DUNE Part One | Science vs Cinema

[@dordogne]

Spice doesn't give you the ability to control others with the "voice." It's something the Bene Gesserit training can provide all on its own. Melenge can be used by many to do lot's of weird things, for instance, if they are part of the BG breading program, they even can access the memories of their female ancestors. Probably, not very scientific, but a weird and wild idea.

[@andyhowell9517]

We do know this, but there wasn't a great clip that visually illustrates the effects of spice. That did happen after he was exposed to spice, and he wasn't good at it before, so we used it.

[@stevespain6445]

[SPOILERS] Dune set in a 10,000+ year old galaxy-wide empire (The Imperium was formed thousands of years in our future), follows science as where it was when the book was written - I'm surprised so much of it lasted. As Bill points out above, the Bene Gesserit use spice for its mind expansion and longevity. However their 'powers' are not necessarily from the Spice (Although after thousands of years, Spice is part of everything the ruling class of the galaxy does). After tens of thousands of years of genetic manipulation the powerful of this empire are genetically different to us. The Bene Gesserit use these advances to shape their training which includes phenomenally rapid psychological assessments. If a Bene Gesserit sister can read your profile they can then alter their voice (through advanced levels of body-control) to shape it specifically for your persona and through such, induce compulsive behaviour in their victim. Herbert has thought out the types of things which are actually meant to be scientific extensions of tech/information "today" (1960's), but are so far in the future they appear magical. Also, the Bene Gesserit, because of their social manipulation embrace the rest of humanity seeing them as witches rather than advanced scientists cum ninja assassins. The ability of the Bene Gesserit to look back through their 'genetic memory' is reserved to the Reverand Mothers. This ability is triggered very much by the Spice.

[@0_Ka-Bar_0]

@@stevespain6445 That ability is triggered by Water of Life, which is a young baby worm bile. Not spice.

[@dordogne]

@@0_Ka-Bar_0 True. But can't we think of the water of life as essentially spice in a raw form, with same psychoactive properties but heightened?

[@dordogne]

@@stevespain6445 in the new movie, Paul is hearing the voices of past ancestors when exposed to spice such as during the sandcrawler scene. This could be a departure from the book.

[@swordmonkey6635]

Sandworms detect ALL vibrations, but are attracted to linear rhythms since that's usually made by a creature. As a side note, I think the director hit on something very important with his sandworms using high frequency vibration to move through the sand. Shields are deadly in the open desert because they attract worms like a magnet. Now sandworms are VERY territorial so it the sandworms might interpret the shield's frequencies as another sandworm and go to attack it.

[@Shinzon23]

Implied in the books. Good guess.

[@axelhopfinger533]

Which would make shields the ideal worm bait to draw the worms away from the harvesters. Just dangle a shield from an ornithopter or one of those little spotter thingies, fly far enough away from wherever the harvester are atm and switch it on. When the worm(s) come, just fly away from the harvesters, so the worms follow, or switch it off again, reposition and repeat the game. It's so simple that one really has to wonder why nobody seems to utilize this in Dune.

[@leftwardglobe1643]

@@axelhopfinger533 The issue with that being that they detect vibrations through the sand. It's much harder to transmit a vibration through the air into the ground than it is to thump it directly. In order to generate anything noticeable from the air, you'd need a deafeningly loud source of sound. So a large set of speakers rather than shield generators. Also worth noting that anything loud enough to do this would endanger the crew, and without automated drones to carry this task out, it would be difficult. Finally, if the worms could sense the vibration of a shield generator in the air, shouldn't they attack ornithopters? Aside from the obvious, they also typically carry shield generators. Larger and more powerful ones than those employed by infantry, to boot.

[@axelhopfinger533]

@@leftwardglobe1643 Lore just says that shields attract worms and send them into a frenzy. So why not use those to bait worms away from wherever one doesn't want them to be? I'm sure it wouldn't be that hard to make some contraption suitable as a worm lure with shield technology. I suspect that the shields also send out some high frequency vibrations or maybe electromagnetic fields which agitate the senses of the worms. In any case, an ornithopter should suffice as a worm lure, switching his shields on and off as needed, while hovering close to the ground and keeping out of reach of the worms. Only thing to consider would be, for how long the worms stay frenzied after being triggered by a shield? If they go rampaging for days, that would certainly be problematic. Also the Fremen probably would look rather disapprovingly on it, seeing how they worship the worms. Anyway, i can't believe that the producers and writers of a movie with so much thought put into detail and believable and consistent world building, would simply overlook such a glaring technicality without having a sound explanation for it.

[@leftwardglobe1643]

@@axelhopfinger533 Again, this runs into a very simple issue: getting the vibrations produced by the shield generator to transmit through the sand without touching the ground. Ornithopters fly with their shields active quite regularly and don't tend to attract worms. The simple explanation being that they are not producing a strong enough vibration in the air for the worms to sense it underground. Which makes sense. Now what you could do is use Ornithopters to deploy shield generators (more likely thumpers as they're cheaper and almost as effective) to draw off worms from a mining operation. But this runs into other issues. Firstly, we're assuming that shield generators and thumpers are going to be more effective bait than the spice harvesters themselves. Which given how large and loud they are is doubtful. Secondly, you're running a 50/50 chance of drawing worms closer to the harvesting operation as opposed to farther away. Not to mention that this is more money than you need to sink into the operation as you already have to use carryalls to transport the harvesters in and out of the area. It's more economical and ultimately safer to just have one on standby in case of emergencies. Which is what we see done. Harvesters cannot be eaten if they're no longer present.

[@axelhopfinger533]

The sandworms liquifying the sand through vibrations in order to make it behave like a liquid, so they can "swim" through it, is indeed a clever idea which makes them that much more functional and believable in the movie.

[@axelhopfinger533]

@Major Problems It's not that hard to make real sand vibrate like that on a large speaker. On that scale to fit and support multiple people, you'd need a damn huge speaker though. So a vibrating platform seems the obvious choice. Certainly easier, safer and cheaper than finding an actual sand worm to do the vibrating. ;P

[@bryanchu5379]

@Major Problems I imagine doing it with cgi would cost way more and look way worse

[@marcodallolio9746]

it's also extremely powerful imagery. What seemed solid ground turns into liquid, it conveys a sense of powerlessness and uncertainty, these giants moving through the desert like a wave, powerful

[@akshaydalvi1534]

@@marcodallolio9746 it also echoes the visions that Paul is having, everytime he sees something concrete it slips away

[@ExtremeMadnessX]

Sand bending...

[@knightonart8886]

9:30 the sound design for the thumper is music to my ears. The clicking sounds as it lifts up and that delicious bassy _thump._ Mmmm, so satisfying.

[@jsun1993]

i'm sure a sandworm feels the same way haha

[@crazybabuskaman3923]

I had an eargasm and an eyegasm in the theater watching this movie. Its like my enitre body and mind was transported to this incredible world. So immersive, that's what I think this movie is a masterpeice. Everything is done so well.

[@walterF205]

Thumper in action: First sand worm: "Someone knocks, go see who it is" Second sand worm: "@§@#! You go, I went yesterday!" The sandworms iterate over this verbal fight n-times, so in the end they cast lots for who should go. So loser is ALWAYS slightly impaired: Loser Sand Worm: "Arrrrrghh !!! Now I'm coming, and man, you must have a good reason to knock at this hour !!!"

[@CZpersi]

Rumour has it that Herbert first wrote an essay about ecology of Dune (now attached to the first book) and only then proceeded to write the story. Btw.: The sandworm using vibrations was first used in this movie. I am not even sure, if the book references it, but it is a great touch. It also explains, why sandworms hate vibrations - because they are fiercely territorial and think that there is another sandworm doing them.

[@OspreyKnight]

The "first draft" of Dune is available and focused far more on the ecology of Dune. Titled Dune World

[@AustinGraff]

Lynch's version actually included vibrating sand as the worm approaches as well: watch?v=jzj6b2YV2aA - about 1:15 in.

