Science Fiction Movies - Essay Example

? MOVIES Submitted by Affiliation: INTRODUCTION Science fiction movies have different projectionson time with regards to the type of themes, technology, and purpose they tend to serve and showcase. With regards to these themes and timelines with reference to technology and other transformational variables, there is a chronology on how different events and resources are portrayed in science fiction movies. With regards to the number of movies that include a computer program, a resource, or a capability; timelines and notable changes within the plots are noted and therefore an aspect of reality is presented to the viewer. In this essay, focus goes to the use of internet with regards to how different movies portray communication in their science fiction themes. Considered in this movie are three movies upon which two are internet based movies while the third one is an artificial intelligence movie whose rationale is to showcase the timeline trends of computers and how various changes have occurred within the sectors that use computers and how realistic and relevant the movie themes hold to reality. Wargames, HAL 9000, and Catfish are the three movies in which modes of communication are observed through and how they differ from one movie to another with respect to time – HAL 9000 is the artificial intelligence movie in this list. SYNOPSIS OF THE MOVIES Wargames Wargames is a movie that is set in the 1980s upon which the capabilities of a computer program are viewed from a gamer’s point of view. In this case, the movie focuses on the computer program the WORP, also known as Joshua. Joshua in this case is an online game that engages users to lay out protocols and follow the gaming principles. In its design and structure, WORP has no malfunctions and therefore takes commands normally from anyone that can access login details. WORP is hacked by David and Jennifer using a backdoor entry in to the program’s code and triggers the program to come to live – killing and causing mayhem in real life. The movie also presents two aspects of governance and computer gimmickry upon which the government is unable to shut down the program while the hackers have an idea of how to rectify their created problem (Badham, 1983). While focusing on a program that transmits data and receives commands from a variety of gamers around the grind, it is observed that the means of communication in this case are rather represented by slow machines, dial up connections, and the use of 8” floppy discs to enable processing of traffic when playing the game. The mode of communication in this case is that the mainframe machine installed with the WORP communicates with other workstations through a virtual interconnectivity (Badham, 1983). The characteristics of communication in this 1983 movie are central to the tactics used to initiate a communication or initializing a connection with the mainframe machine. David and Jennifer hack into the program by using David’s home computer. This means that David, although he did not have as much resources in his disposal to hack the program, did not face complex processes of hacking into the program – this points to a major security problem with the manner at which online resources could be accessed and altered during this period (Badham, 1983). HAL 9000 HAL 9000 is a movie set in 2001 in which a mainframe super computer named HAL is entrusted with the duty to observe and sustain communications in a Jupiter bound spacecraft. The relevance of HAL within the spacecraft is to monitor and control various tasks of the spacecraft such as air conditioning, closing and opening of doors, and decoding and processing of instructions. In this case, the spacecraft and its crew do not have much influence as to how HAL is designed. However, HAL is observed learning various natural language capabilities. This leads to the deaths of crew members such as Frank Poole and David Bowman as a conflict in instructional commands force HAL to make own decisions (Kubrick, & Clarke, 2001). The communication protocols used by HAL 9000 include high speed processing power to process lip movements, voice commands, and real time images taken through the machine’s red eye lens. Given that the movie was released in 2001, the communication protocols used show a shift from human-intensive processes to machine dependent operations. The networked lens, fixed all around the spacecraft, provide the grind with surveillance which HAL can observe and control the conditions within the spacecraft (Kubrick, & Clarke, 2001). The communication characteristic of HAL 9000 is that the machine is self-sustaining and therefore can use internal memory to store or execute commands. However, given that the machine is programed to follow instructions, a conflict occurs upon which HAL comes to life making independent decisions that would observe both commands. The first command on HAL was that the crew members were not supposed to know what the mission to Jupiter involved. In their conversation to shut HAL down, things go wrong as HAL can understand their conversation by reading their lips. In this case, it is shown that the mode of communication in this case involves more than just computer directed commands passing from various networks to a computer system but also the use of over-the-air recognizable gestures. HAL 9000 presents a platform showing how computers have evolved and how various processes are affected by various commands supplied to a computer system. HAL supports the communication trends that are witnessed in the contemporary communications sector by portraying new capabilities of computers and their role in effective communication. CATFISH Catfish is a 2010 movie whose lead actors are engaged in a number of online-based relationships. In this case, Nev is a photographer living in New York who meets with Abby, a rural artist from Ishpeming, Michigan, through the popular social site, Facebook. Abby and Nev are Facebook friends and soon Abby’s family is dragged into the friendship picture and all get to know Nev through Facebook. The plot of the movie rotates around the use of social sites to stay connected to each other and the usefulness of the platform. Angela, Abby’s mother, and Abby’s half-sister, Megan are all presented to show the different roles that the internet can be used for such as stalking, lying, and to exposing personal lives (Joost, & Schulman, 2010). Communication in Catfish is mainly through the use of Facebook and utilization of other internet resources such as YouTube, Google Maps, and Google Search. The use of Google Maps in the movie is to showcase a communicative platform whose role is to inform actors of various locations and how to get there. The role played by YouTube is to enable actors watch online movies posted by other people as well as authenticating their content. The role played by Google Search is pretty