A misconception about microwaves is that they need around 1000W to actually do something, anything lower than 800 makes the waves completely ineffective. When you turn your microwave to 500W, what it actually does is lie to you while microwaving only half of the time instead by cycling on and off. You can usually hear this change in the sound it makes cause it will switch between the 1kW and the ventilator. 🙂
Pretty sure everyone knows that the power setting on the microwave just changes the duty cycle of the magnetron. I’ve never seen a microwave specify wattage when selecting power, usually 1-10 or 1-100, no lies involved. What it does is allows the heat more time to evenly distribute through your food while cooking with the same amount of energy. That super hot bowl and tepid soup won’t have as much of a difference when it takes twice as long to cook. Hot spots don’t get a chance to get as hot. Psychologically it’s easier too because let’s be honest, no one’s waiting 5 minutes after that timer goes off for the heat to settle
The episode does a great job of communicating actual military considerations in space. The Enterprise locates itself in a specific location to appear to be a sensor echo in Romulan sensors, which belays an in depth understanding that the Federation has for the Romulan Star Empire. Everything that both sides do shows an understanding of what the other side can reasonably do and in that creates a chess game.
I can’t think of too many sci-fi properties today that get into the lived in reality that this episode does. This episode goes way deep into the how of war, even with a new technology disrupting it.
Rogue One was the first time I feel like we got to see Vader as properly terrifying. That was my favorite appearance of his until Jedi: Fall Order came out, and omfg he is even scarier in that one. I love scary Vader.
Kenobi was hit and miss. There were moments like when he had Kenobi backed into a corner, then Kenobi lit a fire between them and escaped, like Vader couldn't deal with that? I feel like he would have like parted the flames or tried to pull Kenobi into them or something. He just let him go, but then we see him indiscriminantly killing people in the streets and it's like, "okay, there he is."
I feel like he would have like parted the flames or tried to pull Kenobi into them or something.
If we’re being honest, so many fights could be easily won by simply force crushing someone’s skull or something. But that wouldn’t be an interesting fight.
My main takeaway from this episode was the Romulans and Vulcans being the same and what the implications on that for Starfleet and Spock especially.
Romulans are like Vulcans? Does that make Vulcans bad? Romulans good? Spock is already the different one on the bridge? Will the rest of the crew believe in Starfleet ideals or will they turn on Spock and allow racism to rule the day.
Tie this to treatment of Japanese civilians in the US during world war 2 (something Sulu’s actor was unfortunately quite familiar with). Are all members of a race bad because the governments are at war? Obviously not but this is a common refrain from the ignorant and afraid during conflicts.
Ultimately the Enterprise and the Romulan captain stop seeing themselves in terms of soldiers fighting for their side and instead as 2 people caught in the middle of the fight between their governments. The Romulan captain’s sacrifice in the end exemplifies the realization. Rather than continue the conflict and drag both sides into a brutal patriotic conflict, he sees the humanitarian cost of such a conflict and therefore, the intrinsic value of life of both sides.
The episode wants to drive hope the point that people are people, no matter nationality or political conflict. At the end of the day we are all the same. Despite Stiles racism toward Spock, Kirk and by extension the Federation-idealized humanity, will have none of it.
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