[@Shan_Dalamani]

Of course the book references it. Where do you think the movie/TV writers got their ideas from? Granted, they've made a lot of shit up in this movie that was either not in the book or directly contradicts the book, but they couldn't mess this up (okay, Kevin and Brian could, but they're scientifically illiterate anyway).

[@antonteodor6305]

How does it explain a nearly empty desert supporting with nutrients creatures as massive as the worms? That always seemed hard to believe for me.

[@OspreyKnight]

@@antonteodor6305 What looks empty and desolate to a human could be a feast to a creature with different body chemistry. They eat sand plankton which feeds on spice. Thus they defend spice sands from all intruders.

[@calebshaw6007]

Fun fact. The vibrating sand was done practically. And the voice is actually a physical technique used by the sisterhood. Using there voice to control people

[@TuomioK]

Yes, they apparently built a quite large platform that you could sink people in them.

[@BlackEpyon]

I like the way they did the voice here. The books talk about having to study a person to find the exact pitch nessesary to control the person, but it didn't click to me until I saw this movie that the method of "voice" isn't that you are controlling the person using your voice and a hypnotic distortion effect, you are controlling them using THEIR VOICE!

[@royalecrafts6252]

and how does it work exactly?@@BlackEpyon

[@BlackEpyon]

@@royalecrafts6252 A hypnotic compulsion that requires the practitioner to have studied the target's speech patterns. Or just call it "space magic," if you like. Frank Herbert really took the concept of post-humanism and ran away with it in a completely different direction.

[@royalecrafts6252]

space magic is why I don't really like dune, neither the books nor the movies, is good fantasy tho@@BlackEpyon

[@JD-yz4kr]

The later Dune novels made it clear that the sandworms are the cause of why Arrakis is a desert planet.

[@intlvoiceofreason9239]

it is even intimated that the worms' origin is off-world of Dune

[@dashiellgillingham4579]

To explain for everyone who hasn’t read the original novel; as juveniles, the sandworms consume water for energy, with their primary waste product being the Spice, which is mostly buried where the oceans used to be.

[@xavierrodriguez2463]

@@dashiellgillingham4579 written back in the 60s when people thought there was any usable energy in water. Water is incredibly stable, not really possible to extract energy from it

[@OspreyKnight]

@@xavierrodriguez2463 Water is part of their chemistry, they're not 1 for 1 extracting energy from it. You can get energy using water, you're just not likely to get it from the water. Thus the byproduct being spice, not just oxygen and hydrogen.

[@KalNertea]

@@xavierrodriguez2463 Fishes are using gill to get oxygen from water and use it as a one of of energy sources.

[@russjudge]

There's also great attention to detail in the fighting and battle tactics given how the personal shields pretty much eliminates the effectiveness of projectiles.

[@intlvoiceofreason9239]

hence the heavy use of bladed weapons

[@cortster12]

I'd actually love to hear a military doctrine expert talk about why swords isn't actually the best option, and how advances in tech would focus on flamethrowers or other such fuel-spewing weapons. Or something else I didn’t think of. That would be a lot of fun, since while swords are cool and valid for a story, it isn't actually too realistic from a hardcore military standpoint.

[@shahriyarhakhamanashiya4626]

@@cortster12 Well they were in great part the most potent weapon for most of recorded history together with bows, bows are projectiles, swords being the most potent weapon in a world without projectiles is the most logical answer. Remember Dune focuses a lot on continuity, not progress, which is one of the many things which sets it apart from traditionnal science-fiction. Everything in the Dune universe has reached a high level of sophistication but also stagnation as techniques revolve around observing certain rules and cutting costs while trying to still be effective. What would be needed is a historian here, not a specialist of modern tactics, Dune is all about looking at a problem from all possible sides.

[@Obsidian-Nebula]

No, it's just that projectiles are shit. During watching, I "invented in my head" slowing down bullets way before those were shown in the film itself and of course I don't know source material

[@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl]

@@shahriyarhakhamanashiya4626 you seem to forget that spears exist

[@codename495]

The voice is a Bene Gessrit ability based on minutiae of observation. They learn to observe someone’s mannerism, personality and weaknesses then pitch their voice to compel that person to obey.

[@dashiellgillingham4579]

It’s intended to be far-future psychology rather than space magic, in other words.

[@annoyed707]

That would mean it is useless on someone you have just met unless you can make estimates very quickly, and that means the accuracy/effect would be less.

[@jccouture13]

@@annoyed707 Their training and genetic breeding for the traits to achieve this level of observational skills has been developed for very many millennia at this point.

[@Shan_Dalamani]

@@annoyed707 Jessica, or any other Bene Gesserit well-trained in Voice can get a read on someone in seconds, in order to control them with Voice. We see that with the Harkonnens and with the Fremen. She has taught Paul how to do this, and he also succeeds in using the Voice on the Harkonnens.

[@overworlder]

@@annoyed707 - the general idea in Dune is after the overthrow and abolition of ‘thinking machines’, by necessity various human groups set out to develop or breed remarkable mental abilities and physical skills. Mentats and Guild navigators are like human supercomputers, the Tleilaxu are super-duper bioengineers, the Bene Gesserit are super-psychologists and geneticists breeding a messiah type figure through generations of noble houses, there are various specialized military or combat groups, and so on. Once it is discovered, some of these are greatly facilitated by spice, especially the navigators. And as it turns out, the messiah-figure.

[@CaptainMyCaptain33]

This film was so good. The ending was a little lackluster but I have no complaints. I can’t wait for part 2. This is the film version of Dune I’ve been waiting for my whole life.

[@oldbaldpaul8138]

Uh. It wasn’t an ending. Just saying.

[@funtourhawk]

Everyone is gonna rewatch Dune back to back (like LOTR) so the ending doesn't bother me...as long as it transitions well into the 2nd movie

[@treytilley333]

@@funtourhawk actually there’s no better intermission period than where it stopped based on the book. If it stopped it earlier we’d be left with a crushed Atriedes without any reason to have hope for Paul. If it went a little further then we’d be too close to the climax and would be a shit way to end part 1 lol

[@DJTXD123]

@@funtourhawk please dont compare this trash to LOTR

[@LuisSierra42]

@@DJTXD123 such big words

[@quoniam426]

I absolutely loves the ornithopters in the movie (contrary to Lynch's golden soap boxes). You even get the detail of modern military choppers like an Tiger or an Appache vs the look of an older one, like the Gazelle for example. The guys pushed the details that far on this.

[@ZemplinTemplar]

I concur ! :-)

[@honkhonk8009]

The middle east uses alot of soviet helicopters, while the west uses american or european. I think in the next dune, they should go for seperating the aesthetics, so that Atreides thopters would look more western, while fremen and harkonen would look more soviet

[@willmungas8964]

@@honkhonk8009I don’t know enough to say there is a Soviet look to the Harkonnen thopters, but they definitely are a bit beefier and more insectile rather than angular. This might just be the difference between transport/spotter thopters and military ones

[@bialynia]

Okay okay, there is no "force" in Dune. The effect of Bene Gesserit's voice is an extreme form of unconditional reflex and it has nothing to do with spice, just training. All Bene Gesserit do is just be super perceptive and then push the right buttons, psychologically and physiologically.

[@TealJosh]

I think the best way to attach the idea of voice into our reality is hypnosis and suggestion.

[@thomriley1036]

Taking it a step further, the Sisterhood goes to great lengths to seed Planetary societies with behavioral triggers, sometimes working generations ahead to create prime targets for "The Voice."

[@lolglolblol]

It's also worth mentioning that Dune's ornithopters do also have small jet thrusters to assist the flight and maneuvering

[@charleslaine]

The ornithopters were so cool to watch in this movie. They looked absolutely real to me.

