Half-Life - meaning of title

[Cujo]

Anybody can fill me out on this? What "half-life" title means? And what is its background, impact on games plot? Of course i mean first game.

 

[Guest]

half-life is the ammount of time it takes for half of an ammount of radioactive material to decay

 

[Animal]

Its a reference to radioactive decay, just like blue shift is a reference to the doppler effect.

 

[Chris D]

Look it up, it's easy. You'll find it in any dictionary, encyclopaedia or good physics textbook.

BTW, while this is here I'd like to clarify something.

Yesterday there was a discussion regarding the three titles of the first HL1 saga relating to physics type things. I e-mailed game to ask whether all the dual meanings were intentional (eg. Opposing Force - the black ops being an opposing force to Gordon - the collision of two equal forces resulting in no movement or change blah) and he said:

"We're very careful in the way we choose our titles"

EDIT: Used the wrong word
EDIT2: lol I thought mistaking "relevant" for "intentional" was bad, then I go and bloody write "intelligent" instead of "intentional"

/me dies

 

[LoneDeranger]

Yes there is obviously a bit of humor in all the HL titles.

 

[Chris D]

Err, they're not supposed to be funny. How are they humorous?

 

[LoneDeranger]

Originally posted by Chris_D
Err, they're not supposed to be funny. How are they humorous?

The fact that they have a double meaning is humorous. I don't mean funny as in somebody getting hit in the head funny.

 

[commando]

i think...

we are living the HALF-LIFE.

and the OTHER HALF is the Black MESA!

prob right as well

 

[Chris D]

Ookay...

Humour relates to comical and funny things.

Clever might be the word you're looking for...?

 

[subs]

Chris_D amazing how you get responses from gabe so quickly. I have e-mailed gabe atleast 5 times with very simple and SMART questions. NOthin retarted. I never get ANY responses from him.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

thanks for getting that cleared up Chris.. now the bonehead that was being skeptical in that other thread about double meanings for the HL titles can now maybe come in here and explain how titles of 3 games all having double meanings is not just a coincidence, but made to be that way

 

[commando]

i reacon what i think the tittle is, is right.

no not funny, they r clever yes!

indeed Chris

 

[LoneDeranger]

Originally posted by Chris_D
Ookay...

Humour relates to comical and funny things.

Clever might be the word you're looking for...?

OK fine, it's clever.

But you have to admit HL2 (and to a lesser degree HL1) has some humor in it. I mean father Gregori and all his traps.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

hmm.. ya really eh.. i think Gabe has a thing for Chris... might it be related to the haxoring of the video in steam cache?! oy!! i think i stumbled upon something here lol

 

[commando]

lol who knows who knows.

maybe...
1) he loves the name chris
2) relative


yea HALF-LIFE prob means

We are living half-life, and Black mesa is the other half.

 

[Chris D]

He answers about 2 in 5 of my e-mails

Erik answers most of my e-mails.

They're the only two people I speak to at Valve.