#301270 - 23/08/2007 19:12
Re: Masters of Science Fiction
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31602
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Hm. This article says it'll give priority to the higher-on-the-seasonpass show.
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#301271 - 26/08/2007 02:54
Re: Masters of Science Fiction
[Re: wfaulk]
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new poster
Registered: 15/04/2007
Posts: 15
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Stephen Hawking is a computer?? Or are you saying his voice just has an incredible likeness to an 80's electronic toy? ;-)
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#301272 - 26/08/2007 03:33
Re: Masters of Science Fiction
[Re: Seth]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31602
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Quote:
Stephen Hawking is a computer?? Or are you saying his voice just has an incredible likeness to an 80's electronic toy? ;-)
In case you're actually serious, scroll up to the post you originally replied to, and click on the words "Stephen Hawking". He is in the advanced stages of Lou Gherig's disease and cannot speak except through a speech synthesizer.
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#301273 - 26/08/2007 06:50
Re: Masters of Science Fiction
[Re: tfabris]
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new poster
Registered: 15/04/2007
Posts: 15
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Gee, sorry I haven't been in touch with my pal, ol' Steve, in a few years. Didn't know his condition. Thanks for clarifying the bit about the voice synthesizer since I really didn't want to read all the way through the Wiki entry to find the answer to a question I didn't ask.
I still find the intro narration to be irritating because of the 80's sound to the electronic voice, and gasp, sorry if that comes off as insensitive. I meant what I said the first time, and I don't really keep up with the lives and times of various modern day scholars, because I'm too busy reading up on the latest Brittany gossip.....not.
And if that is sarcastic (yes it is), it is because you guys are acting like "oh my God, how could you not know that......"
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#301274 - 26/08/2007 15:58
Re: Masters of Science Fiction
[Re: Seth]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Yes, I am acting like that because I thought that virtually everyone was familiar with Stephen Hawking. That synthesized voice has become synonymous with Stephen Hawking. He even appeared on The Simpsons.
So, yes, I am stupefied that you weren't familiar with it, at least given the fact that you were someone who wanted to watch Masters of Science Fiction in the first place. If it was Masters of Romantic Comedy, I could probably understand your confusion better.
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Bitt Faulk
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#301275 - 26/08/2007 17:54
Re: Masters of Science Fiction
[Re: Seth]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31602
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Quote:
you guys are acting like "oh my God, how could you not know that......"
Yup.
On the other hand, there are a lot of things in this world that are considered common knowledge that I don't know about. I've often been given the "oh my God, how could you not know that" treatment myself.
More on-topic:
I've always wondered why they haven't upgraded his speech synthesis device to one that sounds better. I'm sure technology in that area has improved by now, hasn't it?
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#301276 - 26/08/2007 18:16
Re: Masters of Science Fiction
[Re: tfabris]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 2489
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Geez Tony, if you'd bother to read the Wikipedia article it would tell you.  Quote:
The voice synthesizer, which has an American accent, is of a model that is no longer produced. Asked why he has still kept it after so many years, Hawking mentioned that he has not heard a voice he likes better and because he identifies with it. Hawking is said to be looking for a replacement since, other than being obsolete, the synthesizer, a DECtalk DTC01 is now considered large and fragile but as of present, finding a software alternative has been difficult. During a lecture in Hong Kong in June 2006, he joked that if he got a new one with a French accent, his wife would divorce him.
Oh, and even my mum knows who he is and what he sounds like. That being the case, I can't imagine there's anyone who doesn't know who he is and so Seth is only joking with us.
Edited by Phil. (26/08/2007 18:19)
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#301277 - 26/08/2007 20:42
Re: Masters of Science Fiction
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 10/06/1999
Posts: 5916
Loc: Wivenhoe, Essex, UK
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Quote:
I've always wondered why they haven't upgraded his speech synthesis device to one that sounds better. I'm sure technology in that area has improved by now, hasn't it?
I seem to remember him saying that everyone was so used to it being his voice now that he didn't want to change it.
Wikipedia says:
During a visit to the research centre CERN in Geneva in 1985, Hawking contracted pneumonia, which in his condition was life-threatening. It resulted in acute difficulty of breathing, which could only be overcome through a tracheotomy by which Stephen Hawking lost his natural speech ability.
He has since used an electronic voice synthesizer to communicate. The voice synthesizer, which has an American accent, is of a model that is no longer produced. Asked why he has still kept it after so many years, Hawking mentioned that he has not heard a voice he likes better and because he identifies with it.
Hawking is said to be looking for a replacement since, other than being obsolete, the synthesizer, a DECtalk DTC01 is now considered large and fragile but as of present, finding a software alternative has been difficult. During a lecture in Hong Kong in June 2006, he joked that if he got a new one with a French accent, his wife would divorce him.
Edited by andy (26/08/2007 20:44)
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#301278 - 26/08/2007 21:17
Re: Masters of Science Fiction
[Re: wfaulk]
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new poster
Registered: 15/04/2007
Posts: 15
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Yes, I know "who" he is. Haven't heard his "voice" before, nor was I up to date on his condition. I'm not a huge TV guy so I haven't seen or heard an interview in which to hear his voice. Don't watch the Simpsons either.... If I watch TV it is usually a History Channel program. I don't think I have to apologize for that either. So what? I have heard other people with speach synthesizers (that sound a heck of a lot more modern) so I think anyone saying "speach synthesizers are synonymous with Stephen Hawking" is just waxing poetically.