[@axelhopfinger533]

The CGI effects in general looked extremely realistic because they were so high quality and used with restraint. And they always blended perfectly into the real world images. Probably one of the best examples of using CGI the right way.

[@HierophanticRose]

@@axelhopfinger533 The concept art and design is also 11/10, which I bet helped lock the vision in

[@axelhopfinger533]

@@HierophanticRose Indeed. It's coherency and attention to detail as well as scope aids greatly in establishing credibility. Though it could have used a little more color, pomp and ornamental elements here and there. it's all rather bleak, dark and often a bit too monochromatic and sterile for my taste. There's barely any visible artificial light sources in the interiors it often seems. And even the daylight and sun on Arrakis seems awfully soft, muted and indirect. I am especially missing the glowglobes as described in the books. But that's just complaining on a high niveau really.

[@davidolden971]

@@axelhopfinger533 The glowglobes are there! Are you saying you missed them entirely??? They **are** there, so I suggest watching it again, and you’ll see them floating around in quite a few shots on Caladan. (I was too distracted by story to watch for them on Arrakis).

[@johnpatz8395]

@@davidolden971 yeah, I saw them a couple times early on, but if they were shown anymore after that I missed them as I was to caught up in everything else being shown

[@Wdomino]

And this is why Dune is great. Im a huge Star Wars fan and even I dont understand every detail there, it doesnt matter too, likewise with Dune. I didnt need to understand how the Sandworm moves, it was shown realistic, and this video is just the cherry on top to confirm the level of detail in this movie. Like I said to everyone asking me how was the movie Dune? Its not a movie, its an experience.

[@jamesoloughlin]

Just realized the sand compactor is a mechanical biomimicry of how the sandworms move through the sand. Great video.

[@mikestanmore2614]

I've practiced kung fu (primarily Wing Chun ) for many years. I have always liked the way the 'Weirding Way' uses body language to predict the next movement in an opponent. In Kung Fu we train the Chi Sau (Sticking Hands) in order to feel the movement of an opponent and react to it - it's effectively extending the moment of contact indefinitely so we can train to react to it, which brings the reaction time down from 0.6 seconds for visual cues to about 0.2 seconds. It's usually misinterpreted by people who practice other martial arts, but what can you do about that?

[@ldgarius]

Given it requires permanent surreal contact at a distance where you're already basically screwed, you can't blame people for, said nicely, disliking the concept.

[@mikestanmore2614]

@@ldgarius But that's the distance where fights actually occur. Outside of that distance, you can't actually hit your opponent.

[@seriouscoffeecup5516]

@@ldgarius Mike Tyson used to clinch a lot at this range, if you look up clips of his boxing matches.

[@seriouscoffeecup5516]

@@mikestanmore2614 In MMA, competitors often strike and quickly get out of range rather than staying at that range. However, you also see stand-up judo-like grappling and, even more often, takedown followed by Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. I'm sure tracking opponent movement and center of balance by skin-contact works a lot there. However, pure traditional Wing Chun has never succeeded in MMA afaik.

[@mikestanmore2614]

@@seriouscoffeecup5516 Different rules. MMA excludes half the strikes in Wing Chun (or Praying Mantis). But I'm not here to debate with you. I spent six years on the door of nightclubs and was never hit, or taken down. So I think it works for me.

[@clintweatherwalks959]

Although I thoroughly enjoyed the new Dune film, I'm surprised that Dr. Howell (being an astrophysicist) didn't bring up the one thing that bothered me while watching the movie. While the events on Arrakis take place over some length of time, it appeared that the moons were always in the same position in the sky, and, even worse, were always in the same position relative to each other. The position of the smaller moon, since it's in front of the larger moon and therefore on a tighter orbit, would visibly change its position relative to the larger moon over the course of minutes, let alone days. While it may be conceivably possible for a moon to be in a geostationary orbit around a planet, I don't see how there could be a larger moon in a geostationary orbit with a smaller moon always in the same position relative to the larger moon from the perspective of the planet. Unless somehow the smaller moon is in a geostationary orbit (moonstationary orbit?) of the larger moon that is in a geostationary orbit around Arrakis, and the smaller moon is tidally locked to the larger moon which is tidally locked to Arrakis, but that seems like a reallllllly unlikely arrangement.

[@okreylos]

I didn't get the impression that the large moon is always in the same place, but you're right about the relative positions of the large and small moons. The latter could be explained by the smaller moon being located at the L-1 Lagrange point of the Arrakis - large moon system. L-1 is located on the line connecting the centers of the two large bodies, and at a distance ratio between the two bodies where their gravitational pulls cancel out. L-1 is a stable Lagrange point, meaning that a body that finds itself in that vicinity for whatever reason will stay there, actually orbiting around the ideal L-1 point. Both moons being tidal locked to the planet wouldn't be a coincidence, but an expected outcome.

[@Swag77entertainment]

I am a Ph.D. molecular geneticist with a lot of biochemistry background as my Ph.D. studied the metabolism of cholesterol to remove cholesterol from the body. Your spice equivalent as a psychoactive chemical needs to be expanded. Spice that uses remains on the planet Arrakis is different from the Spice that goes off-world to be processed into Melange -- a downgraded spice like how dark cacao chocolate is made into milk chocolate. Raw Spice is more potent in the essential chemicals, some psychotropic than Melange, like Poppy production into Opium to purified Heroin. The starting product that is less addictive has psychoactive substances that get processed to be more potent in addiction, such as morphine. Eventually, synthetic drugs can be made into desired products, like opioids, which would be Fentanyl. However, the use off-world caused gross mutations in all living beings that lived off Arrakis. For whatever reason, it did not often happen to Fremen on Arrakis due to their cultural rituals of Spice use. But, we see it happening to several entities in the 1985 Dune by Lynch with a 3rd Stage Guild Navigator. In the current Dune by Denis Villeneuve with the Imperium Herald's entourage, the Spacing Guild has helmets some orange. Some say Baron Vladimir Harkonnen was mutated by Spice. But in the literature, Reverend Mother Helen Gaius Mohaim infected him with a deadly virus that made him morbidly obese and with skin problems, which they don't show in the current Dune. Illicit use of Spice, specifically Melange like most psychotropic drugs, can make people go crazy, which it did for the Harkonnens. As far as the Bene Gesserit, the women must have had selective mutations bred over millennia to lessen the gross mutation effects the Melange gave to them. It gave them different abilities in time. Like marijuana, alcohol, and tobacco, the prolonged use of active substances causes a reduced level of euphoria but relaxes people, leaving some insensitivity. The Bene Gesserit must have gotten there with Spice and a few benefits that could be the weirding way that had to be practiced. They did not mutate as they carefully controlled their bloodlines, as well as the ruling houses of the Landsraad. However, the most powerful abilities, such as crossing all space and time, are where the Bene Gesserit sisterhood could not go... Only the Kwisatz Haderach. What does this have to do with real science? Psychoactive drugs have unique effects, many modifiers to macromolecules in a biological system that can change on different planets.

[@FlawedFabrications]

Good post but it's worth noting that Vladimir Harkonnen being infected by a virus is something that happens in the Brian Herbert prequel novels, and there are very large number of Dune fans who do not consider those novels to be canon. I point this out only to say that because they weren't written by the original author Frank Herbert, there is a very significant possibility Denis Villeneuve will ignore them. There's some evidence for this too, since she meets with Baron Harkonnen in the movie and there's nothing to suggest they have a past together beyond the official business of their stations. That meeting does not take place in the book.

