Slashdot Log In
How Lightsabers Work
Posted by
Zonk
on Thu May 05, 2005 12:22 PM
from the finally-an-article-we-can-all-use dept.
from the finally-an-article-we-can-all-use dept.
SirMutex writes "How Stuff Works explains the inner workings of the Jedi weapon of choice. Complete with alternate uses and safety considerations, the article is a welcomed companion for those still learning the ways of the Force." From the article: "Chances are that you have seen a lightsaber at one time or another, whether on the evening news or down at the local cantina. Therefore you know that a lightsaber is an amazing and versatile device that is able to cut through nearly anything in a matter of milliseconds. Have you ever wondered how these remarkable weapons work? Where does the energy come from, and how are they able to contain that energy in a rod-like column of glowing power?"
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Cut, not Slash/Slice (Score:4, Interesting)
There is a big difference between slicing/slashing and CUTTING. According to Miyamoto Musashi [wikipedia.org], perhaps the greatest swordsman to have ever lived -- it is the act of CUTTING, and not slicing/slashing that makes a great warrior. Siege your opponent -- and cut them in two. It's all in the follow through.
With light sabers, perhaps they allow slicing/slashing to be as effective as cutting? Let's examine this premise.
A jedi who does not perfect his craft is not a jedi.
A jedi who does not follow the way of great sword hands, falls in battle.
A jedi who slashes, slices, is off balance.
A jedi who cuts, falls like leaves on his opponents.
The jedi master will only cut.
So, please Mr. Lucas, when you are buying How Stuff Works adverts, keep in mind that the people at Slashdot will cut, and surprisingly we won't actually slash, after all.
Hmm... cutdot.org anyone?
Re:Cut, not Slash/Slice (Score:5, Funny)
Huh?
Parent
Re:Cut, not Slash/Slice (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:Cut, not Slash/Slice (Score:5, Funny)
2. Patent it.
5. Profit!
Err... "3. Profit!", Sire.
Right, "3".
<angelic choir>ooooo ooooo</angelic choir>
BOOM!
Parent
Re:Cut, not Slash/Slice (Score:5, Insightful)
Jedi do both cut and slice, depending on your point of view. If by cut you are referring to the act of swinging a blade in order to sever (which would seem to line up with Musashi's samurai style) and by slice you refer to the act of swinging a blade in order to damage but not sever, then I would say that Jedi do both.
However, in my opinion, a slice by a lightsaber is fairly useless in the long run as any wounds incurred are instantly cauderized, so a prolonged fight would not bleed an opponent the way a traditional blade would.
Parent
XMA was crap for a basis (Score:5, Interesting)
The show was designed for eye candy and omits much of the history and function of forms of fighting, including the weapons (getting back on topic). Many weapons, such as the Chinese broadsword (dao) or Japanese katana, could be used for cutting (severing), slicing (think eviceration), and hacking (repeated strikes). If we take this to the Jedi, using Luke as our whining reference of choice, cutting is obvious when he loses his hand. Slicing is done when he opens the Tauntaun. Hacking is done when he gets Vader down in RoTJ on the walkway and repeatedly attacks until making his daddy a lefty again.
I agree with the parent that the instant cauterization kind of limits the effectiveness of the weapon, but hey, who wouldn't want to pull a Black Knight routine on someone?
Parent
Re:Cut, not Slash/Slice (Score:5, Funny)
When I was a little kid I tried to work out how a light-sabre could be built. The problem I had difficulty with was making the beam stop at a fixed length.
So I figured what was needed was a thin conductor that could extend from the handle and have a small circle / dome on the end. This would be charged to a massive potential and the top of the handle (other than where the thin central conducting rod emerged) would be oppositely charged. This would then create a plasma between the two. The only remaining problems once I'd figured that out were finding a material for the central conductor that was able to withstand heat in the 1000C's, thin enough that the whole still seemed to be made out of energy, yet rigid enough that it didn't become a lightwhip. That and finding a powersource equivalent to a maglev train that would fit in a small handle. Um, and would work in a vacuum. And some other things... but I was twelve, you know? I figured I'd work on them later and went on to try and decide what colour I wanted.
Parent
Re:Cut, not Slash/Slice (Score:5, Insightful)
Only problem is, he doesn't make swords anymore . . .
Parent
I use mine for toasting bread (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Yoda Fighting Style (Score:4, Funny)
Oh wait... oops, wrong movie!
