Physicist Reviews Black Mesa Research Facility
Вставка
- Опубліковано 16 чер 2024
- Hello fellow scientists and engineers, I am QuanticDev, and even though I develop software, I studied semiconductor physics and electronics. I also worked at my university's nuclear research institute in the particle accelerator facility, designing control systems for about two years. In this video, I will review the infamous Black Mesa Research Facility. I will try to compare it to a real nuclear research facility, though I'm pretty sure that Lord Gaben didn't budge on the scientific accuracy of his creation.
In the video, I will show you what a real a nuclear research lab looks like. I will also demonstrate the control systems of the facility. During my time in the nuclear research lab, I've created the first design of the control systems of the facility. And I've also written the first version of the facility control system software. After two years, I jumped 100% into software engineering so I couldn't witness the finalization of the project. However, I should still have a pretty good understanding of these types of research labs, so let's jump in and asses Black Mesa!
Tip: Black Mesa, the infamous research facility built around an abandoned Cold War ICBM launch silo in the New Mexico desert. It is the research site that the game Half-Life takes place initially. The inspiration for Black Mesa comes from Los Alamos National Security Science Lab, which was established for the Manhattan Project to design the first atomic bomb.
My "University of Ankara, TAC Particle Accelerator Control Systems" document. This is the very first draft of the controller systems of my university's particle accelerator, which I've written during my work there:
* soygul.com/tac-control-systems
Demo of the nuclear research lab control system software that I've written during my time in the research lab:
* • EPICS .NET: Particle A...
If you want to read more about the Black Mesa Research Facility:
* combineoverwiki.net/wiki/Blac...
* half-life.fandom.com/wiki/Bla...
If you want to read more about the Los Alamos National Security Science Lab, which is the inspiration for Black Mesa:
* en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Ala...
- - - - - - - - - - -
/ quanticdev
/ quantic_dev
quanticdev.com - Наука та технологія
In coming videos, I will talk more about my past in the nuclear research lab that I worked and developed control systems for. Switching from physics/electronics to software was not easy, but it was well worth the effort for me. Hit that bell button not to miss the upcoming videos. I'll see you again soon.
Well Black Mesa is supposed to be a mid 1990 scientific research facility. CRT's and more manual controls are more common here.
info for you: black mesa isn't JUST a research lab. it's a dam, weapons testing facility, and satellite rocket launch area.
Satellite, that's how you spell it
honestly black mesa is just the science place
@@humanleader184 well it was
That last one makes very little sense. We launch from the coasts for a reason: there's a lot less stuff for spent stages to hit. With ICBMs sure it's not the main driver of damage, but with space launches you generally want to be a little cleaner.
But yeah, the security makes sense when you remember they're working on stuff like teleportation and xenobiology. And the implications they knew the resonance cascade was going to happen...
@@AlleghenyAlternations sure but they could ship it to Florida for roughly-equatorial orbits or California for polar ones.
Some parts of the facility look much more realistic than others. Much later in the game there's an underground nuclear power plant that powers the facility, that you have to turn on, and some parts of it it actually looks a lot like a real nuclear power plant might look like inside.
I really like it when game developers incorporate realistic elements into their designs. It definitely adds a lot to the immersion. I guess especially true if you recognize those elements.
@@QuanticDev i love it when its realistic enough you can identify it as part of real architectural styles instead of game'y architecture, black mesa really does resemble a facility that was expanded upon over the 70s 80s and 90s like many real american buildings with large footprints
"I assume this rocket is for scientific purposes" ahahahaha
And based on the several alien life forms you see them keeping in Questionable Ethics and the highly experimental teleport stuff in Lambda Core and Anomalous Materials, I really don't blame the massive amount of security they have everywhere.
Add the gravity guns to the list. Better safe than sorry... or so they must have thought.
"What happens in Black Mesa stays in Black Mesa"
Well, when you're a top secret facility running on DoD funding and conducting teleportation experiments and making contact with different worlds with their own flora and fauna, you're gonna want to keep that under wraps.
true.. especially when the lab is called "anomalous materials lab"
@@QuanticDev And ironically, that's probably the least conspicuous area of the facility. It's what it says - an area where anomalous ("weird", "unusual") materials are handled and experimented on.
honestly you should look at this from the idea that this is a research lab from around the 90s to early 2000s,
I'm not sure when Black Mesa got their systems it could've been earlier.
There's also the fact that Black Mesa _was_ also originally some decommissioned military base from the Cold War. So some of the things might be from that.
Good point. Some of the panels (especially the power plant control systems) look like it's from WW II, whereas the server rooms upstairs look like they were freshly built. A good example of ancient tech powering brand-new stuff. Not a safety hazard at all...
