show that people will do stuff that they don't want to do, just because some guy in a white suit says that they should. I believe this shows that people are going to believe the guy in the white suit, even if what he says is a little far fetched.

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