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It has been said multiple times that the sonic screwdriver doesn't open, move, change anything made of wood.

Why is that? It is sonic!

The type of material should not affect it. The Sonic Screwdriver has worked on a multitude of materials, but never wood.

no wood

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10  
Because Dr Who is a British show and we Brits have a sense of humour. :-) – Stevetech Jun 8 '12 at 17:03

3 Answers

up vote 26 down vote accepted

Technically, the sonic screwdriver shouldn't be able to do nearly as much as it does in the series (open doors, reprogram Cybermen, adjust any of several other devices of largely arbitrary function). It is, sad to say, a magical "do anything" device.

As such, throwing in an arbitrary weakness, like being unable to do anything to any wooden objects, allows the writers to add tension to a story. If your all-powerful device suddenly can't do anything, then you are in a bit of trouble and need to find a new way out.

I honestly don't know if there is an explanation that involves the in-universe "science", but the inability of the sonic screwdriver to work with wood seems to be an addition to keep it from being used in too many deus ex machina plot resolutions.

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I think it's interesting that, when the new series started, they kept having things have a deadlock seal as the sonic-thwarting mechanism when plot required it. Since the "it doesn't do wood" claim, it seems they've moved over fully to having things just be wooden. I'm assuming this is for humor factor, but maybe "it's wood" is easier to pass off for audiences. – Peter Leppert Jan 14 at 15:37
up vote 17 down vote

Rule 1: The Doctor lies. Also as Jonathan Thiele Stated it is a good plot device. But let's look at a real world example we have sonic welders http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultrasonic_welding which do not work on wood. Also wood is a hard organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers (which are strong in tension) embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression. (according to wiki) It is often used in musical instruments with different woods affecting the sound and tones emitted. So since the Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver is sonic it could be that wood is one of the few materials able to resonate and distribute the sound directed at it.

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Ever hear a woodpecker that found a dry enough tree? You can hear it from a good distance for such a small bird. – Kogitsune Jun 8 '12 at 18:22
@Kogitsune Is the sound that you hear from the tree or the woodpecker's beak? – CamelBlues Jun 8 '12 at 18:26
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It originates from the beak, but the tree acts as a very large speaker. – Kogitsune Jun 8 '12 at 18:56
up vote 0 down vote

IMHO it's related to how it cannot kill, wound or maim living things (Doomsday) and wood has cells. Dead cells, in case of furniture, but cells nonetheless. Must throw off the Sonic.

However, chances are that it just doesn't. The Doctor (Matt) does say at some point that he should fix it.

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