Parent
Did I ever wonder how they worked? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Did I ever wonder how they worked? (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Safety Warning (Score:5, Funny)
Uhh? (Score:5, Funny)
No?
Re:Uhh? (Score:5, Insightful)
The parent post was modded as funny (and it is), but I consider it insightful too. What was so cool about The Force in the original movies was that it was basically magic. Lightsabers too. When reading about King Arthur, I didn't have any questions about how Excalibur was forged. I don't care how the magic used by Gandalf and Saruman in LOtR works. It just does.
That's why, to me, the biggest offense of Episode I wasn't Jar Jar or the stupid and ridiculously prolonged fish-eat-fish scene. It was less than a minute of stupid technobabble dialogue about chlamydians or whatever (OK, I know it's midi-clorians, but I get a chuckle out of this alternate name). In that brief bit of dialogue, the magic of The Force was ruined and reduced to a mere blood condition. Seriously... could a simple shot of penicillin have avoided the whole Darth Vader situation, and with it the Galactic Empire?
I prefer The Force as it was in the original trilogy. It was magic! In Star Wars Han Solo even disparaged The Force as a "hokey religion" and lightsabers as "ancient weapons," saying that the combination was no match for a good blaster at your side. I wasn't as cynical about The Force as Han (and even Han changed his view, wishing "May the Force be with you" to Luke before leaving the Yavin IV base before the attack on the Death Star). I thought it was pretty cool. But I really never wanted to know the nuts and bolts of how it worked. Jeeze, if I wanted ridiculous technobabble "explanations" of how things work, I'd watch ST:tNG reruns and and get my fill of tetrions and subatomic bacteria and such.
Actually hearing about midi-clorians ruined the magic of The Force for me. I don't see how Jar Jar can "ruin" people's memories of the original series, because one has nothing to do with the other. But the babble about the chlamydians did ruin The Force.
It really surprises me people complain so much about Jar Jar and so little about the midi-clorians.
Parent
Lightsaber Depot? (Score:5, Interesting)
> controls will be slightly different on each individual lightsaber
> that you buy.
This is a pretty cool/funny article. "A lightsaber can help convince an assailant that no means no."
But I thought according to Star Wars lore, you couldn't "buy" a lightsaber. The Jedi (or Sith) had to build their own lightsaber. The story is the Jedi uses the Force to shape the lightsaber crystal and then uses the Force to put it into the cylinder. Because of the "Force" dexterity required, building a lightsaber is supposed to show that the Jedi has mastered the Force.
That's why in Episode VI Darth Vader notices that Luke built a new lightsaber (and subtly threatens Luke with it), and says, "Indeed you are powerful" or something like that. If all the Jedi had to do is buy a lightsaber, then having a new one wouldn't be any more impressive than having good credit.
Then again, I guess in Episode III (and the Clone Wars episodes), we learn the General Grievous collects lightsabers like baseball cards, so maybe the article was written especially for him.
Although I can't imagine General Grievous slicing bagels with his lightsaber, Anakin, with the cavalier attitude towards using the Force he showed in Episode II, probably did.
Re:Lightsaber Depot? (Score:4, Funny)
And we all know how bad Luke's credit was, when he couldn't charter anything but Solo's crappy old dirt-bucket ship.
Parent
Re:Lightsaber Depot? (Score:4, Funny)
The only reason I looked in here was to find who posted the funniest comment. I had no idea that someone would have accually posted something that would merrit a "+5 INTERESTING". But you did.I'm thinking that budweiser is gunna take this thing and run with...
Today we solute you, Mr. +5 INTERESTING. You darelingly take on ficticious articles, and provide a realistic common ground. Who cares if you pull from other ficticious rhelms in order to do so. For without you, this /. article would not have been as fun.
Chorus: Mr.+5 INTERESTIIIIIIIIING
Parent
Re:Lightsaber Depot? (Score:5, Funny)
a Blue Light Saber Special on Aisle 6...
Parent
Re:Lightsaber Depot? (Score:5, Funny)
Maybe that was what Vader was commenting on instead of his prowess with wielding The Force. We could interpret it as "Wow, you manage to keep a good credit rating while staging a rebellion against the Empire? Indeed you are powerful, as the Equifax has foreseen."
Parent
Re:Lightsaber Depot? (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, but with Gentoo you can build your own lightsaber with 'emerge lightsaber'.