[@RyoMassaki]

I disagree with his description of spice as space-cocaine, it appears more like psilocin (4-HO-DMT) to me, that then gets refined into some advanced and exotic form of DMT with additional (magical) properties and mutation feature. Not that the N,N-DMT we know of needs any additional magical features as the literature and stories about it derived from indigenous people using it for thousands of years is already filled with alleged properties that defy modern understanding of reality. Not even the mutation feature seems far off. I have spoken with a female South American shaman who was convinced that drinking Ayahuasca (a plant concoction containing an MAOI and N,N-DMT) gave her the power to change the appearance of her body through concentrated willpower (over a longer period of time). She said she used it to increase her breast size. No - I am not joking, I also heard stories about male shamans who did similarly but with a different organ. Sorry, I am somewhat digressing. What makes the connection of spice and psilocin plausible to me is the artistic hint that is hidden behind the blue eyes of the people of Arrakis. This effect is somewhat random, like style over substance (ha!), but the puzzle pieces fall into place if you look at what happens to psychedelic mushrooms if they are damaged and the containing psilocin is exposed to oxygen - they turn blue or rather the psilocin does. There are more curious connections, the spice and the sandworms vs the mushroom and the maggots, the time and space folding properties of the spice vs real perceptional effects like time dilation and compression and expansion of space. The crossing of space and time is also standard procedure for well educated shamans as it forms the base for their ability to heal. They have to go to places in order to find "plant spirits" and to form a relationship with them to acquire their knowledge and alliances. All of the indigenous shamans I spoke to where very adamant in their conviction that they themself do not heal, but rather the plant spirits do the healing and they become a vessel / bridge through which the spirits act on their patients. As a Ph.D. with relevant scientific knowledge make of that what you will, there certainly is a factor of magical thinking at work when looking at the explanation of indigenous people and how they think all of this works. Their abilities however, as magical and pseudoscientific they seem are astonishingly real and modern science is kinda lagging behind in explaining their ancient science because of stupid anti-drug laws. However, what absolutely doesn't fit is the fact that N,N-DMT does not cause addiction (none of the classic psychedelics do that) but the occasional madness is spot on. Messiah complex and delusions of grandeur are very common. It also doesn't cause any form of withdrawal or tolerance as it is an endogenous substance, recently confirmed to be produced by the pineal gland (as suspected). Cocaine doesn't cause anything interesting only a massive and prolonged Dopamine rush and a bloated ego, but nothing in terms of visual phenomena or (pseudo)-hallucinations, nor any forms of perception that might appear as precognition, while N,N-DMT certainly does all of that and more (including true hallucinations that appear more real than reality). More recently (last decades), the crystalline pure form of N,N-DMT is often referred to as spice and I am wondering which came first, Herbert's book or this nickname. While I am not an scientist myself and my knowledge about biochemistry is non-existent, I am very interested in the subject and I am using a primitive form of scientific experiments to explore psychedelics - I consume them and I have done so repeatably over the last 20 years. My brain isn't suited for academic science ( I am an artist) but it is perfectly suited for practical experiments. Needless to say, the book touched a nerve or two after having made these experiences. In order to make the feedback loop perfect my recent experiment consisted of 100mcg LSD and watching the movie. While I wouldn't recommend it to other people, it was a glorious and profoundly deep trance with a very strong effect of time dilation. The movie despite its pacing went by so fast, it appeared to me like less than 90 minutes while the soundtrack continued to play in my head for another hour or so. I hope Villeneuve goes as deep as he can with the second part of the movie when this topic gets into focus. I can hardly wait.

[@carlosandleon]

Fentanyl be lit bruh

[@Swag77entertainment]

@@FlawedFabrications I don't care about why Baron Harkonnen looks the way he does. I do not relate to him.

[@Swag77entertainment]

t 1) I'm reading hardcore scientific research articles. All I can tell you is how a drug enters the body and binds to a cell at which receptor and is that the rate-limiting step to an enzyme that affects a cascade of metabolic processes. But that's all I can tell you. 2) I can't argue with what someone believes about what psychoactive substances do to someone. I can say some illicit drugs can deform as side effects and/or disable. 3) I think Frank Herbert relates to the use of Spice like drugs because he sounds like an Al-Anon survivor -- those in a drug abuse home not addicted to drugs. When he was alive, they didn't have the array of drugs to see, but the outcomes were just as bad as they are today. And back then, there were no "eases from withdrawal" that we have now. 4) I know that LSD and those like it give a heightened understanding of ideas with fantastical images and hallucinations or horrific nightmares. IDK? I haven't tried it.

[@kennethfharkin]

I have been a Dune fan since I read the book at 14 in 1984 before seeing the Lynch movie... that was a weird whipsaw. I love the way Villeneuve has brought this to the screen. So many little things that were introduced by Frank Herbert were realized visually in this film in a manner which made them "make sense." My degree is in Aerospace Engineering so the concept of an ornithopter has always been something of a joke to me. I just could not understand why something like that would be superior or functional in a way that other systems do not surpass but the dragonfly wing configuration was AMAZING! If you assume power and material constraints we know today are not a problem in the film world I can see why such a design works. Likewise the liquification of the sand by the worms was another brilliant idea. I was thrilled to see them state the navigators used spice not to "fold space" like in the Lynch film but to forecast a safe path to their desired destination. True, you are overwhelmingly not likely to hit something when you reappear but appearing somewhere totally unknown can leave you lost with no way of finding your way back. The film gave us a glimpse of Mentats without burying the audience under to many details of the ban on computers. If you look closely you will see things like the film projectors used and the analog instruments in the thopters are all analog/mechanical systems. The paracompass is described as a clockwork device. If you want to go deeper look up The Dune Encyclopedia. It had the blessings of Frank Herbert and has essay after essay on the history and technology of the universe. www.tor.com/2010/09/02/out-of-print-for-decades-the-dune-encyclopedia-surfaces-online/

[@julien116]

(French speaker here) Just wanna say you pronounce Villeneuve the right way ! Good job :-) so many people pronounce it wierdly.

[@jnx4803]

Recent Dune ornithopters are one of the most satisfying vehicles to watch.

[@spacejunk2186]

There are a few questions I was missing answers for on the matter of Arrakis. If it has a desert and almost no vegetation, how is there any oxygen in the atmosphere? And should the planet not have a magnetic field, how does it maintain a dense atmosphere at all? Bringing up Mars just brings up more questions.

[@robmarney]

The sandworm life cycle creates lots of oxygen and CO2. The abundance of oxygen in the deep desert was the first clue in the book that the worms aren't just fantasy monsters.

[@gviehmann]

The biochemistry of sandworms is largely unknown. They ingest sand, sand plankton, sand trouts, each other, and spice melange. They extract silicon from the sand for their bodies and release the oxygen into the atmosphere. They are territorial and spice melange seems to be their main energy source.

[@AleksiJoensuu]

Well done! Have a like. Dune is quite special in my opinion. I read that Frank Herbert got started with Dune after he worked on an article on the Oregon dunes and desertification. He wound up with much more material than he could use for the article, and based Dune on his research there. I think it really shows in the science fiction base of how he describes Arrakis, and serves as a sort of horror story on how desertification could affect Earth. In a way I felt Dune was an environmentalist's sci-fi epic, which then also took on many political, cultural and religious aspects. I recently went to see the film, and thought they had done a terrific job in the art department. The set designs, the costumes and the visual effects really went with the ideas I had in my head. As in many film adaptations, to bring all of what's in the books to the screen must be a really tough job. I was sad to see some of my favourite things such as the detail in the environment and the brutal struggle for survival that the Fremen faced downplayed slightly. In the books, proper moisture control and usage of the stillsuits seemed a matter of great care and pride which bordered on religious for the Fremen, while in the films I think I saw the characters with their stillsuit masks off more than on, and braving the scorching heat of the daylight often. Ah well, such it always is in movies and TV - as a Finn I always get peeved when film characters don't wear their hats and mittens in cold environments... Then again some excellent detail was retained, such as the sand worm tremors. Wonder why they didn't include the burning chemical reaction in the sand worms as described in the books? We saw the film with my girlfriend who hasn't read Dune. For me, the new movie offered a tremendous visual experience that I could sort of use to paint the mental image of the books in my head, and thus it was a very enjoyable experience. My girlfriend on the other hand, had nothing more than what was on screen and she described it as "Pretty good. You know, kind of a basic sci-fi flick." What a let down for a fan! Therefore I recommend, if you have a friend, family member or significant other, to suggest they also read the books before seeing the film.

