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 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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In Star Trek - What's the Point of the Transporter Room?
I hope this isn't a silly question but I've been watching TNG and this bothers me.
The transporter 'pad' area is relatively small. As a guess, maybe 12 people can fit on it. But the vast majority ...
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How do Star Trek viewscreens show perceivable depth?
This has bothered me ever since I noticed it; the viewscreen in The Next Generation shows perceivable depth even when viewed from an angle when, I would imagine, such an angle should start to warp the ...
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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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What is the first reference to an internet of computers in science fiction?
Considering the internet has substantially revolutionized our way of life (you're using it right now in fact) I was wondering whether it was ever envisaged in science fiction. I'm therefore inquiring ...
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What keeps a lightsaber from going on infinitely?
Is there a reason ever given that explains why a lightsaber (which I assume/was made to assume is a sort of laser) doesn't go on infinitely like a normal laser (excluding atmospheric conditions)?
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What is the largest (engineered) physical object dreamed of in science fiction? [closed]
I can think of 3 kinds of big.
By volume
By a linear measure
By mass or weight
Bonus points for all three. Extra bonus points for the object being realistic in construction.
Let's add to it that it ...
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Why does Binary exist?
According to Wookieepedia, few organics have directly learnt and understood Binary, and these are mainly people who interact with droids frequently at a technical level, such as pilots, mechanics, ...
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Which button activates Skywalker's lightsaber, and why is it inconsistent?
You can tell from this video that Finn is actually pushing that button to activate the lightsaber
It seems like there are different on-buttons or something because the toys say the big rectangular ...
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How long did it take for the Death Star (1) to reload?
In the battle of Yavin, the Empire wants to destroy a moon that is hidden behind the planet Yavin. They circle around the planet because the moon is hidden. Again: They are on a space station that can ...
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Why can latinum not be replicated?
According to Memory Alpha, Latinum cannot be replicated. What is the reason for that?
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How does David Lightman in WarGames manage to hack a computer by dialing a number?
His setup seems to be a telephone connected to a computer. When he dials another computer on the phone, he manages to gain access to it remotely.
Is this a realistic situation or just something done ...
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Why doesn't the wizarding world use computers?
I know, I know it would destroy the atmosphere. But I’m interested to see if JK Rowling has made a up a valid reason for a complete lack of computers in Hogwarts.
It’s always bugged me ever since I ...
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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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Why are there barcode readers on the bridge of the Enterprise?
Devices on the bridge:
Now, compare them with barcode readers:
They certainly look like barcode readers. What sort of devices are they (in-universe)? Any info on what the props are (out-of-universe)?...
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Why did the Tollan get wiped out?
In SG-1 we met the Tollan. They never went through a 'Dark Age' after being transplanted from Earth, and are thus at least 200 years ahead of us, technologically.
In their first appearance they ...
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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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Did the Iron Man suit come from HYDRA's technology?
In Captain America, HYDRA is shown to have a great deal of advanced technology that was only feasible due to the extremely advanced Cosmic Cube-derived power source. HYDRA's Dr. Zola is credited as ...
user1027
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Why was life support so time-critical in Star Trek ships?
In Star Trek, the loss of life-support for any time—minutes or seconds—seems like an extremely time-critical problem where people must be immediately transported out or every system is ...
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Why Were the Weapons in Middle-earth So Rudimentary?
Again, I'm re-reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy and am still on book one, so my question is going to refer to the movies.
During the time The Lord of the Rings stories take place, Middle-earth is ...
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What are illegal/forbidden uses of the Holodeck?
I remember the episode where Laforge's engineer, Reginald Barclay, uses the holodeck to strengthen his self confidence by creating holodeck clones (Musketeers) of the Enterprise crew, to fight against ...
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What is the difference between a phaser and a disruptor?
What is the Star Trek "physics" difference between phaser and disruptor technologies? It seems that only Star Fleet possessed 'phased energy' technology while all aggressive aliens in the Star Trek ...
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Why doesn't technology advance in fantasy settings?
In High Fantasy settings it always seems like centuries and sometimes millennia go by with no technological advancement. Is there any reason why?
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What are the machines in the Matrix doing?
In The Matrix, the machines won the war against humans. They have incredibly efficient production and lots of energy. What are they doing in the meantime? What purpose do these machines have?
I could ...
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How come cloaking devices in Star Trek allow the cloaked ship to continue to observe its surroundings?
Related to Invisibility should cause blindness: how does hard sf cope?, I'm wondering whether the cloaking device implementation in Star Trek includes an explanation as to why cloaked ships can still ...
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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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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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Do (weaponized) lasers exist in the Star Wars universe?
Lightsabers are not made of light, nor have they anything to do with lasers (even if there are people who mistakenly refer to them as "laser swords").
