The Silo series, like The Expanse, aspires to blend intricate sociodynamics with grounded engineering realism. Or does it dig its way down? The core of both stories — scientia potentia est — is clear. Knowledge is power.
As Season 2 nears its conclusion, only those at the top know enough to govern, or, for those preferring historical materialism, to oppress. This premise, while artfully braided with fiction, mirrors the structure of our own world with uncomfortable clarity.
We face a choice: drown in distractions — Friends, TikTok, whatever comes next — or educate ourselves to dissect what’s real. To seize even a sliver of control over our finite lives.
Yet, for all its narrative ambition, Silo stumbles in its execution. Its lapses in technical and scientific rigor pile up, undermining the plausibility of its carefully imagined dystopia. Let me enumerate the most glaring examples:
- Physics of Descent: Season 1 depicts Juliette navigating the Silo’s 144 levels — one and a half kilometers of verticality… in mere minutes, often via the trash chute. Such a feat would require some serious climbing prep and stamina (been there, done that), but most importantly, significantly more time, rendering the portrayal implausible.
- Decompression Sickness Misrepresented: In Season 2, Episode 7 (“The Dive”), Juliette suffers symptoms akin to decompression sickness following a shallow dive. Such conditions typically arise from prolonged deep dives, not brief, shallow excursions.
- Submerged Electrical Motors Operating Flawlessly: Scenes show conventional electrical pumps functioning underwater, releasing bubbles yet avoiding short circuits. Without specific submersion design, such equipment would fail to start.
- Aged Insulation Defying Decay: Electrical cables are depicted running through waterlogged environments without causing electrocution. Over time, insulation degrades in such conditions, increasing the risk of electrical hazards.
- Death of Scientific Inquiry: The Silo’s society, ostensibly technologically advanced, exhibits little curiosity about its environment or history. This absence of scientific exploration feels implausibly complacent.
- No Robotic Reconnaissance: Despite their technological prowess, the inhabitants avoid deploying robots or drones to investigate the external world. Such inaction defies logic, given their reliance on AI in other domains.
- Structural Fragility: OK, a bit of a geek-out for those who build out of concrete (like myself), but the Silo’s circular walls seem to ignore non-uniform pressures and eccentric loads. Without proper design, bending and eventual failure are inevitable, yet this is entirely overlooked.
- Improbable Mobility Between Levels: Vertical travel between levels, a narrative linchpin, is portrayed as swift and effortless. Realistically, such navigation would be arduous and time-intensive.
- Instantaneous Memory Suppression: In Season 2, Episode 8, memory-erasing drugs are added to the water supply, purportedly affecting the population uniformly and instantaneously. This scenario lacks any pharmacological plausibility. As a civilization, you’re either scraping by to survive in a toxic atmosphere or mastering hippocampal manipulation — these are 2 wildly different scientific leagues.
- Crisis-Driven Maintenance: Critical systems, such as the generator, function with minimal upkeep, only becoming a focus during crises. Such neglect would result in frequent failures long before the story begins.
- Technological Asymmetry: Advanced AI coexists with the absence of basic engineering solutions, such as efficient vertical transportation. This inconsistency undermines the credibility of the Silo’s technology.
- No Redundancy in Infrastructure: Essential systems like power and water lack redundancy, a glaring flaw for a self-sustaining underground habitat.
- Resource Continuity Defies Logic: The Silo’s isolation does not impede its stable supply of food and medical resources, a logistical oversight that remains unexplained.
- Neglected Waste Systems: Waste management is barely addressed, ignoring the complexities of sanitation in a closed-loop environment.
- Psychological Isolation Untouched: The series glosses over the profound psychological toll of multigenerational confinement in an underground society, a critical omission, barely touched by “The Syndrome”.
- Simplistic Governance: The Silo’s governance is portrayed as remarkably uncomplicated, an unlikely scenario for a population of this size and isolation.
- Tidy Solutions: Complex sociotechnical challenges are often resolved with oversimplified solutions, sacrificing narrative depth for expedience.
While Silo offers a compelling exploration of control, knowledge, and oppression, its technical improbabilities erode the foundation of its otherwise impressive storytelling for more knowledgeable viewers. But hey, I did say something about most of us lacking the scientia?
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