[@TheViralInfekT]

The thing with the Fremen taking off their helmets got on my nerves quickly. In a movie you "need" to see the actors face to see them acting, but it clashes hard with the behavior of the Fremen in the books or in the other adaptations. I think the detail with the burning chemical reaction could be touched upon in the second movie. They did not explain the worms in any way aside from the danger they pose. But even in the books they explain the connection between spice and worm a bit later, or am i mistaken? But we will see what will be told in the next movie. As a fan i just have to say, that this i my favorite adaptation of the source material and i hope the second part will be as good as this movie :)

[@mqbitsko25]

Wings flapping that quickly would be supersonic across most of their length, which means an ornithopter would be little more than a noise generator. Propeller blades are most efficient when the tips travel between 0.85 and 0.90 Mach. The movie 'thopters would be loud enough to tear up pavement and cause nausea and disorientation from a VERY long distance. As a means of propulsion they'd be absurdly inefficient. You cannot simply scale up a dragonfly. Dragonflies work because they're small. As fast as their wings beat the tips are nowhere close to trans-mach. They can actually work efficiently. Read up on the "Thunderscreech" for what happens when you make supersonic propeller blades. It's not pleasant. The Russian "Bear" bomber has supersonic prop blades. They are legendary for being giant noise generators. And yes, they are hugely inefficient.

[@dimanxgermanist1327]

You don't say, comrade

[@andrewjohnson6716]

Thank you for sharing your expertise with us. That was fascinating.

[@AbcXyz-we7nj]

But dragonflies used to be HUGE

[@humorousfool215]

I like to imagine that Arrakis has a really thick atmosphere. They mention that there are extremely powerful sandstorms, the ornithopters have extremely small wings and in one scene there is heavy machinery being lifted by what looks to be a lighter than air craft. I doubt this was intended but I think it's pretty cool.

[@TheViralInfekT]

Great video on one of my most favorite Fantasy world and a absolutely brilliant adaptation. For me Dune is the best Movie of the year. It is so well done. Only thing that sours the taste a bit is the behavior of the Fremen. A Fremen would never take off their helmet while traveling outside as in this movie. I know it is done due to it being a movie and the people are supposed to see the actors movements, but it made me a bit mad. Water for the Fremen is something sacred and they do everything they can to reduce the loss to the atmosphere. Aside from that the movie is just great and i look forward to see the second part. I never thought about the reason why the aircrafts are designed like dragonflies. Thank you for making me aware of the fantastic real tech behind it. Will we get another video on the topic when it comes out? ^^

[@markfisher7962]

In the Covid world of 2021, I was watching that scene while wearing a mask, breathing that moist air, and I had the same thought. No space opera would send a character out without a helmet, but here...

[@intlvoiceofreason9239]

your point is well taken, from a cinematic perspective if the actors never took off their masks they would essentially be indistinguishable from one another thus rendering the dialogue ineffective... IMO

[@ZemplinTemplar]

The Fremen don't wear helmets in the novels, at most mouth coverings. In the film scenes, they were at a less exposed location and weren't out in the open desert. That's when they put on the mouth covers, same as with Paul and Jessica on their desert trek.

[@ohauss]

@@ZemplinTemplar But in the final scene, Paul, Jessica and Chani don't have their mouth covers on - precisely because cinematic rules require you don't irrecognizably cover up your A-listers for the final shot.

[@magicalmagicmagician5223]

Arrackis is made even more important because of how addictive spice is and that it's impossible to wean a person off of spice once they're addicted. And there's a lot of rich people addicted to it in the Imperium (like a lot), so if the spice trade ever got stopped, millions of people would literally die from withdrawal

[@thomasfisher6293]

Love the Buzz Aldrin joke…..Gold! This channel combines 2 of my favorite things, keep up the great work-big fan from Cleveland, OH

[@SvenDeBinj]

There’s a lot of science missing from this video that still would’ve needed to be explained... The size of the sandworms is the one big physics issue I see in the movie that doesn’t make sense, regardless of any in-universe explanations for things about sandworms they are simply too large to exist. Other things like explanations for The Voice and interstellar travel I have no problem with because they aren’t prohibited by physics that we know of.

[@21berkyx]

Sandworms of the movie can eat inorganic stuff like sand so they could exist in that size

[@flabreque]

Sand worms will have problems getting rid of internal (and frictional) heat. I know Herbert keeps mentioning the burning furnace inside them, but there’s a reason elephant ears are the size that they are. Likewise, tuna and shark are almost warm-blooded animals because their muscles generate enough heat to keep them above the temperature of their surroundings. Huge external radiators, like elephant ears, would be impractical on a burrowing animal.

[@SvenDeBinj]

@@21berkyx The laws of physics make it impossible for them to be as large as they are in the movie because they would be crushed under their own weight.

[@0_Ka-Bar_0]

Devil is in the details. It's a Sci fi saga written 70 years ago. You do know that if you vibrate the sand fast enough it turns to a liquid like state?

[@shahriyarhakhamanashiya4626]

@@SvenDeBinj They are not one being though, but many agglomerated smaller beings. I don't know if it renders their existence a possibility but it changes the problem. As for their weight I think them being mostly immerged in sand supports their weight a lot.

[@Rio-ke9he]

This channel is very underrated

[@nicholas77086]

Because it barely post anything.

[@Ayella_256]

I know right

[@Shatterer101]

Of course that you are back for Dune. I wouldn't have it another way, even if it took more than a year for another of your wonderful videos. Now. Let's talk about Foundation...

[@arcadealchemist]

lets not, ASIMOV is garbage.

[@Shatterer101]

@@arcadealchemist I don't understand your reasoning or logic. What does the quality of a story or you liking it or not has anything to do with science vs cinema. We are only comparing tech here.

[@arcadealchemist]

I DO NOT LIKE ASIMOV. What reasoning or logic do you want?

[@shahriyarhakhamanashiya4626]

@@arcadealchemist I don't understand how your kind of people thinks. If you dislike an item, you have two options : ignore it or react to it. We know the first is the most reasonable one in most cases but it isn't very fun, granted. If you react to it, you have several ways of doing so, mainly either engaging the subject matter or the people you are talking to. You decided to ignore the person you are talking to and only engage the subject matter, fine. But then did it in the most unproductive way possible, being totally unrelated to the subject. How do you want people to communicate with you? You wrote a comment on social media, the only reason for that would be to like to communicate. What you are doing makes no sense. If you don't want to talk to people don't talk to them, its that easy. So next time please do not waste the fiber of your emotions as well as that of others and keep these thoughts to yourself if you don't want to elaborate.

[@123four...]

@@shahriyarhakhamanashiya4626 Or at least say why you don't like it. If you have some interesting reason for why you don't like Asimov, then I think it's okay to share it. But just saying "ASIMOV IS GARBAGE" then refusing to elaborate is really annoying.

[@oootoob]

Some questions not answered: how do the worms get so big and what is their natural food source? Where is the Arakis atmosphere generated from without plants and photosynthesising ecosystems? Why do they need ornithoptors when they can create floating devices like that used by the Baron and space craft when landing/ taking off? Why use blades for combat when they have lasers and projectile weapons available?

[@KrzysztofBob]

I'm pretty sure there are explanations/excuses for all of your questions out there, but when it comes to science fiction the correct answer is, because it looks cool.

[@cesarooni2537]

They do use lasers and projectile weapons, but they also have shields that block all forms of kinetic energy so they can't use guns against them. As for the worms being so big, it could be because it means they do not have to eat as much, similar to deep sea Earth creatures (their natural food source is spice). Ornithoptors are probably cheaper and easier to make than floating devices. And I don't think the atmosphere has very much oxygen, but it's confirmed that a planetologist more plants and animals to Arrakis.

