In March 2009, at a meeting of the Copenhagen Climate Council,
2,500 climate experts from 80 countries issued a keynote statement that
there is now "no excuse" for failing to act on global warming and
without strong carbon reduction targets "abrupt or irreversible" shifts
in climate may occur that "will be very difficult for contemporary
societies to cope with". Management of the global atmosphere now involves assessment of all aspects of the carbon cycle to identify opportunities to address human-induced climate change
and this has become a major focus of scientific research because of the
potential catastrophic effects on biodiversity and human communities.
Ocean circulation patterns have a strong influence on climate and weather
and, in turn, the food supply of both humans and other organisms.
Scientists have warned of the possibility, under the influence of
climate change, of a sudden alteration in circulation patterns of ocean currents that could drastically alter the climate in some regions of the globe. Major human environmental impacts occur in the more habitable regions of the ocean fringes – the estuaries, coastline and bays. Eight point five of the world's population – about 600 million people – live in low-lying areas vulnerable to sea level rise. Trends of concern that require management include: over-fishing (beyond sustainable levels); coral bleaching due to ocean warming, and ocean acidification due to increasing levels of dissolved carbon dioxide; and sea level rise due to climate change. Because of their vastness oceans also act as a convenient dumping ground for human waste. Remedial strategies include: more careful waste management, statutory control of overfishing by adoption of sustainable fishing practices and the use of environmentally sensitive and sustainable aquaculture and fish farming, reduction of fossil fuel emissions and restoration of coastal and other marine habitats.
Water covers 71% of the Earth's surface. Of this, 97.5% is the salty water of the oceans and only 2.5% freshwater, most of which is locked up in the Antarctic ice sheet.
The remaining freshwater is found in lakes, rivers, wetlands, the soil,
aquifers and atmosphere. All life depends on the solar-powered global
water cycle, the evaporation from oceans and land to form water vapour
that later condenses from clouds as rain, which then becomes the
renewable part of the freshwater supply. Awareness of the global importance of preserving water for ecosystem services has only recently emerged as: during the 20th century, more than half the world's wetlands have been lost along with their valuable environmental services. Biodiversity-rich freshwater ecosystems are currently declining faster than marine or land ecosystems making them the world's most vulnerable habitats. Increasing urbanization pollutes clean water supplies and much of the world still does not have access to clean, safe water. In the industrial world demand management
has slowed absolute usage rates but increasingly water is being
transported over vast distances from water-rich natural areas to
population-dense urban areas and energy-hungry desalination
is becoming more widely used. Greater emphasis is now being placed on
the improved management of blue (harvestable) and green (soil water
available for plant use) water, and this applies at all scales of water
management.
Since the Neolithic Revolution,
human consumption has reduced the world's forest cover by about 47%.
Present-day forests occupy about a quarter of the world's ice-free land
with about half of these occurring in the tropics. In temperate and boreal regions forest area is gradually increasing (with the exception of Siberia), but deforestation in the tropics is of major concern.
Forests moderate the local climate and the global water cycle through their light reflectance (albedo) and evapotranspiration. They also conserve biodiversity, protect water quality, preserve soil and soil quality, provide fuel and pharmaceuticals, and purify the air. These free ecosystem services
are not given a market value under most current economic systems, and
so forest conservation has little appeal when compared with the economic
benefits of logging and clearance which, through soil degradation and organic decomposition returns carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) estimates that about 90% of the carbon stored in land vegetation
is locked up in trees and that they sequester about 50% more carbon than
is present in the atmosphere. Changes in land use currently contribute
about 20% of total global carbon emissions (heavily logged Indonesia and
Brazil are a major source of emissions). Climate change can be mitigated by sequestering carbon in reafforestation schemes, plantations and timber products. Also wood biomass can be utilized as a renewable carbon-neutral
fuel. The FAO has suggested that, over the period 2005–2050, effective
use of tree planting could absorb about 10–20% of man-made emissions –
so monitoring the condition of the world's forests must be part of a
global strategy to mitigate emissions and protect ecosystem services. However, climate change may preempt this FAO scenario as a study by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations
in 2009 concluded that the stress of a 2.5 °C (36.5 °F) temperature
rise above pre-industrial levels could result in the release of vast
amounts of carbon so the potential of forests to act as carbon "sinks" is "at risk of being lost entirely".
A rice paddy. Rice, wheat, corn and potatoes make up more than half the world's food supply
Feeding more than seven billion human bodies takes a heavy toll on
the Earth's resources. This begins with the appropriation of about 38%
of the Earth's land surface and about 20% of its net primary productivity.
Added to this are the resource-hungry activities of industrial
agribusiness – everything from the crop need for irrigation water,
synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to the resource costs of food packaging, transport (now a major part of global trade) and retail. Food is essential to life. But the list of environmental costs of food production is a long one: topsoil depletion, erosion and conversion to desert from constant tillage of annual crops; overgrazing; salinization; sodification; waterlogging; high levels of fossil fuel use; reliance on inorganic fertilisers and synthetic organic pesticides; reductions in genetic diversity by the mass use of monocultures; water resource depletion; pollution of waterbodies by run-off and groundwater contamination; social problems including the decline of family farms and weakening of rural communities.