4:48 - A cargo helicopter, I assume.
Yes, this heli brings cargo. In form of 8 to 16 Hellfire missiles.
and a 30mm chaingun
lmao
actually this game takes place in the timeline of 1998, so maybe that is why they are still sticking to old school control panels than computers. Nice video anyways, got to learn new stuff
Actually it takes place during the 2000's. Never specified when only that's it's the 2000's. I like to think it takes place in 2000 - 2001
@@2PRO_4U_2NO Gordon doesn't needs to hear all this, he is a highly trained professional
For simple repetitive actions, nothing beats a control panel with big lights and buttons. You still find them on a lot of scientific equipment, even the new stuff.
@@2PRO_4U_2NO i believe it is canonically set in 2003.
Yup, we had giant old-school gauges and giant red/green buttons on our ~2010 built equipment in our research lab too. Grabbing the mouse and the keyboard in the event of an emergency is a big no-no. However, the lower levels at the end of the game (power reactor) really look like WW II stuff. New on old build.. very typical of government labs.
You should make more videos like this, it was really enjoying to watch
I'm working on one as I write this!
Great video, dude. It's so cool to know that real scientists play Half-Life!
Of course. It's still the best game ever made in my book. It would be a shame if we didn't!
What
Black Mesa wasn't just a nuclear research facility, it became part civilian with military capabilities.
Hh yes, very much true. With a ~10K headcount, they must have been even researching teleportation, gravity guns, and a giant rocket.. for reasons (I'm referring to the blast pit level)
@@QuanticDev The rockets weren't exactly a secret. Black Mesa has both working and defunct silos used for launching satellites.
Great Video but there wasn't any mention of wearing ridiculous ties
Oh shoot, I forgot about it! In black mesa version, they even move and flap around ridiculously.
i like to imagine black mesa is what scp facilities look like
It would be fun to see some SCP references in some games actually!
This is an old video but theres SCP: 5K which takes place in Area 12 and has a linear campaign
"The entire army is here" Very soon my friend very soon.
ow, Half-Life 2 review inbound!
The mantis robot is used for transporting crates.
True, thanks for the clarification. They would make one hell of a ride.
I believe there have been mods made for the original version of Half-Life that let you explore the facility, pre-disaster. Seems like that might be ideal for this type of video.
4:47 *Sees Apache attack helicopter* “ah yes, transport helicopter”
Love this! It’s like hearing Gordon Freeman’s thoughts/narration sometimes :) Thank you for sharing your knowledge
Gordon doesn't need to hear all this he's a highly trained professional
well true, the guy is from MIT & also very good at using a crowbar..
Fascinating video, I've always wanted to see what a real scientist would think of Black Mesa
I would work there. That's what I think of it!
@@QuanticDev until a catastrophic dimensional tear ensues, that is!
@@rey4874 Yeah, if he wears a HEV that is.
I love that you called the Apache AH-64 Attack Helecopter a cargo helicopter haha.. Nothing suspicious about seeing that in a research base.. Cool commentary either way :P
I think most of the Black Mesa and Aperture Science compounds are built around old salt mines, which end up looking like this, HUGE CAVERNS, extreme sizes. NaCL forms extremely stable formations, but is easy to mine out. That's also the reason why the complex seems so spread out.
only aperature is a mine, northern michigan is know for that while black mesa is old missle silos expanded upon for half a century
Black Mesa (a bulk of it anyway) is apparently built into Cold War-era bunkers bought from the US government, which explains the presence of silos.
What a wonderful video, really like how you compare a real research facility to Black Mesa. Is really interesting to get a perspective from a real Physicist from a real research facility. Love it very much and was a bit shock on how the Black Mesa development team actually got some things right. Also, explain on how everything works and how it stays working smoothly. Amazing video over all!
I hope you know that black mesa is a community recreation of half life so it will be better and have realistic aspects.Otherwise good video!
Yes I know. It's a much much better than the original Half-Life as I remembered it. Enough to raise another Half-Life generation of scientists.
This was quite a treat to watch! And quite a nostalgic trip down the memory lane for those of us, who are the 90s kids and still remember the original HL1 release. 😅
I should point out that in the original game, OSHA would’ve had a field day.
Transit systems going over hazardous materials, questionable experiments, first class (!) safety practices.. oh yes, I can imagine. It sure makes for an exciting game though.
@@QuanticDev The version in the remake is more compliant. Of course, gameplay-wise, progression requires you to go against the safety guidelines
True. I now think that I should have made the review on the original one.
