Neil deGrasse Tyson Complains That “Dune 2” Isn’t a Shining Beacon of Scientific Accuracy
Neil deGrasse Tyson Complains That “Dune 2” Isn’t a Shining Beacon of Scientific Accuracy
Famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has scientific bones to pick with Dune's sand-thumping and worm movements.
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When the planet's massive sandworms move, they barrel forward in a straight line. But as Tyson points out, pretty much all legless, worm or snake-like creatures on Earth have to slither in S-shaped lines if they want to move forward.
"Have you ever seen a snake chase you as a straight snake? No!"
Has he ever seen an earthworm???
Sand worms have pulsating segments. Sure snakes slither but they can also move forward by pulsing. This isn’t some impossible thing.
Or maybe this snake doesn’t exist?
That's not mysterious. It's one of the methods snakes use to move forward across terrain that doesn't have things to push sideways off of when they slither. Everyone knows this. Neil knows this. He's just too busy being an ass to remember that he knows it.
It clearly ingests and expels sand for rocket-like propulsion, but Neil can't even get cool with it.