Blaster bolts are also not lasers. They travel ...
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If the ship's self-destruct is such a great idea why don't real Navies do this? [closed]
Background to my question:
I watched a recent episode of The Expanse where the ship's captain
It got me thinking, in-universe this appears to make no sense!
Ships having a self-destruct is a ...
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Short story about scientists playing grooves on old pottery like an old vinyl record
Read a long time ago so not recent, maybe in the 1970s or 1980s. It might have been Bradbury, but maybe not.
Some kind of researchers (anthropologists? physicists?) figure out how to play the ...
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Process management and high technology weapon. Novel name and author?
I am looking for help to point me out at a very old novel (likely from the '60s) about two empires at interstellar war. When it comes to starships, one is technologically very advanced, and the other ...
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Why don't Starfleet Officers wear protective gear when going abroad?
So I've watched pretty much all the Star Treks and from what I've seen, Star Trek officers don't wear any protective gear! Why don't they wear any kind of armor like the Klingons? Is it because the ...
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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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Why don't they use gunpowder in the Star Wars universe?
Especially in the Republic era when the use of the lightsaber was more common, why didn't anybody use chemical propellants (real life modern guns)? A modern-day assault rifle has at least 10 times the ...
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How were Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Palpatine physically trapped by a ray shield?
In Revenge of the Sith, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Palpatine are trapped by a ray shield on the Separatist ship the Invisible Hand:
It is specifically called it a "ray shield" by multiple characters:
60 ...
Null♦
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Where does Q technology come from and where did it originate?
In the Star trek Universe we discover that the Q's powers are optional and not a part of the actual race (they can be taken away from a particular Q and can be taken away as a whole during a huge ...
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How do people at Hogwarts usually tell the time?
Classes and lessons at Hogwarts are presumably scheduled at fixed times of day. The first class might start, for example at nine in the morning.
To be on time for one's lessons, it is therefore ...
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What is a space elevator and who originated the idea?
I was reading an old Science Fiction Chronicles the other day and came across the term "space elevator" as in, this would be a good place for one -- but what are they? The author didn't really explain ...
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Do computer games still exist in Star Trek?
I don't remember, other than the TNG episode The Game, of any other types of video games in Star Trek.
Obviously, you can go into the holodeck, load up a simulation, and have fun, but consider the ...
user144649
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What would be a reasonable technological explanation for why phaser beams are different colors?
On Star Trek when a Starfleet ship fires its phasers, the color of the effect is usually red/orange, but sometimes blue (in TOS). This is also generally true for the phaser sidearms (with green ...
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Do Iron Man suits sport waste management systems?
Obviously, it is difficult to be an effective superhero if you need to take potty breaks. And Iron Man's suit affords a unique opportunity to fix this problem.
Do we have evidence of integrated ...
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How can Geordi see screens?
Geordi La Forge's visor can be used to see different electromagnetic fields. This lets him see people as glowing fields, as well as other fields. How can he see monitors and other interfaces? A screen ...
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Are there things a Replicator cannot replicate?
As John O commented here on "How did Voyager replace its photon torpedoes?"
What is special about a photon torpedo that would make them unmanufacturable without specialized tools that Voyager did ...
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What are the markings in the transporters in Star Trek for?
There are always these circular spots in the transporter rooms on which the teleported people appear and where they wait for the teleportation to happen.
(Image from Ex Astris Scientia).
These spots ...
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Can spaceships really explode in space? [closed]
Take for example the opening of Revenge of the Sith. We see spaceships fighting with other spaceships using laser canons and missiles. Then when one spaceship is destroyed, we see fire and heavy black ...
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What is hyperspace in Star Wars?
Is it teleportation, making a wormhole, or something else? Does it always exist and people just go into it, or does someone create it for themselves when they jump? Does it manipulate time?
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Has technological progress stopped or reached a peak in the Star Wars universe?
In the last 30 years, human technology has developed massively. Every year a new smartphone is released with a faster processor, more memory, better features.
Why hasn't the same level of progress ...
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What was Asimov's contribution to real-world robotics?
Isaac Asimov is one of the (if not the most) important figures of robotics in science fiction. Has he had an influence on the development of real-world robotics (in science or industry)?
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How would one navigate on Larry Niven's "Ringworld"?
A long,long time ago I read Larry Niven's "Ringworld" and "The Ringworld Engineers".
It recently occurred to me that trips on the Ringworld have a problem: The Ringworld is so vast that finding out ...
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Which technology was introduced through "Star Trek" (2009)?
Star Trek has a long history of introducing new technology.
TOS & TNG introduced us with new technologies, who got adopted like the communicator as mobile phone. When watching Star Trek (2009) I ...
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