Originally posted by aAnubiSs
There's a vast difference between religion, politics, foreign policy, environmental policy, and other topics of substance that affect our world in profound ways, and getting all effing bent out of shape because of fictional technology on a television show that is entirely optional, and merely entertainment.
It appears that the original poster whining about how this is all 'ridiculous and laughable' doesn't even understand what hyperspace is, according to our very primitive and theoretical understanding of it. Others have eloquently stated in this thread that yes, travel to Atlantis is possible, with sufficient power. Hell, I am allergic to math and physics and I knew that much. But that's entirely beside the point.
The story of Stargate, Atlantis, or any other show that's worth a damn is a story of the human journey. Technology is just props. Sure whizbang things and aliens are are cool, and that's part of the appeal of the genre, but that's not the heart of the story. The essential storyline is the quest for technology to save our earth, AND also a quest for wisdom, courage, justice, enlightenment. Jack, Daniel, Teal'c, Sam, Weir, McKay, Sheppard - they're all on the same journey - to be more than they are, to overcome their own internal limitations and external adversaries, to find those things that will save their people and move us to a higher plane. If the story were set in prehistoric times when all we had were stone knives and bearskins for tools, then the story would essentially be the same: fight foes (other prehistoric tribes, saber-toothed tigers, cold, hunger, sickness) through courage and wisdom, and save one's people. And it would be the same story, with slightly different details, if the story were set in Biblical times, King Arthur's Britain, the Civil War, WWII.
Read Joseph Campbell. He says it much, much better than I can.
All the technology in the world cannot save a soulless show. Stargate and Atlantis are great entertainment because they use cool technology and aliens in service of the storylines. There have been flubs as with any human enterprise, but the stories about the people are strong, consistent and compelling.
I talked to a film producer a few years ago about how a couple of films about the internet (Sandra Bullock's "The Net" is the only one I can recall by name) had not gotten a good reception, and asked would studios continue to explore that sort of story. And he said to me that the flaw was basically the storyline and characters of the film, that someone had greenlighted a story based on whizbang got-lots-of-buzz technology instead of a strong story with clear and compelling characters. He told me to think about "Broadcast News" and said "That was about television news producers. But the same story could have been told in a hospital, a law office, or a diner. Because it was a good story. Take a story, strip out the props and setting, and if it still stands, it's a good story."
Stargate and Atlantis stand. So do other good shows. That's why I watch. I recognize the complete theoretical nature of the technology and as long as the technology serves a good strong story, I'll go with it.
If a viewer is, for whatever reason, paying more attention to the technology than the story, then that viewer has stopped being engaged with the characters and the story, and yes, indeed, it is time to start watching Desperate Housewives.
in a reply to Anubis$ in this thread. I recommend it for your consideration.
Quantum physics are confusing! 
. I think some people underestimate how huge our universe is. Our galaxy alone is 100,000 ly across, I'm still supprosed the writers thought it was necessary to travel to another galaxy, as thoufgh our own wasn't a big enough setting for the show.
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