Which of these technologies would be hard to do in Star Wars?

[Maximum7]

This Wiki page I've been editing for months with stuff I've read on the internet. Based on existing science and tech already available in Star Wars, which of these would be challenging for a scientist in Star Wars to create? Try to explain why and you can pick multiple entries. Remember, Star Wars is more advanced then the movies often show.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hypothetical_technologies

 

[phinds]

This Wiki page I've been editing for months with stuff I've read on the internet. Based on existing science and tech already available in Star Wars, which of these would be challenging for a scientist in Star Wars to create? Try to explain why and you can pick multiple entries. Remember, Star Wars is more advanced then the movies often show.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hypothetical_technologies

Which one do YOU think and why?

 

[Vanadium 50]

, which of these would be challenging for a scientist in Star Wars to create?

X-ray specs.

 

[Maximum7]

Which one do YOU think and why?

I’ve been trying to pick for days. I am extremely indecisive which probably has something to do with my OCD.

 

[member 656954]

Awesome Wiki page, well done

And from what I've seen in the movies and the couple of Alan Dean Foster Star Wars books I've read, I'd say none of this tech is beyond realization in the Star Wars universe, and the staples - AG, AI, FTL - are clearly already present.

But if I'm forced to choose, it has to be femtotechnology. The distances involved are smaller than atomic nucleus, and light barely has time to do anything useful at this scale. It just seems too minuscule for my monkey brain to comprehend us being able to reliably manipulate.

 

[BWV]

Star wars is pure fantasy, it is not science fiction. Therefore it is pointless to speculate on real science within it

 

[phinds]

Star wars is pure fantasy, it is not science fiction. Therefore it is pointless to speculate on real science within it

I understand where you're coming from on that but I think that's a bit harsh. It IS science fiction, just SF where the science is not taken seriously.

 

[BWV]

I understand where you're coming from on that but I think that's a bit harsh. It IS science fiction, just SF where the science is not taken seriously.

No, the genre conventions and tropes are 100% fantasy, there is not the slightest pretense of science. Like fantasy, it retells old myths and archetypes. It just has spaceships and laser swords instead of castles and magic swords. Not a negative thing, its good fantasy (but horrible SF). Dune is similar - a fantasy story in a futuristic setting.

 

[phinds]

No, the genre conventions and tropes are 100% fantasy, there is not the slightest pretense of science.

Yeah, actually I was thinking more of Star Trek.

 

[DEvens]

The Alcubierre drive is going to be pretty challenging at any rate. I have been trying to read the various papers about it. The original version has negative mass density, which is quite difficult to imagine there is any way to produce. There have been a stack of papers published about it and they make a variety of claims I can just about understand, but not follow the proofs. It seems like this one is possibly physically impossible, and certainly requires things that are outside what we have even a glimmer of a hint of how to do. I don't think there is any way in Star Wars, or Star Trek, to do this one.

Warp Drive in science fiction is nearly always fueled by drama-ions. That is, quantums of drama supplied by the author in exactly the right quantity to make the story work.

 

[member 656954]

Star wars is pure fantasy, it is not science fiction. Therefore it is pointless to speculate on real science within it

Why so grumpy? Star Wars has the same degree of handwavium and unobtanium that you read in pretty much all future tech sci-fi, and we speculate on that all the time in the Science Fiction and Fantasy forum!

But did you even look at @Maximum7's Wiki entries? It's a terrific reference and is not really informed by Star Wars (no lightsaber, no Death Star, no Force) but is full of the concepts that pepper this forum on a regular basis. I say, "Jolly good show," not "Poo pah!"

 

[Maximum7]

Why so grumpy? Star Wars has the same degree of handwavium and unobtanium that you read in pretty much all future tech sci-fi, and we speculate on that all the time in the Science Fiction and Fantasy forum!

But did you even look at @Maximum7's Wiki entries? It's a terrific reference and is not really informed by Star Wars (no lightsaber, no Death Star, no Force) but is full of the concepts that pepper this forum on a regular basis. I say, "Jolly good show," not "Poo pah!"

Thank-you

I’ve also heavily contributed to Wiki’s “List of emerging technologies”

 

[BWV]

Why so grumpy? Star Wars has the same degree of handwavium and unobtanium that you read in pretty much all future tech sci-fi, and we speculate on that all the time in the Science Fiction and Fantasy forum!

Not grumpy at all and I like Star Wars, but the genre is pure fantasy. There is no attempt at science in Star Wars - which again, as it’s fantasy - is a good thing. Star Wars does not really have technology, it’s all basically magic.

 

[Maximum7]

Not grumpy at all and I like Star Wars, but the genre is pure fantasy. There is no attempt at science in Star Wars - which again, as it’s fantasy - is a good thing. Star Wars does not really have technology, it’s all basically magic.

Yes many people say that but it’s wrong. If you read the books, you know their is a TON of science going on behind the scenes and let’s just say hypothetically; you lived in the Star Wars galaxy, you would find that science fuels civilization; not magic. Very few people have even seen a Jedi and the only reason is that the Skywalker Saga is focused on that small aspect.

