If we think about comic series the last decades, in which the science be very present, The Big Bang Theory This is usually the first thing that comes to mind. However there are others, for example The Simpsons, in which, although not so obvious, scientific knowledge It’s also everywhere. Not just because it’s obvious that the writers know the laws of physics or understand many concepts of biology. And also because they inspired many scientists in their work.
It is known that The Simpsons They are great predictors of the future. Many historical phenomena were seen in one of their episodes several years or even decades before they occurred. And with the science something similar happens. Before entering our lives, the series introduced a large number of technological inventions. Sometimes for pure coincidence and others because some fan of the story was inspired by it.
In this article we will look at examples of both. Some of the inventions or scientific discoveries we feature originated in The Simpsons and then in real life, perhaps by simple chance. Others, however, are the result of the inspiration that this fun series has always had on scientists.
The curious case of Tomako de The Simpsons
In that Chapter 231, broadcast in Season 11 in 1999, mentions a tomato. The Simpsons They have just moved to the farm and Homer decides. mix tomato and tobaccousing radiation. The result is a plant that tastes bad but is highly addictive. Almost the same as smoking. The tobacco company is going to buy the crop, but does not have time, as a pack of drug addicts devours the tobacco and destroys the plantation.
This is what happens in the series. But the tomato also exists in real life. In fact, even before this episode aired, a magazine article discussed the possibility of grafting between both plants. Scientific Americanin 1959. And tobacco and tomatoes nightshade plants, hence can be vaccinated each other. That is, you can use a fragment of one of them and attach it to the body of the other, so that both reproduce as a single organism. So according to this article, tomatoes can produce nicotinea substance that not only causes addiction in humans, but also very effectively repels insect pests.
We don’t know if this 1959 article will inspire the film’s writers. The Simpsons. What is certain is that the episode, aired 40 years later, inspired a fan of the series to finally create tomato. We’re talking about an American Rob Baur, who finally carried out this vaccination in 2003. Tests have shown that the tomato plant does indeed contain nicotine in its leaves. He managed to get a tomato.
Sarcasm detector
In that episode 225aired in season 10 in 1999. sarcasm detector invented by him Professor Frink. The device, which has become the protagonist of numerous Internet memes, is capable of detecting whether a person is speaking sarcastically. And that’s exactly what artificial intelligence algorithm developed by scientists at the University of Berkeley and the University of Washington in 2016. Although they weren’t unconditional fans The Simpsonsas the person responsible for tomako, it’s more than likely that there was some inspiration in the series.
Where applicable, it is not used with voice recordings or human conversations. on sitebut it is very effective with written texts. It is very interesting that the algorithm was trained on Twitter. Tweets used included hashtag #sarcasmso it was clear what it was sarcastic text. Thus, the AI incorporated speech features associated with sarcasm and was able to detect it in other texts that did not have labels. Moreover, the likelihood of success was much higher if information from the person who wrote the text was included.
Besides possible tribute The Simpsonsthis sarcasm detector can be very useful for filter information useful from something that is not true because it was said in a sarcastic manner.
Block the Sun, but for different purposes
In episodes 128 and 129 The SimpsonsMr. Burns tells Smithers about the evil plan. strives use a screen to block the sun in Springfield, so citizens have to resort to nuclear power for lighting.
More than two decades after the episode aired, another millionaire, Bill Gates, formulated a similar plan, albeit with a completely different goal. In collaboration with geoengineers from Harvard University and with the support of the current President of the United States, Joe Bidendeveloped a project to block part of the solar radiation that reaches the Earth through the release of aerosols into the stratosphere calcium or sulfur carbonate. The purpose of this project, called SKOPEX is to reduce the harmful effects global warming.
Although it seems scientifically viable, there is no certainty about its safety, so there is talk of keeping it as a last resort. In addition, many detractors of the project have appeared, who, logically, associate it with the evil tycoon The Simpsonswithout even knowing if the project has some inspiration or is just a coincidence.
Toad The Simpsons
Continuing with the story of Mr. Burns, there is a toad whose name is inspired by him. This is a toad floor Rinelladiscovered in Colombia in 2010. One of the people responsible for the discovery, Robert Mooreis a big fan The Simpsonsso he did not hesitate to dub him the Simpsons’ toad, seeing that his aquiline nose was very similar to that of the evil millionaire.
But his nose is not his only feature. These toads are very rare for two reasons. On the one hand, because they skip the tadpole phase. Cubs are born already formed from eggs. On the other hand, due to its size, it is only 3 or 4 centimeters in length.
Regardless, it is a colloquial name and should not be confused with another toad called Osornophrine Simpsonswhich was officially named after its discoverer, Dr. Nigel Simpson.
Lisa’s wedding
If there is a chapter The Simpsons in which many scientific advances are manifested, it is undoubtedly the one at Lisa’s wedding. It imagines a future in which the characters have logically aged. But they also use a lot of really futuristic gadgets to 1995year of issue.
Among them are the watches with which her fiancé talks on the phone, and the video chat through which Lisa communicates with her mother. And also virtual reality glasses in which Bart plays billiards.
These may not necessarily be inventions inspired by The Simpsons. However, what is clear is that today smartwatches, Skype and Oculus Rift They are a reality that shows that this future was much more than fiction. And this is a great superpower The Simpsons: guess the future. It’s normal that scientists want to be inspired by them.
Source: Hiper Textual