Although biodiversity loss
can be monitored simply as loss of species, effective conservation
demands the protection of species within their natural habitats and
ecosystems. Following human migration and population growth, species extinctions have progressively increased to a rate unprecedented since the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. Known as the Holocene extinction event this current human-induced extinction of species ranks as one of the world's six mass extinction events. Some scientific estimates indicate that up to half of presently existing species may become extinct by 2100.Current extinction rates are 100 to 1000 times their prehuman levels
with more than 10% birds and mammals threatened, about 8% of plants, 5%
of fish and more than 20% of freshwater species.
The 2008 IUCN Red List
warns that long-term droughts and extreme weather put additional stress
on key habitats and, for example, lists 1,226 bird species as
threatened with extinction, which is one eighth of all bird species. The Red List Index also identifies 44 tree species in Central Asia as under threat of extinction due to over-exploitation
and human development and threatening the region's forests which are
home to more than 300 wild ancestors of modern domesticated fruit and
nut cultivars.
Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) infesting trees in Atlanta, Georgia, USA
In many parts of the industrial world land clearing for agriculture
has diminished and here the greatest threat to biodiversity, after climate change, has become the destructive effect of invasive species. Increasingly efficient global transport has facilitated the spread of organisms across the planet. The potential danger of this aspect of globalization is starkly illustrated through the spread of human diseases like HIVAIDS, mad cow disease, bird flu and swine flu, but invasive plants and animals are also having a devastating impact on native biodiversity. Non-indigenous organisms can quickly occupy disturbed land and natural areas where, in the absence of their natural predators, they are able to thrive. At the global scale this issue is being addressed through the Global Invasive Species Information Network but there is improved international biosecurity legislation to minimise the transmission of pathogens and invasive organisms. Also, through CITES
legislation there is control the trade in rare and threatened species.
Increasingly at the local level public awareness programs are alerting
communities, gardeners, the nursery industry, collectors, and the pet
and aquarium industries, to the harmful effects of potentially invasive
species.
The environmental sustainability problem has proven difficult to solve. The modern environmental movement has attempted to solve the problem in a large variety of ways. But little progress has been made, as shown by severe ecological footprint overshoot and lack of sufficient progress on the climate change
problem. Something within the human system in preventing change to a
sustainable mode of behavior. That system trait is systemic change
resistance. Change resistance is also known as organizational
resistance, barriers to change, or policy resistance.
The Lightsaber, a fictional sword used in the franchise
The space-opera blockbuster, Star Wars franchise has borrowed many real-life scientific and technological concepts in its settings. In turn, Star Wars
has depicted, inspired, and influenced several futuristic technologies,
some of which are in existence and others under development. In the
introduction of the Return of the Jedi novelization, George Lucas wrote: "Star Wars
is also very much concerned with the tension between humanity and
technology, an issue which, for me, dates back even to my first films.
In Jedi, the theme remains the same, as the simplest of natural
forces brought down the seemingly invincible weapons of the evil
Empire."
While many of these technologies are in existence and in use today, they are not nearly as complex as seen in Star Wars. Some of these technologies are not considered possible at present. Nevertheless, many of the technologies depicted by Star Wars parallel modern real-life technologies and concepts, though some have significant differences.
There are major differences between the current ability to clone humans and those seen in Star Wars. Current human cloning methods need to use the somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), which requires an unfertilized egg from a female donor to have its nucleus removed, resulting in an enucleated egg. DNA
from the subject being cloned would need to be extracted and
electronically fused together with the enucleated egg. A surrogate
mother needs to be impregnated with the embryos to give birth to the
clone.
Cloning in Star Wars does not seem to use this process,
and instead depicts advanced machinery that directly processes the human
subject's DNA, and produces the clone or clones, by the thousands, if
desired. The clones in Star Wars can also be genetically altered
during their pre-birth phase to have their growth hormones and learning
abilities accelerated, as well as their independence and
self-consciousness restricted.
According to Jeanne Cavelos, a science-fiction writer and former NASA astrophysicist, who is also author of the book The Science of Star Wars, all of this is a future possibility with the progress of science and technology. What is not possible, according to her, is the ability to accelerate either the growth of clones, or their ability to learn faster.
Submersion in a liquid called bacta causes mutilated flesh to regenerate in the Star Wars universe. According to an in-universe reference book, bacta is a blue-hued chemical compound;
it must be mixed with a synthetic liquid which mimics bodily fluids.
The combined bacterial medium regenerates traumatized flesh and promotes
tissue growth. Luke Skywalker was first seen using a bacta tank in The Empire Strikes Back; his father Darth Vader has a similar tank in Rogue One. Clone troopers also use such healing technology in The Clone Wars. Bacta can also be administered in a spray form.