 

[BWV]

that’s like saying few people in middle Earth have ever seen a wizard or an orc. If what you say about the books is truer then it’s sad that the authors feel a need to try to ‘legitimize’ the story with a veneer or science. From its original conception it was a pure fantasy story with magic, and a princesses to rescue from a dark lord in a castle

 

[member 656954]

Not grumpy at all

Thanks for that, it seemed you were grumpy.

Surprisingly to me, there are a lot of sites that try to explain what's going on behind the Star Wars scenes and while it's obviously not science as we know it, it is based on consistent physical processes that are not magic as you'd see in Harry Potter. So, lightsabers are plasma-based and require a certain type of crystal to activate and need to be imbibed with the Force to operate. (Which makes a little more sense than my youthful understanding that they were lasers somehow 'blunted' so the light beam only traveled a short way.)

We're probably splitting hairs, but I agree it's essentially fantasy in the context of 'make believe', but not fantasy in the context of 'completely arbitrary'.

 

[BWV]

But good fantasy has ‘rules’ for its magic just like Star Wars, so that is not a fair comparison. And I have a much more specific definition of fantasy - which is a story that looks back to old myths and archetypes. Basically if you can find most of the story in premodern literature then its fantasy. Again, I like fantasy so it’s not a derogatory term

 

[member 656954]

But good fantasy has ‘rules’ for its magic just like Star Wars

That's a good point, and thinking about it, my distinction is 'technology' based such that the affect is independent of the person, though it's interesting to actually work through because, at heart, most good stories of any genre are mythic and utilize archetypes.

So, as a magic example, Harry Dresden casts his spells etc. usually via a physical object, and he's needed to imbibe the magic into or through objects. He can't just give anyone a list of actions to perform, and the magic happens. Obviously, there is some of that in Star Wars, esp. with the Jedi and use of the Force, but there is a lot of tech-based action as well. Anyone with sufficient skill can fly the Millennium Falcon and it does not need magic to operate.

Hmmm, it's actually a messy demarcation, I think the duck test might be my arbiter in the end!

 

[Maximum7]

Thanks for that, it seemed you were grumpy.

Surprisingly to me, there are a lot of sites that try to explain what's going on behind the Star Wars scenes and while it's obviously not science as we know it, it is based on consistent physical processes that are not magic as you'd see in Harry Potter. So, lightsabers are plasma-based and require a certain type of crystal to activate and need to be imbibed with the Force to operate. (Which makes a little more sense than my youthful understanding that they were lasers somehow 'blunted' so the light beam only traveled a short way.)

We're probably splitting hairs, but I agree it's essentially fantasy in the context of 'make believe', but not fantasy in the context of 'completely arbitrary'.

Actually it was said in a book that scientists never really understood how lightsabers worked and it makes it seem that they are yes- have a mystical aspect to it.

However, nanotechnology is mentioned many times throughout the books.

 

[member 656954]

scientists never really understood how lightsabers worked

Is this scientists in our world, or scientists in the Star Wars world?

Actually, lightsabers are pretty much magic in both worlds

 

[phinds]

Actually, lightsabers are pretty much magic in both worlds

Why is the phrase "pretty much" in this sentence? It should be "completely"

 

[Maximum7]

Awesome Wiki page, well done

And from what I've seen in the movies and the couple of Alan Dean Foster Star Wars books I've read, I'd say none of this tech is beyond realization in the Star Wars universe, and the staples - AG, AI, FTL - are clearly already present.

But if I'm forced to choose, it has to be femtotechnology. The distances involved are smaller than atomic nucleus, and light barely has time to do anything useful at this scale. It just seems too minuscule for my monkey brain to comprehend us being able to reliably manipulate.

Thanks dude!

 

[DennisN]

No, the genre conventions and tropes are 100% fantasy, there is not the slightest pretense of science. Like fantasy, it retells old myths and archetypes. It just has spaceships and laser swords instead of castles and magic swords.

I agree. The first movie is a classic fairy tale ingeniously set in space. We have a princess, knights/wizards (Jedi, Obi-Wan), magic (the Force), evil lords, monsters and a mix of mythologies.

I recently saw a documentary, Empire of Dreams: The Story of the 'Star Wars' Trilogy, which among other things described the origins which were based on a variety of mythologies (see clip here).

Dune is similar - a fantasy story in a futuristic setting.

I agree. And I think the first Dune novel is among the very best SF novels written. And there are actually quite a number of similarities between Dune and Star Wars. And Dune (1965) came before Star Wars (1977). Here is a fun page describing the striking similarities: http://www.moongadget.com/origins/dune.html.
For those who are SF/Star Wars fans and have not read Dune, I warmly recommend reading it.

 

[ryl3gol]

I feel like at this point we're more arguing personal definitions. Honestly, the biggest difference between Sci-Fi and Fantasy is the setting; Sci-Fi is set in a place where their technology routinely surpasses our own, and Fantasy is not. The content of the story doesn't matter that much, because then all non-realistic fiction would just be fantasy in different guises.

 

[DennisN]

I feel like at this point we're more arguing personal definitions. Honestly, the biggest difference between Sci-Fi and Fantasy is the setting; Sci-Fi is set in a place where their technology routinely surpasses our own, and Fantasy is not.