[@MTTT1234]

As said in one of the other responses, personal shields can negate projectile weapons, as you'd have to use a constant force to penetrate the shield (e.g. a blade) . Another thing is why they use lasers so sparesly is that at that time, shields and lasers are somehow powered by a Holtzman device, and when you use a laser on a shield, it for some reasons would create an explosion that rivals a nuclear explosion. And I also think there was somehow a mention about why they don't use computerized weapons, like long-range missiles etc, which is bc there was once an AI uprising, which humans barely won, so to prevent that in the future, they both banned intelligent machines (high calculation computers) and also weapons that could be used by computers. As for ornithopers, again Holtzman devices power their Anti-Gravity tech, yet these would also attract the worms even faster. And for your question to the atmosphere, wasn't it mentioned that stil in living memory was once a lush planet, yet turned into a global desert? So the atmosphere does not get replenished at all, but gets slowly used up bit by bit from what was once there when it was lush.

[@Quotheraving]

1) how do the worms get so big and what is their natural food source? They represent the top of a non terrestrial eco-system and much like earth whales are filter feeders sifting the semi-silicon lifeform called sandplankton from the sand as they 'swim' through it. 2) Where is the Arakis atmosphere generated from without plants and photosynthesising? The Sandworm's semi-silicon biochemistry releases huge quantities of oxygen as part of it's metabolism. 3 Why do they need ornithoptors when they can create floating devices like that used by the Baron and space craft when landing/ taking off? They don't 'need' to use ornithopters and indeed make substantial use of Holtzman effect lifters, however ornithopters are both more agile and energy efficient. 4) Why use blades for combat when they have lasers and projectile weapons available? The Holtzman effect shielding device causes a catastrophic reaction with laser weapons resulting in a sizeable nuclear explosion at both ends of the interaction which, along with the inter-house conventions prohibiting the use of nuclear weaponry on habitable planets, generally discourages their use in territorial planetary conflicts. The Holtzman effect is a field interaction involving inertia and makes a number of things possible. The first are the FTL drives, next are suspensors and last are Shields. Shields operate as an inertia multiplier, meaning that they preferentially affect things with relatively high kinetic energy. As a result they are especially effective against kinetic weapons such as firearms and mass drivers while still allowing gas to diffuse through the shield boundary. To compensate for this many projectile weapons in the Dune universe employ smart projectiles that are capable of slowing down so as to pass through the shield boundary, or guns firing low velocity, low mass darts that rely on poison to kill (Maula pistols). All this means that blades are a simple and reliable way of countering shields which accounts for the anachronistic use of medieval weaponry in this high tech setting.

[@oootoob]

If the planet was once lush and rich in organic matter, the worms would have evolved for that environment, i.e. moisture rich and would not have survived desertification and the ability to liquefy sand to travel. If they feed on 'sand plankton', why do they behave in a predatory way targeting in on vibrations. I think that they are hunters, so they would need to feed on large macro prey on a regular basis, so I can't see how they'd survive without some other large prey species.

[@aajiv1748]

Of note Asimov's Foundation was way before Dune , 1942 to 1950, Herbert also borrowed from prose science fiction written by authors like Robert Heinlein and many others way before Dune. They had more influence on Herbert than Herbert had of them.

[@BirdArvid]

Villeneuve is a fantastic filmmaker, one who bridges the accessible blockbusters with slower, more complex, "thinking-man's" SciFi. I would personally add Enemy (2013) to his SciFi which you mention, or at least fantasy; it's called a "surreal psychological mystery drama thriller film" And it is very small-scale, intimate and wonderfully claustrophobic. The imagination going into it shows what will come later, in Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 and indeed, Dune. But he is also wonderfully unpredictable, yet extremely successful. If I were a praying man, I'd bow my head to a complete Villeneuve Dune trilogy!!

[@AndrewNiccol]

Dr~ Please reviews two of my favorite Sci-fi movies: Gattaca, The Matrix. Isn't NASA calls Gattaca the most accurate Sci-fi movie? And please makes a video point out every inaccurate in Armageddon, that would be hilarious!

[@intlvoiceofreason9239]

you know... Gattaca was an EXCELLENT movie and I feel like it has been mostly forgotten about. I think I'll do a re-watch this weekend.

[@Generalkidd]

If you're interested in other realistic scifi movies and shows, Interstellar and The Expanse would both definitely be up there in scientific accuracy.

[@AndrewNiccol]

@@Generalkidd Interstellar maybe scientific accuracy, but the story is incredibly dumb, "love can transcend time and space." Contact is far superior than Interstellar. (actually Contact is my third favorite Scifi movie.) . The Expanse, I watched a couple of episodes years ago, thought it's boring.

[@PeloquinDavid]

You had altogether too much fun talking about our equivalents of the stillsuits...!

[@WilliamGreen]

Your attention to detail and knowledge of Dune is impressive. 🙌🖖

[@Ubya_]

he messed up though. sand fluidization can be done with compressed air, but in the case of dune it is achieved throught high frequency vibrations. you can even see them visually in the movie

[@maloryfunction2260]

@@Ubya_regardless I’m sure it’s just a script on a teleprompter made by a team. Not just him improving this whole video

[@reality6756]

I liked the ornithopters but the should have been called "odonathopters" in honor of the insect order Odonata, Dragonflies, the first dominant terrestrial fliers of earth. "Ornitho" is a reference to "bird like" but insects flew LONG before birds were a pre-thought of evolution.

[@johnviljoen271]

I might be wrong but I think actual attempts to replicate dragonfly flight in drones today are called ornithopter, dunno why but yeah maybe should be odona

[@Bizarro69]

Nice!

[@gen2mediainc.577]

I’m so glad they went with dragonflies instead of birds for the movie

[@ZemplinTemplar]

"Ornithopter" is a generic term, much like "aeroplane" (fixed-wing), "helicopter" (rotary-wing), "aerostat" (airship), etc. There's plenty of real world toy ornithopters patterned on birds and insects, and several experimental manned types mostly patterned on birds.

[@PioRaschHalvorsen]

​@@ZemplinTemplar Yeah, all terms like these tend to become generalized over time. Ornithopter literally means "bird wing" just like helicopter literally means "helical wing." The CIA actually experimented with a miniature UAV based on a dragonfly that they called an insectothopter! Not as catchy, though..

[@tomhahnl1927]

This Video is basically praising Dune from Beginning to End, I LOVE IT :-)

[@dimitrijebabovic6832]

So glad a channel like this exists. Time to watch everything. :) My only problem with the ornithopters was the gliding scene near the end. It doesn't seem like the wing surface would be able to support gliding for that much weight. Kinda took me out when they started falling when they lost 1 wing that shouldn't have made a difference :S

[@okreylos]

I dunno. The 'thopters didn't look all that different from contemporary glider planes, wing-area wise: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glider_(aircraft)#/media/File:Dg800.jpg The one in that picture has an almost 50:1 glide ratio; a Cessna 172 has a 9:1 glide ratio and is still able to make unpowered emergency landings. There isn't really a point of comparison in the movie to determine how well the 'thopter did at gliding; it could have been just "falling with style." The main problem when the last wing broke off wasn't as much the sudden 50% loss in remaining lift, but the fact that all the remaining lift was now on one side of the aircraft, causing uncontrollable spin.

[@cypheir]

I've already seen Dune in theaters more times than I've seen all new Star Wars movies since "The Force Awakens" combined. So refreshing to have a GOOD sci-fi series treated with so much love, rather than burned to the ground with social politics.

[@gen2mediainc.577]

I am just so content with Dune, it’s nice that someone still cares about making good movies just as art, they are some of the best movies.

[@Anon282828]

I never understood the ecosystem of desert planet Arrakis. There must be a massive food chain to support sand worms as a top predator - and the worms are portrayed as very common. Maybe it was explained in one of the many sequels, but I don't remember being satisfied on this point by the first (and best!) book of the series.