In Star Wars, prosthetics are first seen on film towards the end of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
The prosthetic limbs seen in the films bear an almost absolute
resemblance to natural limbs, in terms of size, shape, and movement. The
only distinction is the material that the prosthetic limbs are made of,
which differs greatly from the organic material
of the natural limbs and other organs that the prosthetic limbs
replace. Such precision is not considered possible by current
technological means. However, according to recent research and
development conducted at the Case Western University, which produced prosthetic limbs similar to the ones seen in Star Wars, the ability for prosthetics to produce feeling has become closer to reality.
A similar production, even closer to natural organic limbs, known
as the DEKA Arm System and dubbed "The Luke", after Luke Skywalker's
prosthetic arm, was approved for mass production by the US Food and Drug Administration after eight years of testing and development.
More recently, scientists have begun to develop artificial skin
jackets to cover prosthetic limbs, creating an effect similar to what is
seen in the Star Wars films.
Body armor is seen throughout the Star Wars films, television
shows and other media. Their main purpose is to protect the wearer from
attacks and other hazards as in ancient and current times on Earth. They
are most commonly seen on Imperial stormtroopers, clone troopers, bounty hunters and others, providing various levels of protection and other functions. According to Star Wars
lore, the armor worn by stormtroopers is generally impervious to
projectile weapons and blast shrapnel and can deflect a glancing blow
from a blaster but will be punctured by a direct hit. Meanwhile, the traditional armor worn by Mandalorians, made from the fictional material known as beskar, is capable of repelling a lightsaber;
though by the time the films take place in, most sets only had small
amounts of beskar, which was alloyed with other metals. This was because
most of the beskar in Mandalore's crust had mined out millennia prior.
Major characters in the Star Wars franchise are also known for wearing body armor. The bounty hunter Boba Fett wore modified body armor fitted with various gadgets like his predecessor, Jango Fett. This armor has multi-purpose tactical abilities along with many scrapes and dents which Fett wears with pride. Darth Vader wears an armored suit which protects him in combat as well as provides life-support functions for his badly burned body.
Such type of armor has slowly begun to become a scientific
reality. In 2016, ballistic and body armor company, AR500, in
collaboration with Heckler & Koch produced body armor modelled after the iconic villain, Boba Fett.
Carbonite freezing
Carbonite freezing in Star Wars is first seen in the film The Empire Strikes Back when Darth Vader places Han Solo in a carbonite casing to be delivered to Jabba the Hutt. The reverse process is seen in Return of the Jedi, where he is unfrozen. The technology also appears in The Mandalorian.
Carbonite freezing is based on the concept of cryonics, which involves freezing a living organism to keep it in suspended animation.
The technology is still being researched and developed by scientists
into a more sophisticated form. Carbonite exists in real life as a type
of gunpowder. According to professor James H. Fallon, the carbonite used in Star Wars
might be a "dry ice" with an opposite charge. He further speculates
that it is a form of carbon dioxide mineral, which, like in cryonics, is
kept at very low temperatures, to the point that there is no need for
oxygen or blood-flow. This could keep living organisms and living tissue
in suspended animation. While the freezing process as depicted in the
films is realistic, reversing the same process by heating, he argues, is
more challenging, and can be dangerous if heated too fast. He also
argues that this process, as depicted in the film, is a scientific,
physical challenge. In 2020, researchers were able to preserve nematodes
in a suspended animation state known as anhydrobiosis inside a liquid
metal cage (Gallium, which later solidified) during seven days, and then
recovered them alive.
Computers and other artificial intelligence
Aside from droids/robots, the use of artificial intelligence and computers is found very commonly in the Star Wars universe. Computing technology exists in many different forms in both the Star Wars movies and other media,
with the capacity to process large volumes of data every millisecond
and store it for safekeeping. Examples include simple viewscreens that
receive and display information; scanners which examine an object,
interpret the collected data and present it to the user; and data-pads,
portable computers (often handheld) which allow individuals to access
and interpret information.
An example of computing devices which perform very complex tasks in the Star Wars franchise are navigational computers, also called nav-computers or navi-computers, which form a key part of many Star Wars spacecraft. Such computers are said to store vast libraries of astrogation knowledge and work with their ships' sensors and hyperdrive to plot safe courses in real-space and hyperspace.
Source material makes it clear that only the desperate or foolhardy
would attempt traveling in hyperspace without an up-to-date
navi-computer as a ship can easily smash into a hazard without one. Some
small Star Wars spacecraft (such as the X-wing) use an astromech droid in place of a navi-computer due to size restrictions.
A unique form of data storage found in the Star Wars universe is the Holocron, a type of artefact used by both Jedi and Sith to store vital and sensitive knowledge, usually concerning the Force. Holocrons resemble evenly-proportioned polyhedrons
and typically store information in the form of holographic lessons.