@@QuanticDev Even the original at least has the excuse of "giving the fabric of reality the mother of all atomic wedgies caused massive structural damage". Assuming you continue this into the actual gameplay, wait until you see JUST how badly everything got busted
@@lyokianhitchhiker Well, thanks for the fair warning. I'll finish both when the Blue Shift mod is finalized: www.moddb.com/mods/black-mesa-blue-shift-remake
'' cargo helicopter '' Nah thats an Apache Gunship military grade attack helicopter
I checked it out and it's actually true. "The AH-64 Apache is a US military attack helicopter used by the HECU and the Black Ops during the Black Mesa Incident". Well well, the more I learn about Black Mesa.
@@QuanticDev Also, you should check out the Anti Mass Spectromiter and Teleportation Technologys, as well as XEN
@@HECU.Corpsman I will. I will check their scientific accuracy also and maybe make a full vid for the entire game. Also, the discussion here is epic: www.reddit.com/r/AskScienceFiction/comments/1sqzis/halflife_how_exactly_does_an_antimass/
@@QuanticDev Also, i think you'll have fun explaining the T.A.U Cannon and G.L.U.O.N Gun. (( By the way, to explain these being here, Black Mesa is a major weapons resaercher and manufactorer. And After the Resonance Cascade all the security will make sense ))
@@HECU.Corpsman One correction. The Tau Cannon and Gluon Gun aren't acronyms.
Taus are an elementary particle similar to the electron while Gluons are an elementary particle that acts as the exchange particle (or gauge boson) for the strong force between quarks.
I was PDM at Black Mesa back in the 90s
I'd take a Jeep to all of the above ground stations in the area and then I'd check the stations within the facility itself
Great job! Lots of independence with no one look over your shoulder.
Sometimes I'd park the Jeep at a quiet corner and have lunch, listen to the radio talk
Every once in awhile, I'd catch a freight lift to the underground and eat in one of the many cafeterias and chat with the researchers there - you'd be surprised how many of them would casually talk about "classified" research, lol
and occasionally smuggle the gravity gun out of the labs for some fun
So what I got from this is that the half-life scientist ai are somewhat accurate according to his description of his co-workers.
Yes, it seems like the Half-Life developers did a pretty good job of capturing the essence of scientists and their behaviors. Of course, there is some exaggerations for the sake of entertainment.. Now only if I didn't forget my gravity gun at the lab
I love the "office space" reference in black mesa
Good catch! Now I'm deadly curious if there are red staplers lying around in the facility. I'll check!
You should review the original Half-Life and its expansions
I will do it.. but with a scientific look.
@@QuanticDev opposing force , a US army, Blue shift, a Security Guard.
@@QuanticDev i'm looking forward on the explanation that hey have about portals in the expansion packs. heh
Well, there is a bit of a difference between your research institute. It is much bigger! They research biology, chemistry, physics, weapons development, and much more. Also the place you start the ride is the living quarters, or at least very close to it.
Ofc, my institute was ~50 people, Mesa (or Los Alamos) is ~10K. They better be researching everything with that kind of combined brain power.
You should replace the fandom wiki link with the combine overwiki since that’s the better half life wiki
Thanks for the suggestion. It looks to be a much better and detailed source of info. I put it above the fandom link, and left fandom there for people who want a brief summary.
bloody brilliant
4:55 that aint no cargo helicopter lol that's an attack helicopter. You can see the missile selves on the side.
Dang it, I missed that. Maybe they don't want surprise visitors from other dimensions.. I also have an unstoppable desire to make an "I identify as an attack helicopter...".. nvm nvm
Wow nice video, you are so underrated
Super cool video.
Video very underrated.
This is really interesting and informative. I’m designing this huge underground research facility for my sci-fi series and came across this because I’m a huge half life fan. What are some things that media gets wrong about these type of work environments?
that was an AH-64 apache, not a cargo helicopter. If im correct, its for military weapons research.
harika olmuş.
"This should shake up those Grand Unification boys, hm?"
"Are you sure you checked the Eigen attenuators?"
"Are you running those tunneling lattice calculations again?"
The best 1998 has to offer.
I want to see this dude react to the original half life facility
i would love more scientists to take a look at the Half-Life world. Am curious what other physicists would think of both remake and the original Black Mesa as a whole.
All hail lord Gaben, let he bless us with exquisite Steam sales.
Amen! Also, those Lord Gaben photoshops are top-notch.
Indeed some huge lobbys or waiting areas in the game, which you shouldn't expect inside a real science lab. Entrance halls like this are more to expect in public areas, like a show room, a hotel, or whereever many guests are expected and wanted to be impressed, but not deep inside a research facility, where the scientific personal is just passing by. But of course this was designed for the message that black mesa is just gigantic in size with an unlimited pool of money.
The always present security personal also made me smile. Concealment is one thing, but an armed guard at every third internal door, whose only job is to open the door for a scientist... a lot of 30k $/yr salarys that have to be earned.
