In every sci-fi film ever

136. Terraforming

136a. Loomingly gothic and industrial terraforming equipment.

137. A character cites three historical examples, two of which are from real history, followed by a made-up one from our hypothetical future.

138. corded telephones

139a. Bafflingly ADHD-inducing GUI on large upright touchscreen computer terminal.
139b. Monochrome wireframe vector graphics on tiny CRT.

140. android/robot racism

137. A character cites three historical examples, two of which are from real history, followed by a made-up one from our hypothetical future.

― abanana, Monday, 7 January 2013 03:49 (5 hours ago) Permalink

^good one!

Classic example is the original Star Trek ep "Court Martial" where Kirk is on trial. His lawyer's closing statement goes on about human laws and rights throughout the ages: the Code of Hammurabi, the Magna Carta, the US constitution, the Martian declaration of independence and the "Statutes of Alpha 3"

141. Ancient Astronauts

142. Robots/aliens abandoning their own kind for the love of a human

ok someone's already listed that

95. interfacing with universe-inside-the-global-computer-network involves hurtling through black space/neon light ripped off from tron/early rave videos/starfox. (this may have peaked around 1999.)

― let's go do some crimes (strongo hulkington's ghost dad), Sunday, January 6, 2013 6:31 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

my favorite example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQeQvhp9ftg

143. In the book the main character is a middle-aged scientist, in the movie based on the book main character is a smart frat boy.

144. Commonplace tech used daily in the movie's era still referred to by overly elaborate and unwieldy multi-word name, as if humans somehow lost the ability for contractions in the interim

145. Space battles failing to utilise all available directions, as if it's actually a sea battle.

146. Evil plans of evil futuristic corporations that make no business sense whatsoever (thinking of Moon here specifically).

147. Invading alien army use ground infantry.

148. Invading aliens are actually after Earth's water supply.

149. Even though everything takes place in the year 2093, people still wear Ugg boots and use computer interfaces akin to the monitor display on a Acorn BBC Micro.

150. Protagonist is posting to a message board which is just text - no avatars or… oh wait.

151. Tense war room huddle around space map

152. Disgusting food served on long space trip

153. Human utopia is obviously worse than robot/alien dystopia

154. Progressive society in which racism and sexism have disappeared still strangely tolerant of using derogatory abuse for non-humans

155. Shocking discovery of dead aliens

156. Computer hacker takes mere seconds to break into highly secure system

157. Aliens all look the same and, no matter how advanced they are, have not yet got round to the concept of wearing clothes

156b. Access hinges around ridiculously obvious password written on a piece of paper in desk drawer.

158. Earth is called 'Terra' now.

159. All alien planets have one-world governments

160. The more a spaceship resembles an abandoned rustbelt steel mill, the more likely things are to get ugly. This applies double if spaceship is crewed mainly by earthy blue collar types.

161a. (pre 2008) A black president
161b. (pre 2016) A female president
161c. (post 2016) A sensible republican president

160. awkward attempt at creating a controversial situation that mimics IRL current events, cf waterboarding an alien or forcing amphibious creature that are imprisoned to wear orange jumpsuits and hoods.

see also:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZHG3pi9EDA

161. Alien races are culturally and religiously monolithic.
161b. Exceptions include conflicts between two classes that are opposite, such as the Let That Be Your Last Battlefield episode of the original Star Trek series

Didn't read the whole list, but ... doors that open with a scan of the eye/hand/thumbprint? Unhappy people with shaved heads? Interactive computers that respond to voice commands? Constant dull rumbling and the sound of water dripping in the background? The sound of things dramatically charging up (guns, machines, cars, etc.)?

162-167

168. the city/planet has weather controlled by one central computer, which goes haywire somehow (this is mainly in every 80s anime sci-fi)

169. pleather

corinthian pleather

170. Streamlined designs on spaceships that will never enter a planet's atmosphere.

A lot of 162-167 sound like the present!

171. Buildings with big fans on the top that are turning too slowly to be useful for anything.

A lot of 162-167 sound like the present!

The future is now!

172. under-lighting through grated floors

people brushing their teeth

oh wait, that's just battlestar galactica

173. character played by someone who was on Mad About You

Remnants of some long-dead precursor/progenitor galaxy-spanning alien who left tech and possibly a mystery behind for Our Hero to crack and whose imminent return after 20,000 - 10 million years will be in about 5 minutes.

This also qualifies for every sci-fi game ever.

174. Bad guy/science officer has British accent.

175

176. Oddly sterile living spaces.

177. projectile weapons

178. actors doing stuff in front of greenscreens