Questions tagged [technology]
For questions about the technology and its usage and knowledge of tools, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or serve some purpose. Must be related to an on-topic work. Use this tag in conjunction with the tag of the work in question, e.g. [star-wars].
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Why do (Federation) starships need Bussard collectors in front of their warp nacelles?
Ever since Zephram Cochrane's first human-built warp-capable vessel, the Phoenix, Human ships with warp drives have had Bussard collectors placed in front of their warp nacelles.
Why are the Bussard ...
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How is Batman's grappling gun always loaded and ready to use, and never runs out of ropes?
One of the most identifiable gadgets of Batman is the grappling gun ("Bat-Rope"): a launcher that shoots a grappling hook and enables Batman to pull himself up to the rooftops.
However, in ...
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Story about a spacecraft that crash-lands on a planet with a civilization resembling Pre-Columbian era
I have read this book around 20 years ago, and the book was already quite old at that time so was likely written before 1990. Highly likely I have read it in Hungarian, but I'm unsure if the novel was ...
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Aliens throw Earth's technology back to 19th century levels by stopping all rapid chemical combustion
There was an old science fiction short story where aliens threw Earth's technology back to 19th century levels by stopping all rapid chemical combustion. Steam trains worked and were armored to ...
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SF story about a multi-generational colonist ship?
There was some kind of event and the passengers had begun to evolve/devolve and modified the ship's internal communications / public-address system to use musical tones. I know that's not much to go ...
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Does Heinlein ever elaborate on the physics underlying Shipstones?
In Friday, Heinlein describes a device called a Shipstone, which is essentially a non-rechargeable battery with extremely high energy density. They are manufactured by some proprietary process, which ...
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How did Cochrane obtain dilithium for the first warp flight?
In the Star Trek Illustrated Handbook (based on The Official Star Trek Fact Files 1997 - 2002) I read:
Following the model established by Zefram Cochrane, Federation vessels' warp engines accomplish ...
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Book about a British boy from a futuristic world
It's a story about:
a boy called "Jay"
he has a sister who is apparently a hacker and can block the WiFi in specific places
and a mom who works for rich people
and a dad that works in a ...
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How did the Bugs in Starship Troopers launch the Asteroids towards earth?
In the Starship Troopers movie, Apart from a big Brain Bug and the plasma launching Bugs the bugs didn't have enough technological equipment that could launch an Asteroid towards Earth precisely. I ...
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Why are most holograms blue in Star Wars?
Throughout the Star Wars saga, no matter the era, no matter who's broadcasting, blue holograms are exceedingly common.
Additionally, Snoke's hologram occasionally flashes blue.
However, multi- and ...
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Batman cape as a glider and a bulletproof shield
In the most recent incarnation of Batman, namely in the film "The Flash" (2023) where he was portrayed by Michael Keaton, Batman has the most sophisticated and useful cape. The cape can turn ...
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Looking for title of story, probably sci-fi, about mentally declining man who built prompts allowing him to perform daily functions. Any help here? [duplicate]
I have no idea when it was written, nor when I read it, but it's been at least a couple of decades My memory is very vague on particulars, just that it seemed to be pretty prophetic, bringing to mind ...
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Does Spider-Man ever save his empty web cartridges?
In Spider-Man: Homecoming
he discharges his empty web canisters and reloads them. When they pop out he doesn't bother picking them up (litter bug!). I don't know how easy/expensive they are to make, ...
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How could Mr. Fantastic’s computer see distant planets in real-time in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer?
In Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Galactus devastated a few planets before he came to Earth. Mr. Fantastic sees the surfaces of these planets in real time. That’s not really how telescopes ...
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What became of the Kelvan technology in Star Trek TOS "By Any Other Name"?
I just watched the TOS episode By Any Other Name in which the Kelvan invaders (easily) modified the warp engines of the Enterprise in order to fly from this galaxy to the Andromeda galaxy (2.537 ...
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Has there ever been a depiction of a futurist in Star Wars Legends or Canon?