[@holemajora598]

This video was very well done. I’m going to need more of this!!

[@Mindsi]

Question - How does the sand worm get so big? There must be a whole lot of food somewhere below the surface How does the ornithopter work in that environment? The dust and sand would destroy those mechanical wing joints. Better to use magnets. Surely.?

[@trumanshow162]

Thank you for your good explanations for "Dune." I was very impressed to know even the scenes like fantasy were so scientific! I reconfirmed the greatness of the American SF❤.

[@TheyCallMeNewb]

Perhaps a whisper generous to the spice, but wonderfully researched and presented program. It has been so very long since your last!!

[@jimaforwood743]

Dune has to be one of the best sagas ever? In my world anyway

[@TheViralInfekT]

It is for sure :)

[@TheLifeOnHigh]

I wish he would’ve focused more on those magnificent space vessels in Dune.

[@raymondmeyers5974]

Ornithopters are theoretically plausible. The problem is the intense vibrations they would create if built. The aircraft would be torn apart before it ever left the ground. Also, the back and forth beating pattern of the wings is probably the most inefficient design possible.

[@honkhonk8009]

dune is some mad max type shit. I dont think they give af too much abotu efficiency lol

[@canoncrazy]

One of my favorite episode from this channel. Love it!

[@Tommy1977777]

addendum on the helos: after the failed raid on Tehran to rescue hostages, the rotor blades were updated to withstand the sand clouds better. Granted, they still wear down because the effect is akin to being sandblasted but it still lasts longer.

[@fubarjew]

Wow great video, I'm so happy to have found this channel. I would have loved to see you touch on personal shields and how a slow blade or projectile is the only way to pierce them.

[@teslainvestah5003]

I think I've heard of the ornithopters referred to as the "Royal Atreides Ornithopters". Which suggests that they were developed and used on Caladan first, a world like earth with a lot of water. So working well in the desert is a coincidence. The real reason to model after a dragonfly (and to not rely on repulsors) is for maneuverability. The ornithopters are the most agile manned vehicle in the whole movie by far.

[@NiteSaiya]

The thopters have wings for another cool reason: Helicopter blade axels and jet turbines don't like sand and degrade very fast when exposed to a lot of it. The thopters have enclosed joints, so sand doesn't get into them and abrade them.

[@grindupBaker]

At 14:40 my 1st British passport in 1966 lists my occupation as being a "seismic computor". i was a computer. I also operated an IBM 360-44 similar to 14:43 and then studied Assembler and became a computer programmer for them (geophysical, oil exploration, out of Houston).

[@Darksagan]

Awesome video. That assassin bug is bad ass. And what you said about two galaxies planets not ever touching is 🤯 Vastness

[@DrakeMagnum]

Thank you for making this video. I could not possibly agree more with everything you have said.

[@ArtisticlyAlexis]

So glad you're back! Here's some engagement food!

[@bwhit7919]

Most science fiction explores worlds with advanced computers, advanced engineering, and advanced physics. Dune is unique because it explores advanced psychology (the voice, mentats, etc.), advanced ecology (Arrakis), and advanced biology (spice, sandworms, etc.). This is one of the reasons Dune feels so different from other science fiction.

[@Ygsendd]

the thing with sandworm that tickles me the most is that there are too many of them. in nature, the more a species need nutriments to survive, the less single individual there are. sandworm are so huge that it should be around 10 to 30 individual for the all planet. which implies that in all the landscape we see in the movie, it should be the hunt territory of only one sandworm O:

[@Hartwig870]

Sandworms consume more than just people and spice harvesters. The majority of their diet is actually sand, and the minerals it contains.

[@celtofcanaanesurix2245]

10:25 some of the preminiscence and all of the voice is not from the spice, but special training and blood lines, the spice only enhances those things as it enhances the mind

[@mikebasil4832]

Thank you for this very educational video and homage to Dune.

[@breakthecycle5238]

Fantastic! Best video on dune I've seen in the past few weeks!

[@onceamusician5408]

is it possible to have a breathable atmosphere with a planet that is entirely desert? what replaces the O2 which is leached out by whatever means if there are no plants, or very few of them?

[@Tommy1977777]

its important to remember that Frank Herbert wrote "Dune" after studying ecology and the natural world intensely.

[@mohammedashian8094]

For 5 or 6 years

[@Tommy1977777]

@@mohammedashian8094 depends on where you want to start. It could have been started in North Africa during his Naval service in WW2. They would have served as the influence for the Fremen..

[@mohammedashian8094]

@@Tommy1977777 I always saw that the fremen were based on Bedouin tribes if you know what I mean Plus in the third book (children of dune) wrote on when he was researching for the first book

[@Tommy1977777]

@@mohammedashian8094 research typically starts earlier than the official start of the writing date. For example, JRR Tolkien started his "research" during WW1 with his experiences there. I usually add the research and writing phase together. Similarly, Frank Herbert used much of what he saw in the world and studied in college to write what he wrote. The official "writing" probably took 6 years but his research took a SOLID decade and a half.

[@mohammedashian8094]

@@Tommy1977777 hence why the books are masterpieces in writing right?

[@etatauri]

ok, i have to ask. 5:25 whats the finger cot for?

[@JB1978]

Hey! There was the Fruit Lops guy for a second when you were talking about space toilet :D

[@quitschi9954]

That seems like a cool channel. Would love to see a video on the expanse from here.

[@pamagee2011]

I swear that ornithopter formation flight scene at 15:15 was copied from “Blackhawk Down.“ The one where the nearest aircraft slides across the frame

[@j.k24]

hope they wil make a movie of the game Homeworld

[@Yggdrasil42]

In Villeneuve style that would be amazing.

[@PwncakeOW]

I really like the concept of your channel. Thank you and subbed.

[@redbarchetta8782]

One of the best movies I've seen.

[@Heidi2003]

Loved the video. Missed this channel!

[@gonickb]

I had only recently discovered this channel, and was worried that it had stopped uploading these videos. I was so pleasantly surprised when this showed up on my Subscription uploads list though! Thank you for all your work on these things Dr. Howell, and I hope you had as much fun producing it as I have watching it!

[@johnpatz8395]

Am I the only one that was greatly amused that the volume 1 or 2 shown the cover art of the book basically has a tracked version of the Oscar Meyer wiener mobile as the spice harvester? 🤣

[@myfishisnothappy1595]

Those beautiful trees... nice touch! More alien plants next time?

[@RPGmodsFan]

Let me first state, I think like an Engineer (hence, I am a NERD). Second, as an Engineer, I never did like the Dune book, because of physics/science/etc. How can a Desert Planet devoid of plants have a breathable atmosphere? However, from a drama/entertainment perspective I did like the movies and TV series.

[@StonesSticksBones]

From the Appendix "Even shai-hulud had a place in the charts. He must never be destroyed, else spice wealth would end. But his inner digestive “factory,” with its enormous concentrations of aldehydes and acids, was a giant source of oxygen. A medium worm (about 200 meters long) discharged into the atmosphere as much oxygen as ten square kilometers of green growing photosynthesis surface."

[@RPGmodsFan]

@@StonesSticksBones That was NOT in the original book of Dune. Frank Herbert must have realized this flaw in his Dune Saga, hence created a MacGuffin excuse (of how Arrakis has a breathable atmosphere) in his later works.

[@StonesSticksBones]

@@RPGmodsFan yes it is, in Appendix I: The Ecology of Dune, that's why I said "from the Appendix"

[@RPGmodsFan]

@@StonesSticksBones My apologies, However, putting the explanation into the Appendix is a CLEAR sign of the explanation being an AFTERTHOUGHT. I read the book decades ago, and when I finished I thought "How can this book be considered the pinnacle of Science Fiction?", and I threw my copy of the book into the bin. From a Drama perspective, it is great, but not from a Sci-Fi perspective. In my opinion, Jules Vernes books are the pinnacle of Science Fiction, because many of his predictions became true.