Many will only permit access to someone who is sensitive in the Force,
and for additional security may require a separate memory crystal in
order to activate. More mundane forms of data storage exist in the Star Wars franchise, though some have tremendous capacity. The IGV-55 Surveillance Vessel, a class of Imperialspy ship seen in the Star Wars Rebels television series, possess a massive database that can store billions of yottabytes of data.
In a 2016 article for TechCrunch, contributor Evaldo H. de Oliveira estimated the amount of data needed to manage the Death Star was in excess of 40,000 yottabytes. This included an estimate that the Death Star's crew would generate 8.84 exabytes per year, with an additional 2.08 exabytes generated per year by its droid population.
An example of multi-purpose artificial intelligence is seen in
moisture vaporators, devices that produce water from hydrogen and oxygen
in the air. These are first seen on film on the planet Tatooine in A New Hope. Their artificial intelligence is more basic than most other forms of artificial intelligence seen in the Star Wars universe, dealing with input from humidity and air density sensors.
They use this input to help them take samples from the air and produce
water. They also require input from robots. The film also shows Owen Lars,
Luke's uncle, telling C-3PO that he needs a droid that can really
understand the language of moisture vaporators, with the droid claiming
that it is in his programming.
Cybersecurity also plays a major role in the films and other media, with many real-world counterparts. The term slicer is the in-universe designation for a hacker in the Star Wars universe, describing individuals such as DJ (Benicio del Toro) from The Last Jedi. A form of security token is worn by Imperial and First Order officers called a code or access cylinder, which grants them access to restricted areas or databases.
A report analysing the Empire's cyber-security systems used in Rogue One,
in which IT experts were consulted, made a few conclusions. One claim
by information systems management professor Hsinchun Chen was that the
theft of digital architectural designs are a common phenomenon in real
life. He concludes that software breaches should not just be resisted,
as in the case of Star Wars, but successfully prevented by taking security measures far prior to any attempted attacks. Corey Nachreiner, in a 2017 GeekWire article, also examined some of the lessons in cyber-security offered by Rogue One. This include the need to safeguard the Internet of Things represented by the droid character K-2SO (Alan Tudyk) and the need for strong multi-factor authentication.
Cybernetics
A fan-made replica costume of General Grievous, whose entire body is mechanical
The use of cybernetics in Star Wars is documented by much of the Star Wars
media, including novels, comics, and television series. It is used by
characters for both enhancements and replacements for damaged or
destroyed body parts. Within the Star Wars universe, characters who uses cybernetics to enhance their bodies are referred to as cyborgs.
Cybernetics are used to replace organic body parts at a deeper and more
complex level than prosthetics, and the process is usually
irreversible. In the films, it is most recognizably used on two major characters: General Grievous and Darth Vader, both whom are cyborgs. Its applications are also first seen on film in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
Darth Vader, previously Anakin Skywalker, lost one of his limbs starting in the Clone Wars, and later, towards the end of the Clone Wars, lost most of his limbs after a deadly lightsaber duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Shortly after the duel, he was caught in the heat range of molten lava,
resulting in the burning and melting of much of his flesh and tissue.
Vader lost many of his nervous and sensory systems, most of which
were replaced by prosthetics, bionics, and, later, cybernetics. Besides
having cybernetic limbs, Vader wore a suit equipped with cybernetic
systems, both to help him function, and to protect his damaged body from
exposure. His belt included high and low range audio sensors. The belt
also included respiratory and temperature regulation adjustment
controls. Vader's neural functions were also regulated by neuro sensors,
located towards the back of his helmet. Additionally, to help him see,
breathe, and maintain cognition, Vader's helmet was equipped with
enhanced visual sensors, body heat vents, and neural function sensors.
Vader's internal oxygen, blood, and nutrient flows, as well as
nervous systems, were regulated by the control plate on his chest. His
muscular system was enhanced by a neuro-electrical nervous pulse system
in his cybernetic suit, giving him amplified physical strength.
Scientists and scientific commentators have suggested that Vader lost
his lungs by inhaling air in extreme temperatures within the heat range
of lava on the planet Mustafar, causing damage to his lung tissue. This
would require the need for a filter mask to take in more purified
oxygen, as well as replacement lungs, most of which are possible by
modern scientific and technological means.
A peer reviewed journal by two Danish physicians concluded that Darth Vader's suit acts as a wearable hyperbaric chamber, which supports his supposedly chronically injured lungs. It also protects his damaged and vulnerable skin from infection.
In a study on the breakdown of Vader's breathing habits, one of the two
physicians concluded that the suit would not be their top preference,
but rather that lung transplantation would be a better choice.
General Grievous's body is almost entirely cybernetic. Animation director Rob Coleman
explained that Grievous was made with technological flaws, and
experienced difficulties such as poor manoeuvrability and coughing, the
latter caused by his lungs constantly filling with liquid. His
mechanical body did, however, give him advantages in combat, due to
being made of solid material, instead of organic bones and limbs.
