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Fun science: How to make a lightsaber


Jarco

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Is it possible to build a light sabre just like those found in Star Wars?

It's impossible - and what he "builds" isn't a lightsber.

 

It's like asking "can someone build a corvette? Well here's an Amtrack Train that does the same thing..."

 

That, and old story is old.

Edited by Sabster
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It's impossible - and what he "builds" isn't a lightsber.

 

It's like asking "can someone build a corvette? Well here's an Amtrack Train that does the same thing..."

 

That, and old story is old.

 

He doesn't even "build" anything in that short 1:45 minute clip. He basically refutes the possibility of recreating a TRUE lighsaber by explaining the technicalities behind laser technology and how it works.

So you either TLDR the video and responded in ignorance or you're just a troll.

Edited by LinJe
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Is it possible to build a light sabre just like those found in Star Wars? The key may be found inside of a crystal.

 

Dr. Michio Kaku tries to:

 

 

Enjoy! :)

 

my favorite part of his idea is that he wants to use a magnetic field to contain the plasma blade.

 

ROFL imagine how funny the movies would have been if the light sabers had a strong magnetic field. Constantly getting stuck on eveyrthing metal.

 

 

Yeah thats not even close to a light saber.

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The key to building a Lightsaber is not found in a crystal, nor is it known by Kaku or any mere mortal man. It is known by the diety known only as Battlebug, and I quote... "can you make sword in box light sword so sword come out when opened? then if sword is back after sword, use light saber on box, and saber will be boxed after sword is out."
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Even though some of these is not possible..below is a reasonable theory.

 

The light is basicly a laser, we can already do a laser that goes strait with no difficulty.

You combine a couple different colored lasers the same direction so you form a visible light.

 

You have some type of device that adds a lot of additional weight/density that piggybacks to the laser light particals themselves. ( Kinda of like some sort of fuel that releases energy, its unstable so does not stay in its compressed form to the light particles )

 

The weight of the fuel attached to the light beam gives it its solid density and the release basicly releases heat which causes a burn type wound...very hot..vaporizing everything it touches.

 

As this fuel cell decays seperating it from the light beam it speeds up the beam itself ( eventually faster then the speed of light. This is how you achieve warp speeds)

 

The full process takes about one meter of space to fully decay and remove itself. This is where the beam would lose its solid density, and also not exist as visible light anymore because it went beyond the speed of visible light.

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We currently have no way to cause light to go so far and terminate. You would need some sort of field that causes massive amounts of light inside it. The best approach we currently have really is a contained plasma fountain which based on current theories would need a massive magnetic field to contain it and redirect the fountain back into the handle to complete the circuit.

 

Really, a lightsaber that looks anything like star wars requires completely different technology. Metal swords with fields to deflect lasers and other projectiles would be a different matter...

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We currently have no way to cause light to go so far and terminate. You would need some sort of field that causes massive amounts of light inside it. The best approach we currently have really is a contained plasma fountain which based on current theories would need a massive magnetic field to contain it and redirect the fountain back into the handle to complete the circuit.

 

Really, a lightsaber that looks anything like star wars requires completely different technology. Metal swords with fields to deflect lasers and other projectiles would be a different matter...

 

i would say the bigger problem then having it come back is coming up with a blade that is able to deflect blaster shots and at the same time be able to hit against another light saber with out just going right through it.

 

It needs to have the properties of a solid with out being a solid.

 

 

Also if you use a strong magnetic field you need to somehow make it so it doesn't suck up all your lose change into the blade.

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This discussion reminded me of:

 

http://www.popsci.com/gear-amp-gadgets/article/2009-06/miniature-plasma-blowtorch-kills-plague-cleans-teeth

 

Is a lightsaber possible. Ehh who knows, the power source would be the trick, and the blades being able to physically come in contact? I guess if the plasma was dense enough? Maybe it just condenses/compresses the local atmospehere a lot then ionizes it? Still we do have tools that use small bursts of plasma, so someday I'm sure someone will combine what technology we do have in an attempt to make one.

 

As for the radiation comment, that explains why when the immediate danger is over they turn them off. I also find it funny people in game running around with them active, much more dangerous than a pair of scissors.

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What if.... We put a mini black hole in the handle.... and it would keep the light from going too far out. But it wouldn't solidify it. One more problem solved for the lightsaber recreation.

 

not possible. Even in a Mini black hole the gravity would be too strong, and possible suck in the user or warp his sense of time... if it were even possible to create a black hole on such a small scale. The best way to make a "lightsaber" would be to follow the design that the toys use, having a blade that extends at the flip of a swich, then it would need something that super heats the extended blade and a second unit that cools the handle. I don't think it's entirely impossible if done this way. Still, not a real lightsaber, but close... and they'd all be red. Sweet.