I love futurism and even though Star Wars is more science-fantasy than sci-fi; they DO have technology and science and scientists are often featured in various stories. Philosophers are also mentioned....
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Short story by Ray Bradbury, man comes home to smart house, can't cope, takes a gun and shoots up the consoles, gets taken away by men in white coats
I'm looking for a short story by Ray Bradbury, in which man comes home to his "smart" house, he is greeted by the door, his living room offers him a drink.... Overwhelmed, he can't cope ...
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Why would a slug thrower be more effective against a lightsaber/Jedi than a blaster?
An answer to this question about gunpowder in the Star Wars universe includes the following quote saying that the shot from a slug thrower is not completely deflectable by a lightsaber. This seems to ...
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Who is responsible for making the time machine in the Terminator movies; humans or Skynet?
In the Terminator movies, Skynet is trying to kill Sarah and John Connor, sending various terminators from the future to hunt them down.
So my question is: who made the time machine to go back to past?...
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Even in the 1960s, was the UI/.computer systems of The Enterprise being criticized?
I am sure modern youngsters if they have the patience to watch STOS find the limitations of the Enterprise in some respects hilarious -- Yeoman Rand actually hands Kirk reports; the transporter seems ...
CommunityBot
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Please identify an Asimov short story with miniature typewriter
I recall an Asimov short story from the 1950s or before, in which a reporter character hides a mini-typewriter in a pocket, so he can surreptitiously type notes during an interview. It's a great ...
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How do female Comonwealth citizens continue to have kids after rejuvenation?
In the Commonwealth saga, where as humans get older they start to seek rejuvenation to return to their biological twenties and effectively live forever, and in the Void trilogy where Biononics allow ...
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Peter F. Hamilton Night's Dawn: Zero-Tau technology
I am in the process of reading the Night's Dawn trilogy by Hamilton. I think we can consider it hard sci-fi, since the explanations provided are quite plausible for all the technical and scientific ...
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Why does Batman's grappling hook never miss?
In every incarnation of Batman I've ever seen, whenever he uses his grappling hook, it always hits the target and does whatever he needs it to do, such as saving himself and the person he dove over ...
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Has transporter technology ever been used to fight Borg assimilation?
The transporter technology in Star Trek has been used in many fantastic plot fixes. People are stored in some kind of pattern and rebuilt. This process has been used to cure diseases such as the aging ...
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Any examples of wireless power or inductive power transfer in Star Wars canon?
Is there any example of charging or powering devices using wireless electricity or inductive power transfer in Star Wars? Is everything that receives power still done by plugging in wires?
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Earliest use of a prosthetic-integrated gun in speculative fiction?
We see this trope in comics and manga, and also in cyberpunk fiction, where characters have weapons integrated onto prosthetics, like arm cannons. It can sometimes even be a bit absurd, where guns are ...
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Why didn't the Clones use vibroblades to fight against lightsabers?
It is known in the Knights of the Old Republic series that vibroblades were made from a special material that couldn't be cut by lightsabers. Then, why aren't the clone troopers using any?
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Are there sonic faucets?
Sonic showers are of course a well known and accepted technology in Star Trek, perfectly capable of replacing traditional water-based showers or baths (which may still be used recreationally.)
What ...
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Why don't Muggle-born wizards use Muggle technology to fight Death Eaters?
We know that wizards in the Harry Potter universe are subject to regular physical harm (e.g. witness injuries from being hit by Bludgers or just colliding with things when playing Quidditch).
...
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Are self-sealing stem bolts a Star Trek in-joke?
During a scene in Star Trek: Discovery season 3 episode 6 "Scavengers", Burnham mentions self-sealing stem bolts. This item has had a few mentions in earlier Star Trek series, beginning with ...
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What is the first reference to a 3D printer in science fiction?
Considering 3D printing has really only just become a very accessible concept, I was wondering what is the first reference to a 3D printing machine of some description in science-fiction? I would ...
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What is the communications range of a standard Starfleet combadge?
This has been suggested to pretty far, even light-years, plus have been turned into a subspace beacon or transponder especially if damaged to aid in finding the owner either to rescue a survivor or to ...
