4 ms·

Nightfall: Can Kalgash Exist (2014)

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
mock-possum 3y ago
> We investigate the imaginary world of Kalgash, a planetary system based on the novel "Nightfall" (Asimov & Silverberg, 1991). The system consists of a planet, a moon and an astonishing six suns. The six stars cause the wider universe to be invisible to the inhabitants of the planet. The author explores the consequences of an eclipse and the resulting darkness which the Kalgash people experience for the first time. Our task is to verify if this system is feasible, from the duration of the eclipse, the "invisibility" of the universe to the complex orbital dynamics. Oh that’s fun, Nightfall is a definitely one of my favorite sci-fi stories of that era. Still makes my spine tingle just thinking about the final passage.
bruce511 3y ago
Nightfall is justly famous, and recognised as one of the best short stories ever penned, and very much a pinicle of Asimovs impressive output. It is interesting partly for being based on a discussion between editor (John W Campbell) and author based on no more than a quote from a poem by Emerson. That's all it takes. A simple quote taken and examined. It's also interesting for being written when he was only 21. Did he "peak" then? I think not - his legacy stretches far beyond Nightfall, and to my mind his Laws of Robotics have a bigger impact on society, especially now. But the story is remarkable for being unique, memorable, and self-complete. Yes, he expanded on the idea in 1990, but the story didn't need it, it was perfect as was. Rest well, Good Doctor.
- whartung 3y ago
  It was made into a movie. Well, at least one movie. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095738/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_5_tt_8_nm_0_q_nightfa https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095738/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_5_tt_8... It was really bad. I paid money for it. Did I mention it was really bad?
  - badcppdev 3y ago
    The novel version. Also bad.
  - Karellen 3y ago
    There was also that other movie which was... very much inspired by it https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0134847/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0134847/ That one is really good.
- nextaccountic 3y ago
  > It is interesting partly for being based on a discussion between editor (John W Campbell) and author based on no more than a quote from a poem by Emerson. That's all it takes. A simple quote taken and examined. What was the quote? edit: it is in the linked paper, “If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore, and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God!”
davedx 3y ago
Reminds me I need to read “Against a Dark Background” again - similar theme!
Terr_ 3y ago
[flagged]
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
lxe 3y ago
As I was exploring this topic, another good article popped up: https://planetplanet.net/2018/03/21/asimov-kalgash-take2/ https://planetplanet.net/2018/03/21/asimov-kalgash-take2/
Kurtz79 3y ago
Even being unable to see the eclipse live, I felt compelled to read Nightfall again, yesterday. One of the things I appreciate about Asimov as a scifi author is that he never goes too deeply into explaining the science or physics of his novels (no technobabbles or midichlorians), he is more interested in the Big Ideas and characters. I'm not sure that a world like Kalgash can exist, and many details about the story could be nitpicked to death, but it doesn't make it any less fascinating and complelling.
sinuhe69 3y ago
Nightfall is definitely an interesting read and I love the spirit of the paper. But I think one of the major features of the Kalagash system is its periodicity. The total eclipses may only happen in very long cycles to cause the cataclysmic panic in the story and the resulting collapse of the societies. And I think it's one of the most difficult prequisite to fulfill. Unfortunately, the authors had not attemped to consider whether such long periodicity could be possible.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

> We investigate the imaginary world of Kalgash, a planetary system based on the novel "Nightfall" (Asimov & Silverberg, 1991). The system consists of a planet, a moon and an astonishing six suns. The six stars cause the wider universe to be invisible to the inhabitants of the planet. The author explores the consequences of an eclipse and the resulting darkness which the Kalgash people experience for the first time. Our task is to verify if this system is feasible, from the duration of the eclipse, the "invisibility" of the universe to the complex orbital dynamics. Oh that’s fun, Nightfall is a definitely one of my favorite sci-fi stories of that era. Still makes my spine tingle just thinking about the final passage.

bruce511 3y ago

Nightfall is justly famous, and recognised as one of the best short stories ever penned, and very much a pinicle of Asimovs impressive output. It is interesting partly for being based on a discussion between editor (John W Campbell) and author based on no more than a quote from a poem by Emerson. That's all it takes. A simple quote taken and examined. It's also interesting for being written when he was only 21. Did he "peak" then? I think not - his legacy stretches far beyond Nightfall, and to my mind his Laws of Robotics have a bigger impact on society, especially now. But the story is remarkable for being unique, memorable, and self-complete. Yes, he expanded on the idea in 1990, but the story didn't need it, it was perfect as was. Rest well, Good Doctor.

whartung 3y ago
It was made into a movie. Well, at least one movie. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095738/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_5_tt_8_nm_0_q_nightfa https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095738/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_5_tt_8... It was really bad. I paid money for it. Did I mention it was really bad?
- badcppdev 3y ago
  The novel version. Also bad.
- Karellen 3y ago
  There was also that other movie which was... very much inspired by it https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0134847/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0134847/ That one is really good.
nextaccountic 3y ago
> It is interesting partly for being based on a discussion between editor (John W Campbell) and author based on no more than a quote from a poem by Emerson. That's all it takes. A simple quote taken and examined. What was the quote? edit: it is in the linked paper, “If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore, and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God!”

davedx 3y ago

Reminds me I need to read “Against a Dark Background” again - similar theme!

Terr_ 3y ago

[flagged]

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

lxe 3y ago

As I was exploring this topic, another good article popped up: https://planetplanet.net/2018/03/21/asimov-kalgash-take2/ https://planetplanet.net/2018/03/21/asimov-kalgash-take2/

Kurtz79 3y ago

Even being unable to see the eclipse live, I felt compelled to read Nightfall again, yesterday. One of the things I appreciate about Asimov as a scifi author is that he never goes too deeply into explaining the science or physics of his novels (no technobabbles or midichlorians), he is more interested in the Big Ideas and characters. I'm not sure that a world like Kalgash can exist, and many details about the story could be nitpicked to death, but it doesn't make it any less fascinating and complelling.

sinuhe69 3y ago

Nightfall is definitely an interesting read and I love the spirit of the paper. But I think one of the major features of the Kalagash system is its periodicity. The total eclipses may only happen in very long cycles to cause the cataclysmic panic in the story and the resulting collapse of the societies. And I think it's one of the most difficult prequisite to fulfill. Unfortunately, the authors had not attemped to consider whether such long periodicity could be possible.