Your forgetting the fact that the game takes place somewhere in betweem the late 90s and 2000
You're right actually. Considering the time period, it would be interesting to see how the technology of the Black Mesa Research Facility compares to real-world tech-labs of that era (i.e. Los Alamos itself). If I was back in college, I would ask my professors.. but alas
Very enjoyable to watch, please comment the resto f the facility.
4:45 that is an apache gunship, not a "cargo helicopter", I agree a transport would make a lot more sense but I think its purpose is to patrol the vast out lying perimeter of the Black Mesa facility for intruders (human presumably).
this isn't the real black mesa, it's just a "fan" made one.
true, should have been clearer about that. but they are one heck of fans, working on the mod for a decade or so
Do PC's and Servers in the facilities you worked in run Windows or Linux (or a mix of both)?
TPS reports and the request to come in on Saturday are a reference to the Office Space movie.
half life, the game this is absed off of, has an expansion called decay which i hear has a section in the dormitories, but both other expansions and the original game itself have quite an expansive map of the facility. in fact half life i spired me to design a fictional research base of my own that i call titan forge
You are a scientist. How long before we have fusion power? Since I was a teen in the 80's, it has always been just 1 decade away.
Well, mini fusion reactors are already here: www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/compact-fusion.html
The only problem is that they consume more energy than they produce. The most authoritative figure in the subject says that he won't live to see fusion in action so I might agree with him: sciencebusiness.net/news/iter-chief-i-wont-live-see-benefits-fusion-i-will-help-us-get-there
@@QuanticDevheard that recently there has been a replicated test that produced a small amount of power in the last month or two so not long now hopefully!
You should say "i will see you up ahead" in the end.
maaan, that's a missed opportunity. I should have dressed as the G-Man even to appear at the end of the vid... next time, when they finish the Blue Shift mod: www.moddb.com/mods/black-mesa-blue-shift-remake
Half-Life is set in the year 2000, so keep that in mind when looking at everything.
that its happening because of the anomalous materieals lab witch if making extremely high demage at the facility
yup that's true. should have mentioned the anomalous materials lab as the genesis of all events. thanks for adding it
@@QuanticDev no worries+i love your vids
could you do this for the original game if you haven't already?
I actually want to do this for the Blue Shift mod first, as soon as it is finished: www.moddb.com/mods/black-mesa-blue-shift-remake
though bringing one of my professors for a commentary on the original one is a fabulous idea! I'll consider that
@@QuanticDev I have a bias against black mesa but also the original game is a lot more goofy with its random science fiction technology and rampant workplace safety violations so it would probably be a very joke centered video if you did that. I look forward to that next video though!
Black Mesa is alot more cluttered than O.G HL1, I recommend also checking the original HL1 out too.
yup, good suggestion. I'm actually thinking of bringing one of my professors for an actual commentary on the original one.. now I wonder how many of 'em played the game
@QuanticDev Very nice, also I really like how despite it being a late response you still responded. I love when content creators respond to comments
@@zebitus5731 And I like it when there are very diverse opinions. It's like being back in a class.
2:09 funny that you say that....
hehe, including Gordon
@@QuanticDev i was talking about the millitary cleanup that happens in the game. they kill everyone, including the scientists
Yup 👍 I also meant the scientists with "Gordon"
is the lambda comlex a good nuclear reactor ?
if you're looking for a good nuclear reactor, it's always best to stick with the ones that don't open portals to other dimensions. 😉
@@QuanticDev i think thats actually a good feature
Agreed, but only for the kind doesn't randomly teleport you to Xen
Handsome lady killer black dude old balding man with glasses
if ur gonna reveiw black mesa you gotta review aperture
Whoa, "Overwhelmingly Positive (18,927)" on Steam. I'll check it out, thanks!
Such a shame, original content being underrated
Well, copying is the first step toward originality. Original Half-Life is my favorite game for life.. and probably the best game ever made.
TARLA? bugday
yeah... unfortunate acronym (or unfortunate choice of name)
Black Mesa isn't made by Valve
dang it, that's a pretty bad typo by me. thanks for pointing it out, and my apologies to the crowbar col. guys. on an unrelated note the Blue Shift mod is amazing: www.moddb.com/mods/black-mesa-blue-shift-remake (not made by Valve or Crowbar guys)
half life game very epic
i dont think black mesa is very realistic because you can see fog and water through walls
Fun fact : it's based on a real story ! XD
😂😂😂
I really wonder if there are any research facilities with an "anomalous materials lab" :D
You are wrong in black mesa its taking inspiration from area 51 if you diden´t knew that.
yup my mistake, I know the real inspiration is from Los Alamos National Lab, but I somehow thought that they also operated (or at least used) Area 51