There is also a genre called science fantasy:

Science fantasy is a mixed genre within the umbrella of speculative fiction which simultaneously draws upon or combines tropes and elements from both science fiction and fantasy.

 

[DennisN]

On a second thought it could be argued that Star Wars was science fantasy in the original trilogy due to the mystical, unexplained Force, but became a bit more science fiction after the first prequel when the Force got at least a tiny bit of explanation, as it was connected through the Midi-chlorians¹ in living beings.

But I would argue that Star Wars still has strong elements of fantasy; the Force, the light side and the dark side are still largely treated as a supernatural mysteries in the movie franchise without scientific explanations².

Furthermore, there are also the supernatural, old beings called the Whills which George Lucas created early on, but which are not mentioned in the movies. And The Whills are very much connected to the Force.

¹ Which I personally don't like.
² Which I personally prefer.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Furthermore, there are also the supernatural, old beings called the Whills which George Lucas created early on, but which are not mentioned in the movies.

The article says "they were capable of creating certain destinies for people, such as the Chosen One prophesy". I guess where there's a Whill there's a Way.

 

[russ_watters]

No credit(likes) for bad puns, but I'll just add my vote that Star Trek is science fiction and Star Wars is Science fantasy.

I also tend to divide science fiction into at least two parts; one is speculative based on existing science (hard) and the other is speculative and beyond existing science, and maybe impossible (soft). Contact is an example where the first half is hard science fiction - it should be completely possible - and the second half is soft science fiction (almost certainly impossible).

 

[russ_watters]

On a second thought it could be argued that Star Wars was science fantasy in the original trilogy due to the mystical, unexplained Force, but became a bit more science fiction after the first prequel when the Force got at least a tiny bit of explanation, as it was connected through the Midi-chlorians¹ in living beings.

But I would argue that Star Wars still has strong elements of fantasy; the Force, the light side and the dark side are still largely treated as a supernatural mysteries in the movie franchise without scientific explanations².

Furthermore, there are also the supernatural, old beings called the Whills which George Lucas created early on, but which are not mentioned in the movies. And The Whills are very much connected to the Force.

¹ Which I personally don't like.
² Which I personally prefer.

Having never read any of the books and preferring to view the original trilogy as the only canon, I'll say The Force is just magic, and no explanation is needed (or desired).

And really, the midi-chlorians don't actually provide any useful explanation or insight. Their only value is to enable a blood test, which is pointless.

 

[Vanadium 50]

No credit(likes) for bad puns

Oh, that wasn't a bad pun. But if you want some really bad puns, that can be arranged.

And really, the midi-chlorians don't actually provide any useful explanation or insight. Their only value is to enable a blood test, which is pointless.

And unnecessary. It doesn't have to be a blood test. The test could incorporate, I dunno, Lucas grass, or some such, and the plot can roll on.

 

[KurtChris]

Oh, that wasn't a bad pun. But if you want some really bad puns, that can be arranged.

That sounds good. I'm even interested in it

 

[DennisN]

That sounds good. I'm even interested in it

Have you ever heard of Obi Wan's less famous child? Obi Two?

Or the most popular card game among wookies? Chew Baccarat?

Or do you know how you prepare a meal on Endor? You catch one of the little bears and you ewok them.

 

[Maximum7]

I’ve been wondering about science and scientific progression in the Star Wars universe. Even though people have pointed out that Star Wars is science fantasy and doesn’t care about science- that really isn’t true. Scientists are mentioned all the time in Star Wars. The society runs on science just like ours does. The stories were are shown are those of a religious order so science obviously takes a backseat but even the Jedi use technology. Lightsabers aren’t made out of wood!

I just wonder what could be the next thing in science that scientists in Star Wars can pursue. They had FTL for millennia. You would logically think that whatever sci fi stuff you isn’t exist is fair game like teleportation and time travel BUT both those two things are something all people (sentient beings) have wanted since the beginning of time so the fact that they don’t exist must mean they tried and those things are impossible.

Star Wars does have nanotech. It’s mentioned in several mediums so you would think that the logical next step would be pico and femtotechnology but the whole midichlorian thing makes me think it’s impossible. I also don’t really believe you can go smaller in the real world either.

Matter replication and simulated reality seem to be good bets and I bet both exist BUT I bet the former exists and they won’t let it hit market because it would destabilize the economy and lead to a post-scarcity society like Star Trek. The latter also probably exists but probably isn’t healthy; may only exist for rich people on rich planets or just isn’t spoken about.

That being said: What could be worked on by scientists in Star Wars?

 

[Vanadium 50]

More accurate blasters. Storm troopers can't seem to hit anything.

 

[stefan r]

More accurate blasters. Storm troopers can't seem to hit anything.

Everything is balanced by the force. The blasters are fine. The storm troopers would be good shots any time there are fewer of them. Han, Luke, and Leia were very accurate. That includes when Leia was shooting with a blaster taken from a storm trooper.
Key strategy is to run away from a platoon. You can pick off a few while they cannot aim. If you ambush and exterminate the last survivors will kill most of your squad.