Grievous's organic body being destroyed in conflict left him with
only a brain, eyes, and internal organs, which scientists placed in a
constructed cybernetic body. Anatomy and neurobiology professor James H. Fallon of the University of California
explains that one problem with this type of cybernetic body is the lack
of knowledge in brain circuitry coding, which has yet to be decrypted.
Fallon argues that most prosthetic and cybernetic technology in Star Wars is still plausible with continuous research and development in the relevant fields.
Many other minor characters and organizations within the Star Wars universe are known to utilize cybernetics. Lobot, the chief administrative aide of Bespin's Cloud City, is fitted with an AJ^6 cyborg construct. While it allows direct neural interface
with computer systems via wireless signal and overall productivity
increase, the implant tends to negatively affect the user's personality
in what is referred to as the "lobotomy effect." Imperial Death Troopers are fitted with implants which provide biofeedback information and can stimulate sensory organs for increased performance. Foot soldiers of the Guavian Death Gang, first appearing in The Force Awakens,
receive cybernetic augmentations in exchange for their loyalty,
including a second mechanical heart which pumps speed- and
aggression-enhancing chemicals directly into the bloodstream.
Energy technology
The Imperial TIE Fighter (artist's render on the left) using the same concept of solar-based energy for ion propulsion as NASA craft Deep Space 1 (right) by the use of solar panels
Reference material identifies a number of different methods by which energy is created in the Star Wars universe. Examples of power sources used for domestic devices include chemical, fission and fusion reactors. In Star Wars
spacecraft and other large structures, fusion reactors powered by the
fictional "hypermatter" fuel are considered the most common source of
energy. These fuels are typically hazardous to organic life, taking the
form of corrosive liquids or poisonous gases.
Solar power technology is a method of energy generation used mainly by the Imperial TIE fighter, which features in many Star Wars films and other media. According to the TIE Fighter Owner's Workshop Manual, these spacecraft are fitted with two hexagonal wings that have six trapezoidal solar arrays on both sides which collect energy from nearby stars and use it to power the fighter's ion engines.Another Star Wars ship noted for using solar power is the solar sailer piloted by Count Dooku (Christoper Lee) in Attack of the Clones and other media. It deploys a solar sail 100 m (330 ft) wide which captures interstellar energy in order to travel without requiring fuel.
An electron transfer
experiment conducted by scientists in 2005 involved a supramolecular
TIE fighter ship design. It is unclear whether the experiment managed to
achieve the desired results or not.
Force fields
The use of force fields in the Star Wars universe is documented both in the main films of the Star Wars saga and in spin-off media, such as The Clone Wars,
as well as other media adaptations. According to reference material,
protective force fields used to defend starships, buildings, armies and
other objects from attack are known as deflector shields and come
in two main types. Particle shields repel solid objects such as space
debris or high-velocity projectiles. Ray shields (or energy shields)
repel radiation, lasers, blasters
and other energy-based attacks. Deflector shields which envelop an
object can either be generated by it or be projected onto it from
another location.
Deflector fields come in many different sizes and varieties in the Star Wars universe, as seen in the films and explained in background literature. Droidekas, which made their theatrical appearance in The Phantom Menace,
are equipped with deflector shields that are polarized to allow their
own blaster bolts to pass through while stopping any fire coming from
outside. In The Empire Strikes Back a shield system protects the Rebels' Echo Base on Hoth.
Projected by modules studded throughout the surrounding territory and
powered by a central generator, only slow-moving ground-contact vehicles
(such as Walkers) can penetrate the shield. The incomplete Death Star II is protected remotely via deflector shield generator located on the Endor in Return of the Jedi.
Identified as a SLD-26 Planetary Shield Generator, it can envelop a
small moon (or large space station) with a nearly impenetrable shield
for an indefinite period of time. In Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the tropical planet Scarif
is completely enveloped in a deflector shield to prevent anyone from
landing or leaving the planet without Imperial authorization except by a
single shield gate.
Many Star Warsspacecraft and starfighters
are said to possess generators which create both types of deflector
shields around them to protect against normal space travel and enemy
attacks. Smaller vessels may only have a single deflector shield
generator which can be adjusted to protect specific parts of the ship,
while larger vessels may have multiple generators each protecting a
specific area. Large starships with hangar bays will also employ another type of force field called a magnetic shield.
These are activated whenever the hangar's blast doors are opened,
retaining a pressurized atmosphere within the bay while allowing smaller
vessels to come and go.
The Gungans are described in Star Wars sources employing unique hydrostatic field generators to create their underwater bubble cities as seen in The Phantom Menace.
This same technology is used to make defensive shields for their army,
from small handheld versions that can deflect solid objects and blasters
to large generators carried on fictional Fambaa
creatures. These generators can envelop an area as wide as one
kilometre in a protective bubble which will stop weapons fire but not battle droids from marching through the perimeter.
