Watching Netflix's version of The Three Body Problem (the Chinese one was better)

[atothej@kolektiva.social]

@enriquericos Kinda look like tactile push button switches, but with a custom prop cap.

Edit: I should clarify that you'll probably want to be searching exclusively for the heavy duty ones to maximise similarity.

[blotosmetek@circumstances.run]

@dzwiedziu @enriquericos Nope, those aren't isostat; notice how they are mounted in the board – with a nut, similarly to this bistable switch:

[raymaccarthy@mastodon.ie]

@dzwiedziu @enriquericos
Those buttons on a bar can be momentary, in any position, and any number at one end can latch separately. There is a U hook for latching and a sliding bar with spring at one end for interlock, hence buttons not interlocked only at the opposite end.

But the ones in the image are not that kind. They are separate push button switches and relatively common for the last 50 years. Less common now.

[raymaccarthy@mastodon.ie]

@gcvsa @enriquericos
I doubt they are optical. They are a niche much more expensive product needing power & ground. They are also limited in what can be switched. DC ratings often 1/5th of AC rating on a mechanical switch, due to risk of arcing with DC, so 50 V DC & 250 V AC at 1A is common.

[enriquericos@mastoart.social]

@AtotheJ I can always make the caps myself. Looking for heavy duty is a good idea, thank you!

[robertsmith@theforkiverse.com]

@enriquericos I'm no button expert but agree this looks very cool and appears to have great tactile feedback.

Love all that OG #analogue electronic gear, switches, button, levers and potentiometers. Very cool for #RaspberryPi or #esp32 projects.

[enriquericos@mastoart.social]

@raymaccarthy @gcvsa Everything I like turns out to be expensive 😩 But thank you! I'm learning a lot from all your replies.

[enriquericos@mastoart.social]

@robertsmith I couldn't agree more. Recently I discovered the term "cassette futurism", you might be into that too:

https://aesthetics.fandom.com/wiki/Cassette_Futurism

[raymaccarthy@mastodon.ie]

@enriquericos @gcvsa See

https://ie.farnell.com/c/switches-relays/switches/standard-pushbutton-switches

Similar suppliers in every country. In Germany retail there is Conrad.

Likely 20c each on eBay or Alibaba etc.

[tartley@fosstodon.org]

@enriquericos The thing to bear in mind about The Three Body Problem is that, like any work of commercial art in China, the author was very mindful of what the government would allow to be sold. Hence, in it, *all* characters act out of selfish, evil or insane motivations (e.g. selling out the human race to hostile invading aliens because they would prefer humanity be extinguished to protect the environment.), and the only force for good, preventing chaos, is the government

[enriquericos@mastoart.social]

@raymaccarthy @gcvsa Now we're talking, even I can afford this. Thank you!

[tartley@fosstodon.org]

@enriquericos In this way, the book continually justifies why a government needs absolute power over everything citizens do, so that it can save us from ourselves, even in extreme situations where the government is forced to use violence against its own citizens, for the greater good. It is an unapologetic defense of authoritarianism.

[enriquericos@mastoart.social]

@tartley I decided to watch the Netflix version to check exactly that 😅

[tartley@fosstodon.org]

@enriquericos Given the author's real-world high profile comments in defense of the Chinese government's "re-education" (e.g. sterilization) camps for ethnic minorities, ("Would you rather they were in the subway, committing crimes?" he said) this stance does not sit comfortably with me.

[gcvsa@mstdn.plus]

@enriquericos @raymaccarthy I was not suggesting the switches in the photo are optical switches. There are literally thousands of different kinds of similar switches.

I'm simply saying that if you want to build a thing, optical switches are one type of switch that is available, that they are pretty cool, and that they might do what you want them to do better than mechanical switches.

[bekopharm@indieweb.social]

@enriquericos @robertsmith this is always on my mind when I add new buttons to my panels 🤓

[gcvsa@mstdn.plus]

@enriquericos @raymaccarthy My actual educational background is in Theatre Design, and that includes prop design (which includes building custom things and making them look old and worn).

The button caps are likely custom made and affixed to modern switches, although it would not at all surprise me if they are vintage commercial pieces. There's a lot of surplus vintage electronics out there in the world, and you'd only need a small number for a television or film production.

[tartley@fosstodon.org]

@enriquericos The author is a fascist, and his story is a justification for fascism, and any analysis or judgement of the work ought to bear that in mind.

The sadly common, unqualified observation "I love this book/series", is an indication of how low we have sunk in our ability to understand what we are watching or reading.

[enriquericos@mastoart.social]

@tartley Damn, I'm thinking about it. When I saw the Chinese version I was under the impression that he was criticizing the things you're saying he promotes.

I might have missed the point entirely 😩

[tartley@fosstodon.org]

@enriquericos You might be right, I have not watched the show, and am only assuming it is in the same spirit as the book. Perhaps they pulled a Starship Troopers on it!