obvious to the contemporary needs served by the same platform, searching databases for information relevant to the users’ needs (Joost, & Schulman, 2010). The characteristics of communication used in Catfish include the use of data enabled gadgets to connect to the internet to keep in touch with friends and to browse content. However, the use of social networks show that the communication in this case is affected by the aspects of anonymity and/or the ability to hide true information while allowing communication to continue between strangers or posers. This aspect is pronounced by the fact that Angela has various Facebook accounts registered using different phone numbers and email addresses. The major factor observed in this case is that the use of internet for social reasons can be damaging as anonymity can prevail while personal information and other aspects are accessed or traced remotely (Joost, & Schulman, 2010). IMAGE CHANGES Internet presentation in both the Wargames and Catfish films showcases two differing technological timelines with which the role played by the internet differs within the two timeframes. The year 1983 is showcased as an era when things were running well with the presence of internet and enabling technology at par with the needs of using the internet. In Wargames, the internet is used to connect people machines with mainframe computers to access information or to play games. During this era, the depiction of internet is considered a weak one as less activities involved internet use. Therefore, for gaming to make sense during an era like this, it is required that gamers had to load some of the game resources using floppy discs in order to lower the traffic. A similar observation is made that the use of online gaming resources used low security protocols and therefore it was easy for David and Jenifer to hack into WORP. With regards to the speeds of connection, HAL presents a connection between 1983 internet use with 2010 internet use. However, HAL 9000 does this by presenting a super computer with the capability to process large and differing types of data within short durations. This connection between Wargames and Catfish show that the improvement in the manner with which internet is used is a function of better technology, more innovative solutions, and a shift from human-intensive labor to machine controlled tasks. In Catfish, internet is depicted as a resource that can be used extensively by both the young and the elderly at equal lengths. In this case, internet enabled gadgets are presented as enabling means to fast and effective communication. However, while internet was used in 1983 to penetrate firewalled networks due to poor security protocols, the use of internet in 2010 shows that better security measures to secure online activities have come of age. However, while the question of security is of importance to the users of internet and social media, it is seen that obvious internet glitches are identifiable. The trends in internet use and availability involve an increased use of online databases to find information in the case of 2010 as compared to 1983. In addition, faster processing machines and enabling telecommunications’ technologies allow more internet users to access various internet resources such as the search engines, multiple social accounts, and movie databases. This tremendous change rationalizes the inclusion of HAL 9000 in this analysis. Faster computers and enhanced technologies are the reasons behind the changes in internet use and communication characteristics involving interconnectivity of networks and systems (Stork, 2001). WHAT HASN’T CHANGED In real life, computers and the internet are used to carry out a number of activities related to banking, socializing, e-marketing, analyzing of data, and presentation of information for various audiences. Computers are made to make human life easier by processing large amounts of data within a small period of time. Proficiency of computing has set in motion two levels of concerns. Firstly, computer geeks are best suited for developing complex programs for use within the business platform and the academic sector. This presents the positive side of computer proficiency. A negative impact of internet proficiency is associated with computer knowledge in programming where hackers are able to override security measures of various servers and websites. With reference to Wargames, it is evident that the concept of creating an online gaming platform was an innovational gesture which soon finds its match and the whole innovation is turned into mayhem after it is hacked. Fast forward to 2010, the use of internet still brings about security concerns in that an individual can be stalked as his/her information accessed using fake Facebook accounts. From 1983 to 2010, the two movies, Wargames and Catfish, show that the level of computer related crimes has not changed as the innovators of positive development share the same resources with innovators of negative inputs. From the setting year of Wargames to the setting year of Catfish, it is observed through the real world that a constant gap continues to exist between internet threats and internet security. In the movie Wargames, security threats exist in that WORP was hacked within the same environment that would have been termed as pre-digital era – less people would be expected to have the resources to hack a network within this time period. However, this confirms the level of innovation between the hackers and the developers to be the same. Hence fore, from Wargames to Catfish, the gap between security and threat has not changed and therefore, the same level of insecurity depicted in 1983 continues to prevail to date despite the variance of threats available (Wise, 2007). Tighter internet or systems security involve the use of stable programming strategies while hacking into the same system requires high programing competency. Today’s internet landscape depends on technology that is at the disposal of developers and hackers at equal levels. Hence fore, no specific change can be identified in terms of an increase or decrease in the rate of internet based crimes and security measures effected throughout the 30-year gap from 1983 to 2013. FACTORS TRIGGERING THE CHANGES Changes associated with 1983’s internet and computer use as compared to 2010 internet and computer use have been affected by business investments that promote competition amongst manufactures and business models dealing with internet and computing equipment. In addition, the numbers of people who were using the internet and those that are using computers have multiplied over the three decades since 1983. Ideally, the change from slower machines to faster computers has been affected by the many companies whose work within the tech industry is to present different computer models to compete in the same marketplace (Fleming, 2006). Hence fore, each company tries to enhance its capabilities by presenting faster, reliable, and secure machines. On other hand, telecommunication service providers have multiplied and most of these bag competitive advantages that motivate other companies to upgrade their systems while at the same time improving connectivity speeds. For example, the fact that in 1983 a floppy disc was needed to play online game shows that the internet speeds of such an era were undesirable for playing current-day’s bulky games. Through corporate competition, the internet platform for playing games, connecting with people, and accessing information databases has changed from 1983 to 2010. 