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Can the navigation shields resist lasers of any strength?
In The Outrageous Okana, it is described that lasers are ineffective against the Enterprise:
WORF: Still no response. Captain, they are now locking lasers on us.
RIKER: Lasers?
WORF: Yes, sir.
PICARD:...
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In Star Trek why is warp speed the ultimate litmus test on "galactic acceptance" of a civilisation?
Why is warp speed and first contact seemingly the most important thing in the Star Trek universe for a civilisation to become "enlightened" and then utopic?
For example, why couldn't the ...
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How fast does bacta heal cuts and minor injuries?
I remember that bacta was applied to the Mandalorian by IG-74 and he seemed healed almost instantly. Also in Star Wars Resistance; Katz applied bacta to a weak alien and he seemed good to go.
My ...
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How do Droidekas fire blasters through their shields?
In the Star Wars universe, it's usually the case that shields can block energy weapons (blasters, lightsabers, lasers) but don't do much against physical objects (rocks, bullets, spacecraft). This is ...
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If magic doesn't agree with Muggle technology, how does Arthur Weasley have a flying car that can turn invisible and drive itself? [duplicate]
I don't quite know the extended lore, but I'm pretty sure that it's established that the reason why we don't see modern weapons being used in the series is because magic and Muggle technology just don'...
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At what point did Starfleet starships start recycling their waste in the Star Trek universe?
On the ISS (International Space Station), astronauts recycle some of their waste — only the kind they can yield water from. However, on the first Enterprise, this was clearly not the case. They ...
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Sonic Showers - why reviled? [closed]
We’ve seen sonic showers in Star Trek, Star Wars, and countless SF books – so much so that I would wager that even a non-SF fan would know what was being referred to. Here’s a relatively recent ...
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What does it mean to "bypass" a plasma relay or EPS conduit, etc.?
At various times in the Star Trek universe, somebody says they should bypass something like a plasma/EPS relay or conduit. What does such a "bypass" entail? Like, physically, what is ...
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What are droid brains made of?
Has a source ever confirmed what droid brains are made of?
Since Artificial Intelligence is likely extremely complex and energy consuming, I have my doubts that it's made of silicon, but I'd like to ...
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How common is Geordi's VISOR technology?
As far as I recall, various people were not familiar with the VISOR when they first encounter Geordi. Yet he was apparently fitted with it when he was five.
Is the VISOR extremely rare or unique? ...
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Do all X-Wings have retractable short-range anti-personnel cannons?
Poe flew an X-Wing - not his own signature fighter, probably a stock-issue to hide his identity - early in the movie that featured a retractable anti-personnel turret gun, much like the one on the ...
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Have all the diseases that plague Homo sapiens today been conquered by the time of the original Star Trek?
The Enterprise has an elaborate Sick Bay, well equipped with diagnostic and curative equipment. Dr. McCoy and his colleagues are busy repairing traumatic injuries and diagnosing weird diseases of ...
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Nature of the Orville Shuttles' cloak
In a few episodes of The Orville, namely "Majority Rule" and "Mad Idolatry", we see that the Orville's shuttle are equipped with a cloaking device of sorts (referred to simply as "cloak" by Orville ...
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What's the earliest story where magic precludes technology and vice versa?
Electricity doesn't work well around Hogwarts. In The Anubis Gates, written in 1983 by Tim Powers, there are some areas in space (and time) where magic is stronger and technologic equipment tends to ...
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What do we know of the technical advisors on ST:OS?
I think there is no doubt that the science in the science fiction of Star Trek in the 1960s was far superior to that found in any competing show. Some "science fiction" shows made no real ...
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Why is there a lot of low-tech in Battlestar Galactica?
On one hand, residents of the Twelve colonies perfected travel in spaceships and FTL jumps, but on the other hand, they have some really low-tech technologies, such as disconnecting a network by ...
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Can K feel Joi's touch?
I believe she can actually light his cigarette, probably a function of the same lasers or whatever that project her being focused to cause heat (perhaps this would not work with the portable emanator)....
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