Parent
Re:Lightsaber Depot? (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:Lightsaber Depot? (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:Lightsaber Depot? (Score:4, Informative)
You don't need to be a Jedi to use a lightsaber, only to build one. See Ep V, where Han Solo uses Lukes lightsaber to cut open the tauntaun.
Parent
I really can't believe . . . (Score:5, Funny)
Heck Yes! (Score:5, Funny)
-bradly
This is stupid... (Score:5, Informative)
http://www.thinkgeek.com/cubegoodies/toys/69de/ [thinkgeek.com]
The Real Question (Score:4, Funny)
After all, not only is there a geek quality to it if it does, but I'd hate to suddenly encounter the Blue Lightsaber of Death right in the middle of a fight with the Dark Side, and suddenly find myself needing to reboot.
Re:The Real Question (Score:5, Funny)
Seeing as how nobody had to type furiously to activate the sabre, I'd say probably not.
Parent
Who's the bigger fool? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Who's the bigger fool? (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
May I be the first to say (Score:5, Funny)
*schweeooooooorzzhhhh*
*vwom vwooorm vwoosh woomv*
*kza* *kjzt* *tzkch* *skrztle*
etc.
Re:May I be the first to say (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Follow the money trail (Score:5, Interesting)
Since the Parks site claims no affiliation with Lucas and the official Star Wars marketing outlets, I'm wondering how long before he gets slapped with a cease-and-desist.
I see.... (Score:4, Funny)
Razor Burn (Score:5, Funny)
Needless to say, I am back to using my Mach 3. Skin grafts cost far more than replacement razors. Trust me.
porp
Spoilers (Score:5, Informative)
http://www.supershadow.com/starwars/episode3/spoi
For a good history on jedi and sith, there is another page on the same site:
http://www.jedipurge.com/ [jedipurge.com]
The reason I mention this? There is a bit of history about lightsaber development that is pretty intriguing, including a "yellow" saber that has the ability to "actually slice through any other light saber". Good stuff if you're willing to deal with a few spoilers (mostly events between Episode 2 & 3) to learn more about the history of the Jedi and Sith.
It gave me a new outlook on the prequels, and I'm finding that Phantom Menace really isn't as bad as I thought it was around 1999.
Your Lightsaber and You (Score:4, Informative)
a REAL how to (Score:4, Interesting)
Rod-like power! (Score:5, Funny)
Ladies: Creep!
--Rob
Re:Dumbest. Story. Ever. (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:Dumbest. Story. Ever. (Score:5, Funny)
I have my credit card in hand and am still searching KB Toys for a working model. Dammit I want one
Parent
Re:Dumbest. Story. Ever. (Score:4, Informative)
Parent
Re:Dumbest. Story. Ever. (Score:5, Interesting)
Parent
Re:Dumbest. Story. Ever. (Score:5, Insightful)
OF COURSE it casts a shadow! Light can't pass through it! If it could, how would it deflect laser blasts?
I can't believe I'm arguing about fictional physics on Slashdot, but geez, the fact that it casts a shadow is completely consistent with its other properties.
Parent
Re:Dumbest. Story. Ever. (Score:5, Funny)
The explanation, of course, is that the picture does not show an actual light saber, but a prop, for safety reasons.
Parent
Re:Dumbest. Story. Ever. (Score:4, Interesting)
Notice the "Photo courtesy Lucasfilm Ltd."? This is nothing more than a coordinated piece of PR. Now, the real question is: Is Slashdot getting a small piece of the pie by graciously helping perpetuate it? Considering the glut of obvious bought-and-paid-for submissions lately, it wouldn't suprise me in the least.
Parent
Oh get over it (Score:4, Interesting)
The tragic thing though is to think about how much detail they have on how those lightsabers would theoretically work. I assume that those concepts all came from Lucas. And I think, maybe if he'd spent a little less time on figuring out how a lightsaber would work, and more time on figuring out how to write dialogue, the first two prequel movies would have been much better.
Parent
What about Han you insensitive clod? (Score:5, Funny)
Now I will go and soak in bleach for awhile, in the hopes that if I wash enough of the dork smell off that my wife will come near me again.
Parent
Re:Force power (Score:5, Funny)
Or maybe he just had to poop and was trying to hold it. I think they're both potentially valid theories.
Parent