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The Chinese man said first that they could build a lightsaber, then he said that he cant acording to the laws of physics, and i agree the design is wrong however.

 

Protosabers - http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Protosaber Makes more sence logicaly than a normal lightsaber, still its still hard to do it but maybee.

 

The real hope lies in these

 

Vibroblade - http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Vibroblade These suckers makes perfect sence and is producible with todays technology :D

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An electromagnetic field is actually the only way to contain plasma. When plasma touches anything not plasma, it either heats it up intensely or the plasma just falls out of its super headed state.

 

The "lore" explanation for a lightsaber is a plasma blade, which is arced by a magnetic field back into the hilt. If the blade touches solid matter, the field and the plasma cause a reaction which "seems" like solid matter. Reflecting a blaster bolt is just accomplished by the magnetic field by the way.

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An electromagnetic field is actually the only way to contain plasma. When plasma touches anything not plasma, it either heats it up intensely or the plasma just falls out of its super headed state.

 

The "lore" explanation for a lightsaber is a plasma blade, which is arced by a magnetic field back into the hilt. If the blade touches solid matter, the field and the plasma cause a reaction which "seems" like solid matter. Reflecting a blaster bolt is just accomplished by the magnetic field by the way.

 

again if you have a magnetic field it will suck in everything that is magnetic.

 

Not to mention since it is a magnetic field and lets say its positive on one end and it hits a negative light saber magnetic field the two blades will become stuck. Or if they are both the same they will repel each other.

 

It will have to be a very strong magnetic field btw if it is designed to deflect a blaster shot moving incredibly fast. Otherwise the blaster shot will have enough momentum to overcome the blaster shot and go straight through it.

 

So again Magnetic field on a lightsaber = epic fail.

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o.0 everybody knows that a lightsaber is really just the force amplifyed through a power crystal. it said this in one of the books i think. and everybodys lightsaber is so fine tuned to thier own force, which is why it is extremely difficult to deflect other jedis lightsabers with your force, like in the cinematic.
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According to the wiki, a lightsaber doesn't go out and stop, it goes out, loops, and comes back in.

 

Its looped energy, which is much easier to do than stopping energy.

 

"The blade typically extended about a meter before being arced by the blade containment field back to a negatively charged fissure ringing the emitter, where it was channeled back to the power cell by a superconductor, completing the circuit."

 

Which is also the reason power cells are so rarely replaced. The lightsaber doesn't expend much energy unless the blade comes in contact with something.

 

There are still a lot of problems with creating a real lightsaber, but the expanded universe guys have done a pretty good job of making it just believable enough that scientists are actually thinking it may one day be possible. And the day it is will probably be declared a global holiday by nerds everywhere. It shall be glorious...

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o.0 everybody knows that a lightsaber is really just the force amplifyed through a power crystal. it said this in one of the books i think. and everybodys lightsaber is so fine tuned to thier own force, which is why it is extremely difficult to deflect other jedis lightsabers with your force, like in the cinematic.

 

This is an explanation I can actually accept. When you try to add real world science behind a weapon that goes against every law of physics it becomes ridiculous. However when you explain it using the rules of that universe it is acceptable.

 

 

Just like how the Force is cool when Yoda Explains it in Empire but sounds bad when Qui Gon explains it in the Phantom Meance.

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The real problem is even if you managed to invent a working lightsaber its not actually safe enough for anyone to use. You're equally likely to cut your own body parts off as anyone else's, regardless of training. Which is why only force sensitives can wield them.

 

 

But for argument's sake, it seems plausible the amount of magnetism being used to direct plasma could be so evenly matched to the plasma that there is no magnetic force left over to attract coins or any other metal outside the blade. Like two perfectly match sound waves canceling each other out. In this light it is possible to magnetically control a beam of plasma with not unwanted side effects. Aren't they currently working on a way to create a tool like this for industrial purposes? Or so I heard

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The real problem is even if you managed to invent a working lightsaber its not actually safe enough for anyone to use. You're equally likely to cut your own body parts off as anyone else's, regardless of training. Which is why only force sensitives can wield them.

 

 

But for argument's sake, it seems plausible the amount of magnetism being used to direct plasma could be so evenly matched to the plasma that there is no magnetic force left over to attract coins or any other metal outside the blade. Like two perfectly match sound waves canceling each other out. In this light it is possible to magnetically control a beam of plasma with not unwanted side effects. Aren't they currently working on a way to create a tool like this for industrial purposes? Or so I heard

 

while yes that is possible however you need the magnetic field to be strong enough to deflect blaster bolts or defelct other light sabers. That's where it ends up having to be extremely powerful and can suck in coins.

 

If you just want it to keep the plasma in place then ok but if you want to actually do anything then it becomes unrealistic.

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