What kind of fusion do you think Star Wars has?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the concept of fusion power as depicted in the Star Wars universe, highlighting its prevalence in various technologies such as the A-wing and GNK droids. Participants explore different methods of achieving fusion, including plasma and magnetic confinement, while acknowledging the speculative nature of Star Wars technology. The conversation also touches on the distinction between science fiction and fantasy, with contributors noting that the "science" in Star Wars often leans towards technobabble rather than established scientific principles. Ultimately, the discussion reveals a blend of humor and skepticism regarding the scientific accuracy of Star Wars' portrayal of fusion.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of fusion power concepts, including plasma and magnetic confinement.
  • Familiarity with the Star Wars universe and its technological elements.
  • Knowledge of science fiction versus fantasy genres.
  • Awareness of speculative physics and its application in fictional narratives.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research "plasma confinement methods" for insights into real-world fusion technologies.
  • Explore "inertial confinement fusion" and its theoretical applications.
  • Investigate the concept of "non-thermal inertial electrostatic fusion" for potential parallels in sci-fi.
  • Examine the differences between "science fiction" and "space fantasy" in media analysis.
USEFUL FOR

Fans of the Star Wars franchise, science fiction writers, and anyone interested in the intersection of speculative technology and narrative storytelling will benefit from this discussion.

  • #31
DaveC426913 said:
So, you can certainly create a bible for explanations of the tech, but it's totally arbitrary. There are no wrong answers.
Disagree. In case of Star Wars it goes totally wrong when the explanation tries to make sense...

Like when some people tried to explain the wings of the X-wing as radiators, or the side panels of the TIE fighter as solar panels. At the very moment these got printed it went wrong.
 
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  • #32
BWV said:
The kind of fusion that can make point five beyond the speed of light, does not look like much, but has got it where it counts
, kid.
 
  • #33
Star Wars is also fused into the old clandestine harassments regime. It began as 'the art of mind control' in early casting footage. It shows a storm trooper bumping his head on a door threshold complete with sound effect (??) followed by the line 'Take over'. Did you miss it? I sure did during my first 20 viewings of the film. Then C3P0 (with a dent in his head) saying, "That madman! If you hurry, you might catch them!". Also, 'a powerful influence on the weak minded' (and also the strong minded, since even a Powell or a Schwarzkopf can potentially be driven to a quivering blob of protoplasm after long term application of exquisite pain that can never be definitively proven to have any external source). Lucas' concept of 'The Force' is remarkably similar to the anchorman's description of his harassment from the previous year's gaming film 'Network'. 'The force will be with you always.', 'This station is now the ultimate power in the universe.', 'Fear will keep the local systems in line.' etc, etc.
 
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  • #34
Melbourne Guy said:
I think @DaveC426913 gave the Millennium Falcon's official speed back in Post #8, as nonsensical as that is,
But that's not the joke. The joke is "What's a falcon". (In the same vein as "What's fusion?")
 
  • #35
What's a millenium? Lol.
 
  • #36
DaveC426913 said:
But that's not the joke. The joke is "What's a falcon". (In the same vein as "What's fusion?")
Yep, got that, but the 'speed' of the Millennium Falcon is in there, and it highlights that George Lucas cared not one whit for science!
 
  • #37
Melbourne Guy said:
Yep, got that, but the 'speed' of the Millennium Falcon is in there, and it highlights that George Lucas cared not one whit for science!
Agree. Although my 'suspension of disbelief' says that:
  1. We are seeing these stories translated into our language:
  • They have planets and suns and time-keeping. They have a counterpart in the SWU. So Whatever word(s) they have for 'a thousand orbits' - or whatever - is helpfully changed for us in the translation to 'Millennium'.
  • A 'falcon', on the other hand, is not something the SWU has at all. There can be no translation. At best, there could be an outright substitution.
It might be called the Millennium Mynock, but not the Millennium Falcon.
:biggrin:
 
  • #38
Maximum7 said:
Well I’m working on a project and exploring the science behind the scenes of Star Wars. The stuff that isn’t mentioned but exists and I was wondering what type of fusion fits the bill for them.
Hi @Maximum7, I was wondering if you've read up on George Lucas' thinking on his creative universe, it helps to frame how seriously to take things...and why there's a lot of irreverent responses on 'the science of Star Wars'. He was interviewed by Bill Moyers in 1999 for the release of The Phantom Menace and a couple of questions illustrate that even though George thought through many elements, even he was constrained by what he had crafted because he did not have the entire saga clear in his mind when he started:

GEORGE LUCAS: We were using a kind of technology which had to be completely worked out. How do these bubbles exist under there? Where do they come from? What do they use for energy? The whole culture has to be designed. What do they believe in? How do they operate? What are the economics of the culture. Most of it doesn’t appear in the movie, but you have to have thought it through, otherwise there’s — something always rings very untrue or phony about what it is that’s going on. And one of the things I struggle for is to create a kind of immaculate realism in a totally unreal and fantasy world. It’s a science that I can make up. But once I make up a rule, then I have to live with it.

BILL MOYERS: Such as? The world according to George.

GEORGE LUCAS: Well — I mean, one of the rules is that there’s sound in space.

(Excerpt from “Star Wars”)

GEORGE LUCAS: So there’s sound in space. I can’t suddenly have spaceships flying around without any sound anymore because I’ve already done it. I’ve established that as one of the rules of the — of the — of my galaxy and I have to live with that.
No amount of thinking is going to create a 'science' that allows sound in space, but nonetheless, it's there!
 