In 2014, physics students at the University of Leicester developed a module of plasma-based deflector shields, inspired by the ones in Star Wars
and other science fiction stories. However, the field poses some
issues. One issue is that the deflector shield would have to be much
stronger to repel than to hold the plasma in position. Another is that
the shield would deflect electromagnetic energy, including light. This
would make it impossible for someone inside the shield to see anything.
In 2015, the American company Boeing built plasma-based force fields, similar in size and dimensions to the force fields used in Star Wars ground battles. Like the ground force fields in the Star Wars
films, these shields cannot block or repel solid matter, but are
instead built to protect vehicles from the force of explosions.
Gravity technology
Technology which allows for the manipulation of gravity is a common feature in the Star Wars films and other media. Examples include the use of tractor beams, force fields which envelop an object and manipulate it remotely, and repulsorlifts, which push against a planet's gravity to create lift.Artificial gravity and inertial dampeners are also used on Star Wars
spacecraft, protecting their occupants from the crushing gravitational
forces of high-speed manoeuvres or when landing on a high-gravity world. Interdiction fields create gravitational shadows which prevent Star Wars ships from using their hyperdrives or pull them out of hyperspace.
Repulsorlift
Although the Malloy hoverbike may appear very similar to a Star Wars hoverbike in terms of size, shape and performance, its input and levitation is by air propulsion with the use of turbofans as opposed to a Star Wars hoverbike which uses anti-gravity "repulsorlift" engines.
Levitation is depicted throughout the Star Wars films, as well as in most other spin-off media of the franchise. Levitation in Star Wars is primarily caused by a type of anti-gravity
technology known within the setting as a "repulsorlift engine."
According to in-universe material, a fusion-powered repulsorlift or
'antigrav' creates a field of negative gravity that pushes against the
natural gravitational field of a planet. Terrestrial vehicles such as landspeeders and speeder bikes
use this technology to propel themselves across a planet's surface.
Repulsorlifts are also used by spacecraft as secondary engines for
atmospheric flight and planetary landings and take-offs.
Other vehicles that utilize repulsorlift engines include Jabba the Hutt's sail barge and snowspeeders. Many droids and robots also use this technology to hover and move above a planet's surface, such as the Imperial Probe Droid. The carbonite freezing coffin that kept Han Solo in suspension was suspended in mid-air using a gravity repulsion force field.
Levitation by this method is currently considered a physical
impossibility by today's means. Despite being a current scientific
impossibility, research on such concepts are still being hypothesized
and exercised by scientists today, with occasional minor breakthroughs.
Magnetic levitation already exists in modern times, but with fundamental differences from levitation seen in Star Wars. An example of vehicles that maintain constant levitation without the use of constant propulsion is the Maglev train. The Maglev train stays afloat by using the magnetic repulsion of like charges, but relies on the surface that it travels above— in its case, the train tracks— to have the same charge as its own coils, resulting in a magnetic repulsion.
One possibility for magnetic levitation as seen in Star Wars
is suggested by physics associate professor Michael Dennin. According
to him, if a planet were made out of the right magnetic materials, such
as iron or nickel, the vehicle could then produce a repulsive charge, allowing it to lift above the surface.
In 2010, Australian inventor and engineer Chris Malloy constructed a hoverbike
that uses turbofans to enter flight. It is claimed to fly up to 10,000
feet (3,050 m) and fly at a horizontal speed of 173 miles per hour
(278 km/h). The hoverbike has been repeatedly compared to the hoverbikes seen in the Star Wars films. It is unclear, however, whether these hoverbikes were actually inspired by Star Wars or not. Another fundamental difference, besides their power sources, is that the hoverbikes in Star Wars can only climb a few meters above the ground, unlike the current ones being developed. Malloy's company, Malloy Aeronautics,
is reported to have partnered with an American-based company for
further experimenting, as well as developing Malloy's hoverbikes for the
US military.
Tractor beams
A tractor beam is described as an invisible force field that can grab, trap, suspend, and move objects with force. According to Star Wars
sources, tractor beams generators and projectors are common components
on many spacecraft, with both military and civilian applications.
Tractor beams can be used to move cargo, tow disabled vessels, or assist
in docking manoeuvres. They can also be used offensively to slow down
or immobilize an opponent, though targeting fast and manoeuvrable ships
can be challenging.Additional uses are made of this technology for other purposes as well. Open-topped taxis on Coruscant emit tractor fields when in flight to keep passengers securely seated without requiring restraints. The AT-TE possess tractor-field generators in its footpads for a stronger grip over uneven ground.
Scientists have explored the concept of tractor beams, having
some success since the early 2010s. In that time, they have managed to
produce lasers with unusual intensity-beam profilesthat allow them to
attract and repel tiny particles. Some breakthroughs include the
successful project of a team of science researchers from the Australian National University, who managed to produce a doughnut
shaped laser that can drag hollow glass spheres by a distance of
roughly 7.8 inches, several times the distance of previous experiments.