[@dordogne]

@@RPGmodsFan actually according to "the road to dune" and Brian Herberts biography "the Ecology of Dune" was written first. Herbert had file cabinets full of the research he did before he starting writting Dune.

[@isaganipalanca8803]

Thanks for the great segment! The "Voice" which compels others to do one's bidding Lady Jessica teaches to her son Paul as a Bene Gesserit adept, has nothing to do with the spice melange . It is part of a panoply of arcane quasi-magical skill delevoped by the Bene Gesserit sisterhood.

[@Purpleturtlehurtler]

The stillsuits have pumps primarily in the feet and sternum.

[@trashcaninc.292]

How am I just finding this channel, hit the sub button so hard I almost cracked my screen

[@MKronos]

Fyi there were literally spice islands and wars for spice islands on Earth. The Dutch east India company etc were clearly inspiration for the Harkonnen, which even sounds Dutch

[@tsti1es]

Quick question: If the navigators are 'folding space' with holtzman drive, why do they need spice?

[@MrGibbonici]

They use it to plot courses through space. There are no computers in the Dune universe, so instead of calculating courses they use spice to predict them instead.

[@KalousTheGuy]

Have you ever seen or studied any lore on Krayt dragons? To say they are like Sand worms is ignoring they are in fact a Wingless dragon that does not breath fire. Four legs, dragon like head, etc. While it's easy to say the influence is easy to see. (Something I agree on) it's not so easy to say they are the same.

[@sternschnupper]

i would have whished for a bit more profound analysis of the phenomens depicted in the movie. saying an ornithopter could work because look at dragonflies is what i would expect from a casual movie nerd - from a physicist i'd expect at least an estimation of which size of wings would be needed and at what speed they need to flap. are the tips supersonic? what problems would that cause? are ornithopters even remotely feasible? same with the sandworms: yes, sand can behave quite a bit like water via vibrations and/or air. how much of each would be necessery to allow such a huge structure to move through sand? how could the animal achieve the effects in the needed scale? would it allow for that fast movement? ever? warm sandy greets from a fellow physicist ;)

[@Caspenar]

I wish the channel pointed out the things in Dune that are not scientifically correct as well. The way it's portrayed may be a bit misleading. Still, it was a very good and interesting video, just wanted to see both sides of the coin

[@nlsnlsnls]

The only benefit provided by the spice to ordinary (but very rich) people is improved health and slowed aging. Just that would be enough to make it the most precious substance in the universe. All other powers linked to spice, like prescience or genetic memory, are only possible with specific training to geneticaly modified individuals, like navigators and Bene Gesserit genetic program. The voice power or thruthsaying have nothing to do with spice consumption, they are Bene Gesserit techniques.

[@PeloquinDavid]

I'm a pretty serious Dunatic, but even I have trouble suspending my disbelief about some of what Frank Herbert wrote. Case in point: "genetic" memory - and the obvious implication that a significant portion of such "memory" is somehow linked to human X and Y chromosomes. There's only so much information than can be stored on a chromosome (especially one as tiny as the human "X" chromosome that defines the male line) and a lot of that is tasked with rather important biological functions. The mechanism for storing individual memories within the genome is also, to put it simply, "not obvious".

[@ChineduOpara]

Nice video thanks! However you forgot to talk about the blades vs. personal shields, and giant-ass spaceships.

[@ZemplinTemplar]

I think this fellow's analysis has you covered concerning the melee fighting necessistated by shields: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2fOlniggpebo6s Bear in mind, all the rules concerning shields are thrown out the window in Dune's deep desert. All shields attract sandworms, so their use is pointless, and people have to once again balance both melee and shooting in an infantry fight, rather than mostly melee.

[@DanielVerberne]

5:21 - I'll just bookmark this time-code right here for anyone needing to see that image again.

[@sailorgeer]

Great video! I always thought the most scientifically implausible part of the Dune-iverse was that the psychoactive properties of spice could extend beyond the mind of the individual and allow them to “fold space” to make interstellar travel possible. Perhaps it is indeed possible to fold space for such long distance travel but it seems to me that whatever that process is, it would require vast amounts of energy and a physics that doesn’t seem possible for a human (or even vastly altered dna like a spacing guild navigator) to generate. The other part of the story that seems implausible not for scientific reasons but human nature reasons is that the anti-computer society would persist thousands of years after the Butlerian Jihad did away with thinking machines. It seems to me that typical human incentives of greed, power, domination and rebellion against authority would have motivated some rogue group to re-invent computers to create an advantage over others.

[@avenderiel]

Spoilers ahead: The spice helps to navigate, it doesn´t fuel the traveling itself. The reason is also the answer to your other question. The spice grants limited future foretelling. The navigators were literally "feeling" the safe path for the ships. This is the ultimate point of the first book. The spacing guild and its navigators have trapped humanity in a stagnating trap. Always choosing the safe path for humanity by enforcing the "spice must flow" doctrine. They became a parasite on humanity that couldn´t survive without it. There is no innovation because the agents in power, the spacing guild, and the bene gesserit forced this path unto humanity. Paul is the change that was growing inside this weird society. Yet even he lacked the courage to follow "the Golden Path" which essentially led humanity away from spice reliance and tried to protect humanity from the "prophet" i e people that can foresee the future and lock humanity into stagnating paths. Dune is very much a story of the powers of a prophet and the paradox of seeing the future and the future being set by seeing it.

[@tsti1es]

@@avenderiel Holtzman drive is said to allow the heighliners to travel between space/time, so exactly what are the navigators navigating?

[@dordogne]

@@tsti1es its just the same sort of calculation that computers did for Apollo. Where will this planet or star be when I pass it on this trajectory? what will be the influence of it's gravity? etc ...the spice letting the navigators "fold" space was a David Lynch invention because he didn't want to explain the Holtzman drive.

[@Gregorius421]

Hey, kindred spirit, Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 are two of my favorites as well

[@diegoorozco2580]

"I'm a huge film geek" Shows footage of him being a Star Wars fanboy...

[@michaelemory552]

Fine nerdfest, dude. There is a desert dwelling skink(?) which ‘swims’ through sand. There is sand which conveys harmonic echoes of wind-driven grains. Sand physics is variable and very cool. As a structural geology nerd, I love seeing good stuff in film. The new movie I’ve yet to see, but it looks very good. Always liked the fact that there is a planetary ecologist in the story. Giger did some impressive art for “Dune”. The cover of the original paperback is beautiful with towering igneous (?) rock shiny through wind erosion. The first book is fine, the following books increasingly tedious. So read the Harvard(?) or National Lampoon heavy satire -no spice, but beer and pretzels. Hey, I live as a shut-in. Need more coffee.

[@nickstonehenge]

the space toilet part took so long i forgot this video was about dune

[@Gezajozsi]

Hey Dr. H! Can you do for all mankind next?

[@michaelmaddox2536]

This video should be labeled "known science vs cinema"

[@Globovoyeur]

I hope Dr. Howell is a member of the Science & Entertainment Exchange. He could make a real contribution.

[@zazugee]

Alan Turing thoughts experiments were made to talk about human computers and analog ones

[@priosminimus6969]

Hold on...doe the stillsuits really have the function of cooling the body when the moisture is all kept inside the hull? Usually, sweating cools because the energy to change from liquid to gas (evaporation) is extracted from the skin. If you condensate this immeditially on the stillsuit skin, the kinetic energy of the gas molecules will heat up the stillsuit...so only the heat radiation from it would have a cooling effect. And then, the suits are BLACK which on one side absorbs a lot of radiation like a solar panel but on the other side is the best heat radiation losses..depending on the frequency of the radiation/light. I LOVE the books, but also in terms of camouflage a light sand colour would have been far better, would'nt it?