  • #39
Melbourne Guy said:
Hi @Maximum7, I was wondering if you've read up on George Lucas' thinking on his creative universe, it helps to frame how seriously to take things...and why there's a lot of irreverent responses on 'the science of Star Wars'. He was interviewed by Bill Moyers in 1999 for the release of The Phantom Menace and a couple of questions illustrate that even though George thought through many elements, even he was constrained by what he had crafted because he did not have the entire saga clear in his mind when he started:No amount of thinking is going to create a 'science' that allows sound in space, but nonetheless, it's there!
Thanks for the link! Yes they tried to explain sound in space with auditory sensors but the fine structure constant may be different in their galaxy.
 
  • #40
Maximum7 said:
Yes they tried to explain sound in space with auditory sensors but the fine structure constant may be different in their galaxy.
Really, the fine structure constant? We're well into technobabble land if that's being invoked to account for sound in space 🤦‍♂️
 
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  • #41
Melbourne Guy said:
Really, the fine structure constant? We're well into technobabble land if that's being invoked to account for sound in space 🤦‍♂️
Believe it or not aural sensors explain away sound in space (at least in the Legends material.). I think for storytelling purposes we hear sound; but I’m sure the characters don’t hear anything if in a vacuum
 
  • #42
Maximum7 said:
I think for storytelling purposes we hear sound;
I think that is the right way to go.
Mark it up as "creative license in the telling of the story", i.e. not as an intrinsic part of the Star Wars Universe.
 
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  • #43
DaveC426913 said:
Mark it up as "creative license in the telling of the story", i.e. not as an intrinsic part of the Star Wars Universe.
Can there be a difference, @DaveC426913? It's not like the Star Wars universe is 'out there somewhere', it only exists in the storytelling!
 
  • #44
Melbourne Guy said:
No amount of thinking is going to create a 'science' that allows sound in space, but nonetheless, it's there!
I've done it.
 
  • #45
Melbourne Guy said:
Can there be a difference, @DaveC426913? It's not like the Star Wars universe is 'out there somewhere', it only exists in the storytelling!
If I guess correctly, the OP is writing a technical manual for the SWU. The premise of such a manual is that it lives within the universe it's describing. Put another way, it does not break down the fourth wall.
 
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  • #46
DaveC426913 said:
If I guess correctly, the OP is writing a technical manual for the SWU. The premise of such a manual is that it lives within the universe it's describing. Put another way, it does not break down the fourth wall.

Basically correct.
 
  • #47
I am amused that people want scientific accuracy in a movies where a) the creators did not care about scientific accuracy, especially if it got in the way of the story, and b) uses a unit of length as if it were a unit of time.
 
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  • #48
What I want to know is why the baddies, from orcs to stormtroopers, can never shoot straight? If you have FTL travel, you'd think you'd have an effective weapon to shoot at an enemy 10m away.
 
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  • #50
O course, the same reasons underlying the apparent current Russian military incompetence could apply to storm troopers: Poor training, corruption, no competent mid-level NCOs, poor motivation.
 
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  • #51
PeroK said:
What I want to know is why the baddies, from orcs to stormtroopers, can never shoot straight? If you have FTL travel, you'd think you'd have an effective weapon to shoot at an enemy 10m away.
Quantity over quality. The Empire produced millions of clones, but they used a crummy Xerox machine.
 
  • #52
Vanadium 50 said:
I am amused that people want scientific accuracy in a movies where a) the creators did not care about scientific accuracy, especially if it got in the way of the story, and
It is on the same continuum as the Star Trek Technical Manual, just a little more toward the hand-wavey end.

Vanadium 50 said:
b) uses a unit of length as if it were a unit of time.
No. That's an assumption we all made, and it was cleared up (retconned) in Solo: A Star Wars Story where it was shown how he made the Kessel Run in the shortest distance.
 
  • #53
PeroK said:
What I want to know is why the baddies, from orcs to stormtroopers, can never shoot straight?
It's the helmets. Shoot? It's a wonder they can walk!

DaveC426913 said:
and it was cleared up (retconned)
Of course it was.

Speaking of retcons, Han shot first.
 
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  • #54
Star Wars fusion works via the Force.
It is used to compress the Mass,
thus creating the Energy.
 
  • #55
Algr said:
Star Wars fusion works via the Force.
It is used to compress the Mass,
thus creating the Energy.
That is as good an explanation as any, @Algr. Of course, it leads to, "...and what is the Force?" but fortunately he OP asked about fusion so we don't need to scurry down that wormhole 😁
 
  • #56
Melbourne Guy said:
Of course, it leads to, "...and what is the Force?"
This question is well covered here:
20100426_apWG.png

https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2010-04-26
 
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  • #57
Melbourne Guy said:
"I could suggest that the FTL isn't anything of the kind, it's actually a dimensional jump to the next nearest parallel universe that matches the desired location, but a nanosecond out of phase so the protagonists never meet themselves and expose the trick!"
This idea is used in the "Collapsing Empire" trilogy by John Scalzi. Except that the "nanosecond out of phase" is not necessary, because this, for all that is the same in it, is really a different universe from where they just came, with no identical replicas of them to be met in it until right now, and they are the replicas. There are several things wrong with this idea, but why let logic spoil a good story?
 
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  • #58
Beyond the surfeit of other handwavium, struck me that SW having convenient gravity control provides a fairly easy way to do fusion. Just use it to keep your uppity plasma in the middle...
 
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