I'm not much of a physics buff and Sci-Fi is such a large genre that I must frequent other corners. I'm more of a fan of Herbert and Asimov myself. But I don't use my personal tastes as a litmus for what other Sci-Fi fans must be familiar with..... I'm watching MoSF because it sounded like something I would enjoy. The last episode was a lot better than the first 3, BTW.
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#301279 - 26/08/2007 21:51
Re: Masters of Science Fiction
[Re: CrackersMcCheese]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31602
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Quote:
Geez Tony, if you'd bother to read the Wikipedia article it would tell you.
It's funny, I skimmed the article looking for that exact piece of information, and didn't see it. I admit I didn't look very closely for it, but I did fully read the section where they talked about his disability, and I didn't see those details about the type of voice synth he used.
I must be going blind or something.
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#301281 - 27/08/2007 08:58
Re: Masters of Science Fiction
[Re: tfabris]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 09/08/2000
Posts: 2091
Loc: Edinburgh, Scotland
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His daughter was at the Edinburgh Book Festival promoting their book, and during the session you could text Stephen questions and he would answer them live remotely.
The voice - still cool after all these years
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MkIIa, blue lit buttons, memory upgrade, 1Tb in Subaru Forester STi
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#301282 - 27/08/2007 12:41
Re: Masters of Science Fiction
[Re: tanstaafl.]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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I don't know what the last thing you saw was, but:
Spoiler:
Rnegu fraqf zrqvpny grnzf gb qenj oybbq. Wbua Uheg unf gnxra bire nf pncgnva. Oelna Qraarul'f tveysevraq vf cvffrq ng uvz, ohg qbrf ure wbo nf gur arj cvybg. Svanyyl gur qnl pbzrf jurer gurl'er gb or erfphrq. Gur 3-jnl ybiref trg zneevrq va n prerzbal bssvpvngrq ol Wbua Uheg. Vg'f cbvagrq bhg gung vg'f gur svefg zneevntr gurl'ir rire unq. Gur erfphr fuvc neevirf naq gur Anil thl fubjf hc, fbba sbyybjrq ol n ybnq zber ershtrrf. Wbua Uheg unf n oernxqbja. Phg gb gur qrabhrzrag. Qraarul'f tveysevraq vf fvggvat va gur rnfl punve ba qrpx. Lbh urne n ybhq guhzc naq vg gura phgf gb Wbua Uheg ylvat qrnq ba gur sybbe jvgu n tnfu ba uvf urnq. Vg gnxrf uvf frpbaq urnq n yvggyr juvyr gb qvr naq vg fnlf fbzrguvat, znlor "V nz Wbua Uheg". Qraarul'f tveysevraq lryyf, "Fbzrbar gbff gung guvat vagb gur tneontr puhgr!" Sva.
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Bitt Faulk
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#301283 - 27/08/2007 12:48
Re: Masters of Science Fiction
[Re: Seth]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Quote:
The last episode was a lot better than the first 3, BTW.
Agreed, although it still wasn't great. Certainly not an exceptional Ellison story. (They should have filmed "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream".) I'd say that the first episode comes in second, and the middle two both tie for "shitty".
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Bitt Faulk
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#301284 - 27/08/2007 19:36
Re: Masters of Science Fiction
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/12/2000
Posts: 2665
Loc: Manteca, California
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Could that be because of the spaceships? Me ducks and hides quickly... 
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Glenn
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#301285 - 31/08/2007 04:31
Re: Masters of Science Fiction
[Re: wfaulk]
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new poster
Registered: 15/04/2007
Posts: 15
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Quote:
I'd say that the first episode comes in second, and the middle two both tie for "shitty".
That is how I rank 'em too!
I haven't read that other short story, and in fact I really don't read many Sci-Fi short stories because I tend to get sucked into the epic series types (yes, I even read the entire Mission Earth series!). My limited experience with Sci-Fi shorts is pretty much Asimov and his robot stories. Speaking of which, with a title of Masters of Sci-Fi, I was a little surprised they didn't pick one of his short stories. Certainly would have been better than some of the ones they did do.
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#301287 - 31/08/2007 12:10
Re: Masters of Science Fiction
[Re: Seth]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Quote:
Speaking of which, with a title of Masters of Sci-Fi, I was a little surprised they didn't pick one of [Asimov's] short stories.
My guess would be that the entire Asimov oeuvre is already optioned.
However, most of the authors they picked seem reasonable: Ellison and Heinlein certainly make sense, even if Heinlein's sucked, Sheckley is held in nearly as much prominence inside the SF community as they are, even if less well-known amongst the public, and Kessel is reasonable -- he's won a Nebula and is reasonably well-known in the SF community.
But Walter Mosley and Howard Fast? They're known for their crime fiction and historical fiction, respectively, and have written very little scifi, and not much of it particularly well-known.
(Yes, that's six authors. For whatever reason, ABC showed only four of the six episodes filmed. They didn't air the Sheckley and Mosley stories.)
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Bitt Faulk
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