Another successful experiment was conducted at the University of Bristol,
which revealed that sound could be manipulated to produce possible
future tractor beams, rivalling light. This could be done using a
precisely timed sequence of sound waves, produced by tiny loudspeakers,
creating a limited space with low pressure that can counteract gravity
and levitate objects.
Holography
A 3D graphic illustration of a Star Wars style hologram
Holography in Star Wars was first seen on film in the fourth film of the saga Episode IV: A New Hope. Holographs were used for various purposes, mainly communication. At the time of the release of the original Star Wars films, holographic technology in 3D format, as seen in the films, was not available.
Neowin reports that research conducted by Microsoft
has brought about the creation of 3D holographic technology. The
technology is intended be used for various purposes, such as plotting
data on maps.
ExtremeTech reports that smartphones created at HP labs are now bringing 3D holographic technology from Star Wars closer to reality.
Also, Fox News reported that Australian National University students were close to developing Star Wars-style
holograms. A researcher for the project said that the material the
device consists of will be transparent and used in a wide range of
applications, as well as “complex manipulations with light.”.
In the Star Wars universe, two different types of fictional
propulsion exist to allow starships to travel in space and across the
galaxy: sublight drives and hyperdrives. Sublight drives propel starships below the speed of light
and are used upon leaving a planet's atmosphere and during space
battles. Many different varieties of sublight drives or sublight engines
exist, but the most common are electromagnetic propulsion types like ion engines
which release charged particles to propel the ship forward. Ion engines
also lack moving parts and high-temperature components, making them
easier to maintain.Sublight drives can propel Star Wars vessels clear of a planet's atmosphere and gravity in a matter of minutes.
The hyperdrive allows Star Wars spaceships to travel
between stars by transporting them into another dimension, known as
hyperspace, in which objects with mass are capable of traveling faster
than the speed of light. The in-universe explanation for how hyperdrives
function is that they utilize supralight
'hypermatter' particles (such as coaxium) to launch ships into
hyperspace at faster-than-light speeds without changing their complex
mass/energy configuration. Hyperdrives are categorized by class, with
the lower class indicating higher speed. Hyperspace is one of two dimensions of space-time. It is coterminous
with 'realspace' and permeated by "shadow" counterparts of realspace
objects. Any object in hyperspace colliding with one of these shadows is
destroyed, so in order to navigate safely, starships must utilize
navigational computers (or navi-computers) to calculate a safe route
through hyperspace. Thanks to hyperdrive technology, Star Wars ships can cover interstellar distances which would normally require thousands of years in a matter of hours.
Deep Space 1 was the first NASA
spacecraft to use ion propulsions, with comparisons made directly
between it and the Empire's TIE Fighter. According to NASA, while their
means of propulsion were the same, advances in power generation would be
needed in order to develop an ion engine as powerful as those used on
TIE fighters. The space probeDawn also uses ion propulsion, although unlike the TIE fighter it was fitted with three instead of just two.
In an examination of the amount of force generated by Star Wars sublight engines, Rhett Allain, associate professor of physics at Southeastern Louisiana University, looked at the scene of a Hammerhead corvette ramming one Imperial Star Destroyer into another during the final space battle of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. He argues that the Hammerhead's engines would had to have exerted 2×1011 (or 200 billion) Newtons in order to push the Star Destroyer. This would make them 6,000 times more powerful than a Saturn V rocket.
Radios and other communications devices
In Star Wars,
a subspace transceiver, also known as a subspace comm, subspace radio,
and hyper-transceiver, was a standard device used for instantaneous,
faster-than-light communications between nearby systems. Similar to its
shorter-ranged cousin, the com-link, the subspace transceiver relied on
energy to broadcast signals. Starships carried these units to broadcast
distress signals and other important messages. They used subspace as the
communications medium. The subspace transceiver of an Imperial Star Destroyer had a range of 100 light-years.
Devices for shorter-range communications, such as the com-link, can be either hand-held (as seen in A New Hope) or strapped to the wrist (as seen in The Empire Strikes Back, during the early scenes on the planet Hoth). These devices can also be tuned with encryption algorithms for private communication.
Most humanoid droids, such as C-3PO, communicate long distances
using these com-links. Other droids, such as R2-D2 and Imperial Probe
Droids, use antennas to transmit/receive messages and signals for longer
range communications.
Devices for long-range communications within a planet are connected by satellites orbiting the planet.
Star Wars depicts robotics which resembles current robotics technology, though at a much more advanced and developed level. Robotics in Star Wars are generally divided into two categories, as in modern reality: military and civil.
Agricultural barrel-shaped robots such as the Greenlive Lely Juno play important roles in assisting humans with labour chores (in this case farming) similar to the civilian robots seen in Star Wars.
Some robots in the Star Wars universe are capable of performing multiple types of tasks, while others can only perform one type of task. For example, 21-B is built for the sole purpose of performing medical tasks. Others, such as humanoid protocol droids like C-3PO,
are built for multiple purposes. These range from basic physical chores
to translating between different forms of communication, including with
sophisticated computers and other forms of artificial intelligence. Other, barrel-shaped robots, such as R2-D2,
are built with multiple features and capabilities. These include
repairing and programming advanced devices, as well as maintaining them.