2001’s presentation of technological advances is confirmed by HAL 9000 depicting a complex supercomputer programmed to execute a high-profile mission. Innovation in the technological world has changed the manner with which things are approached and executed. In 1983, the producers of Wargames poured their ideas of the kind of communications world they would want to live with in the movie plot. The development of WORP as a gaming program shows a step into employing innovation in the movie industry. However, the creation of the supercomputer HAL 9000 in 2010 shows that human imagination continues to increase and therefore, computer systems, with reference to 2001, will one day be able to run the vital tasks requiring human input. In Catfish, most of the predictions in the first two movies are seen to come true as systems that work better in terms of speed, reliability, and access are presented (Allison, 2010). Hence fore, innovation is a major variable that registers the changes in internet use along a 30-year period. In the construction of a road, a blueprint layout is presented and surveys are undertaken to develop a theoretical route for the road. The development of structures and systems requires the use of abstract ideas from which developments can be formulated. Computing is a task that involves specifications of the computer and skills of the users. Technology used today is the only resource that can be used to make the technology that will be required in the future. In this case through research, upgrades to systems and enabling equipment continue to push the changes in internet use and computing in general. Technological advances have classes that influence one another at different levels. For example, technological advances in the development of computer microchips affect the technological progress in the manufacturing of computers. Through research, the developers of such microchips rely on the capabilities of the computer manufacturers while the latter group relies on research on specifications of the manufactured microchips to produce equally powerful computers. FACTORS STAGNATING CHANGE With factors such as technology and research influencing internet and computing, a couple of factors are also responsible for stagnating change in other areas of internet use and computing. Stagnation of change means that a number of areas in internet use and computing, as depicted in movies, have not changed with regards to different time periods. Such areas as discussed earlier include the gap between security and threat when considering 1980s and the 2010 environment. Innovation has been identified as one of the human capabilities that has engineered changes in the use of computing and internet. However, as earlier pointed out, the resources that enable developers and manufacturers to develop much faster and securer products are also accessible and acquirable by hackers. Hence fore, innovation stands out as both positive and negative input. Negatively, innovation has enabled hackers and attackers to refine their skills in countering the security measures that are implemented with every wave of technological inventions. Attackers and hackers are researchers who gather information about their target victims. In this case, the use of research is a vital input for hackers and attackers. Research is enabled by the current information databases that detail the structures of security inputs. To counter the difficulty of accessing libraries and other information-rich resources through illegal means, research leads to innovation on how such measures can be overridden. As a factor of stagnating change, research enables the developers to develop security measures while it also helps in finding holes and weaknesses to the systems. Thus, the research carried out by developers is shared with hackers and attackers and therefore maintains a relative gap between security and threat. Furthermore, security measures to improve security of information or stability of a website would be irrelevant had no attackers or hackers threated or targeted any given database (Mary, 2010). CONCLUSION Wargames is a movie that is set in the 1980s upon which the capabilities of a computer program are viewed from a gamer’s point of view. In this case, the movie focuses on the computer program the WORP, also known as Joshua. Internet presentation in both the Wargames and Catfish films showcases two differing technological timelines with which the role played by the internet differs within the two timeframes. With regards to the speeds of connection, HAL presents a connection between 1983 internet use with 2010 internet use. In Catfish, internet is depicted as a resource that can be used extensively by both the young and the elderly at equal lengths. In this case, internet enabled gadgets are presented as enabling means to fast and effective communication. The trends in internet use and availability involve an increased use of online databases to find information in the case of 2010 as compared to 1983. From 1983 to 2010, the two movies, Wargames and Catfish, show that the level of computer related crimes has not changed as the innovators of positive development share the same resources with innovators of negative inputs. Hence fore, no specific change can be identified in terms of an increase or decrease in the rate of internet based crimes and security measures effected throughout the 30-year gap from 1983 to 2013. References Allison, W. (2010). Catfish, A Virtual Romance. IFC, Retrieved 23 January, 2010. Catfish, 2010. Directed by Joost, H., & Schulman Universal Pictures. Fleming,M. (2006). A Sprinkling Of 'Stardust'. Variety. Retrieved 2007-04-29. HAL 9000, 2001. Directed by Kubrick, S. & Clarke, A. USA: Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Mary, P. (2010). Fish Tale. New York: Time, 2010-09-27. Retrieved On 2010-10-22. Stork, D. (2001). Dawn Of HAL: History Of Artificial Intelligence - Dr. Arthur C. Clarke Interview. 2001: HAL's Legacy. PBS. Wargames, 1983. Directed by Badham, J. USA: Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Wise, D. (2007). Stardust Is A Fairy-Tale Like No Other. London: The Times. Retrieved 2007-09-29. Read More

 

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