Art in STEM, Tuesday, January 9, 2024

[heroic_jawline]

"Welcome to our first class," Steve said with a far-too-awake grin at the students. "This semester we're exploring how art and STEM--science, technology, engineering, mathematics--work together. Or sometimes, how they need to so you don't send things that are both ugly and useless out into the world."

Tony was less awake, but had a coffee as large as his head. Which helped. "A prime example of why it's needed is... this thing here," he said, gesturing at an image of a specific vehicle. Did he have a look of revulsion at it? Yes, yes he did. This was some Justin Hammer design aesthetic.

Steve was giving the image his judgiest, Captain America is Disappointed in You, look. "This is the Tesla Cybertruck," he said. "And it really looks like that. On purpose."

Every part of his artist's heart was insulted, you guys.

"And it's just shoddy design on a purely practical level too!" Tony said, gesturing at it. "How this could ever hit the market is a testament to how lax safety standards are."

You know. Said the guy who tested out a flying suit of armor on himself.

"It has proprietary tires that don't work in the snow," Steve said, nodding.

"So, as our welcome to the class... join us in judging this thing," Tony said with a grin. Because how better to bond as people?

"And offer suggestions on how to improve it," Steve said, "even if it means starting from scratch."

Comments

Sign in 1/9

[heroic_jawline]

Judging. Judging SO HARD.

Re: Sign in 1/9

[outofthequiver]

Liberty Hazlett

Re: Sign in 1/9

[regulationslacker]

Beckett Mariner

Re: Sign in 1/9

[two_idiots_one_body]

Arthur Lester (and John Doe)

Re: Sign in 1/9

[no_missing_piece]

Beta

Re: Sign in 1/9

[noonedecidesmyfate]

Belle

Listen to the lecture

[heroic_jawline]

This truck hurts the souls of both teachers. It's ugly and stupid.

Make suggestions!

[heroic_jawline]

"Nuke from orbit" is a suggestion!

Oh, maybe say who you are, too. The guys got caught up in the judging and forgot to mention that.

Re: Make suggestions!

[regulationslacker]

Starfleet was into very aesthetically pleasing vehicles. This was very much not.

"I'm going to go with an entirely different car."

Re: Make suggestions!

[heroic_jawline]

"What would yours do differently, other than everything?" Steve asked.

Re: Make suggestions!

[regulationslacker]

"Not suck," Mariner said confidently. "I mean, even the shuttlecraft we're working on back home looks better, and it started off as salvage."

Indeed, the Sequoia was magnificent machine.

Re: Make suggestions!

[imafuturist]

"Burn it to the ground," Tony agreed wholeheartedly.

Re: Make suggestions!

[two_idiots_one_body]

"Arthur Lester," Arthur said, a little distractedly. John was busy describing the thing to him, but Arthur was stuck on one thing so far. "Proprietary tires? They're round circles of rubber!"

Re: Make suggestions!

[heroic_jawline]

Steve nodded. "So they can't be swapped out for tires that grip in winter weather."

Why. Whyyyy.

Re: Make suggestions!

[two_idiots_one_body]

"But tires exist already!" Arthur protested. "They're simple things - why would you want to literally redesign the wheel?"

Re: Make suggestions!

[heroic_jawline]

"I think it's like why every electronic needs its own, slightly different plug," Steve said. "Money and selfishness."

Re: Make suggestions!

[two_idiots_one_body]

"I thought they just all used electricity differently," Arthur said cluelessly.

Re: Make suggestions!

[imafuturist]

"Because more money," Tony said with an annoyed sigh. Which was possibly some glass houses because also a billionaire.

Re: Make suggestions!

[two_idiots_one_body]

"But why would anybody want to buy - let alone repurchase - something so impractical as proprietary tires that don't work?" Arthur asked.

Re: Make suggestions!

[imafuturist]

"Oh, you might be surprised what people will buy to feel unique."

Like chandeliers. Tony.

Re: Make suggestions!

[two_idiots_one_body]

"Aren't these mass-produced?" Arthur asked.

Re: Make suggestions!

[no_missing_piece]

"That looks like something Ted Faro would have come up with," Beta said with a truly monumental level of disdain.

Come on, Beta, that's unfair. To Ted Faro, who actually did have some useful contributions before his ego completely got the better of him. True, Elisabet had a lot to do with that, but still.

She touched her Focus to do a quick scan of the thing and made a strangled noise of disgust. "Impractical, untested, riddled with fatal design flaws. I'd scrap it completely. Trying to fix this would be pointless. An inefficient use of time."

She wouldn't have realized it, but she sounded a lot like Elisabet chewing out Ted Faro in those old Project Zero Dawn recordings.

... for good reason, let's be real.

Re: Make suggestions!

[heroic_jawline]

"Who's Ted Faro?" Steve asked.

Was it another name to list on Tony's increasingly long document of 'people who should never engineer'?

Re: Make suggestions!

[no_missing_piece]

Beta sighed. "He ran the largest and most successful corporation in the history of my Earth a millennium ago. Faro Automated Solutions. Robotics, software. Everything from personal tech to worldwide military applications."

She shot the truck another glare.

"He was extremely shortsighted, wrapped up in the idea of his own genius. Didn't give due consideration to possibilities for failure. His war machines..."

She trailed off, shaking her head.

Re: Make suggestions!

[heroic_jawline]

"Ohhhh," Steve said, nodding. "Tony has opinions about those kinds of engineers."

Re: Make suggestions!

[imafuturist]

"I see Justin Hammer in it," Tony replied. "I'm going to assume they're all in the same sort of group."

Re: Make suggestions!

[no_missing_piece]

Beta did a quick search on that name, wrinkled her nose, and nodded.

"I would say they fit in the same broad category, yes."

Re: Make suggestions!

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"I'm not certain it has any redeeming features," Belle said. "Though I don't have much understanding of trucks at all."

Talk to Steve and Tony!

[heroic_jawline]

Who will probably never stop judging this thing.

OOC

[heroic_jawline]

Re: OOC

[deathsmajesty]

Carwashes destroy them

Re: OOC

[no_missing_piece]

Every time I see a Tesla going through the carwash, I let out such an ugly laugh. It's a full Pavlovian response by now.

Re: OOC

[two_idiots_one_body]

No no, that's the cars. The truck will totally float once they fix the cabin seals. Definitely.

Re: OOC

[heroic_jawline]

Because it's a truck boat. Just like when my 6 year old draws stuff.

Re: OOC

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

I think that's an insult to your 6 year old. They could probably draw better.

Re: OOC

[two_idiots_one_body]

It's not aerodynamic or built for hauling! Why would you even do that??