The basic concepts and purposes for robotics in Star Wars,
as in real life, are to reduce human labour, assist humans with
sophisticated requirements, as well as store and manage complex
information. Another parallel to the modern world is the use of robots
in Star Wars for tasks not considered safe or acceptable for humans. Robots are also seen as a source of cutting human labour costs.
The Japanese radio control manufacturer Nikko developed a toy robot version of R2-D2, with more limited abilities than the R2-D2 has in the Star Wars
films. The toy can respond to a small number of verbal commands. Most
of the robot's operations must be done manually, due to its limited
abilities. A related development is the creation of the droid BB-8 for the film Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
(made by different manufacturers). In the film, BB-8 is a
semi-automated robot, operated by remote control, unlike C-3PO (played
by Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2 (played by Kenny Baker), who were portrayed by actual actors. The BB-8 toy is operated by remote control, but it also has some independent features, and shares its manner of movement and other features with the film's BB-8.
In 2010, NASA developed robots inspired by the hovering remote-controlled droids, seen in the Star Wars films and other media, and used by the Jedi for lightsaber combat training. These robots were used in NASA space stations for experimentation. Also in 2010, a hacker developed similar robots, but only capable of floating beyond a limited magnetic range.
Military robots in the Star Wars universe are built on the
same principles as modern military robotics. While most military robots
in the modern world are designed in various shapes, depending on their
purpose, the military robots of the Star Wars universe are primarily humanoid, and built to imitate live, organic soldiers, mainly human ones.
A major similarity between modern military robotics and those of the Star Wars
universe is that different robots are built and designed for different
specific purposes, whether those purposes are ground warfare, maritime
warfare, aerial warfare, or space warfare, as seen in the Star Wars
prequel films. Such uses are considered unpractical and unfeasible by
current means, given the sophistication and resources each individual
unit would require.
Another significant, recognizable distinction of the robots in the Star Wars
universe, whether military or civilian, is their strong sense of
independence and self-awareness, compared to current robots. This is
mainly due to Star Wars robots having much more advanced sensors
and self-computing systems than current robots do. Despite the limited
abilities of current robots, Dr. Jonathan Roberts, director of CSTRO
Autonomous Systems Laboratory, proclaims that the role of robots in
assisting humans is going to increase, similarly to what is seen in Star Wars.
The Christian Science Monitor reported in 2011 that an American blogger, out of patriotism, tried to raise money to build a robotic AT-AT for the US military. Heikko Hoffman, a robotics expert from HRL Laboratories,
who was not associated with the project, claims that AT-ATs are
possible, though some of their designs should be changed from those seen
in the Star Wars universe, for safety, and for financial and
operational costs. The project, though not terminated, was suspended,
due to intellectual property concerns from Lucasfilm.
In 2012, the United States Navy built a robot modelled after C-3PO, but appears to function for both military and civilian purposes.
Macro-engineering
Examples of Macro-engineering on vast scales feature prominently in the Star Wars films and other media. The most famous example is the Death Star from the original Star Wars
film. A giant battle station which is said to be 160 km (99 mi) in
diameter, it was built in secret over a twenty-year period and operated
with a crew of over one million.The Death Star II which appears in Return of the Jedi is even larger at 200 km (120 mi) in diameter. In The Force Awakens, the First Order unveils Starkiller Base, a planetoid 660 km (410 mi) in diameter which has been transformed into a mobile weapons platform. The flagship of the First Order that appears in The Last Jedi, the Supremacy, is a Mega-class Star Destroyer 60 km (37 mi) wide and a crew of over two million.
As part of a team project, a group of students at Lehigh University in 2012 attempted to determine the cost and time needed to build a Death Star. They determined that the amount of steel alone needed to build a Death Star was 1.08×1015 (or 1.08 quadrillion) tons, which at then-current production rates would take 833,315 years and cost $852 quadrillion USD. They also estimated that the total amount of mineable iron ore in the Earth would be enough to build two billion Death Stars.[113] Zachary Feinstein, an assistant professor at the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, estimated that the total cost for the first Death Star would amount to $193 quintillion
USD. Conversely, he estimated that the cost of building Starkiller Base
would be a fraction of that price at $9.315 quintillion USD, but only
if it was naturally able to maintain a self-sustaining atmosphere.
Other technologies
Aside from major technologies, the Star Wars universe also includes technologies that play less important roles with respect to the plot of the stories.
Macrobinoculars are hand-held devices that function like binoculars, with the purpose of giving the user the ability to see vast distances. It was first seen on film in A New Hope and mentioned in its novelization. The websites tested.com reports that Sony has developed macrobinoculars comparable to the ones seen in Star Wars,
known as DEVs, and produced in separate types of models. These give the
user the ability to see great distances clearly and record their
sightings.
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