Could a light saber be possible to make?

[Realitycrash]

Out of light? No. Out of something else? Yes.

What then? Keep in mind all electromagnetic radiation is simply waves of photons (that's right, the only difference between say radio waves, microwaves and visible light is the wavelenght).

Dunno, ionized plasma? I honestly don't know, I'm not a physicist. I imagine you can do it by somehow creating a force-field, and just letting that do the trick.
Don't know what will do the trick, just know that keeping light in such a stable, focused way seems pretty impossible.

 

[oktalist]

It just annoys me to no end that people always pick on how the "lightsaber isn't possible" by tearing down theories that AREN'T how lightsabers function!!!

But lightsabres DON'T function. They are fictional.

Even fictional accounts of how they function differ wildly:

From the Star Wars Wiki

[small][font color=gray]The weapon consisted of a blade of pure plasma emitted from the hilt and suspended in a force containment field. The field contained the immense heat of the plasma, protecting the wielder, and allowed the blade to keep its shape.[/font][/small]

From the Star Wars Databank:

[small][font color=gray]Once unleashed, the power channels through a positively charged continuous energy lens at the center of the handle. The beam then arcs circumferentially back to a negatively charged high energy flux aperture. A superconductor transfers the power from the flux aperture to the power cell.[/font][/small]

Two completely different explanations, both equally meaningless.

If you demand that a real-life lightsabre work just like its fictional counterpart is claimed to, then it is obviously never going to work, because the fictional claims are meaningless technobabble. So physicists must answer the question "could a lightsabre be possible?" by looking at how the real laws of physics might allow a device that exhibits the same behaviour as a lightsabre. Hence we investigate real things like lasers and plasma. If it exhibits the same behaviour as the fictional lightsabre, then it IS a lightsabre, regardless of whether it uses lasers or plasma or whatever. You can't just say it's not a lightsabre because it uses some technology which isn't mentioned in Star Wars canon, because then you'd NEVER be able to make one EVER.

Simply using the term "energy" leaves it open to interpretation what kind of energy is to be utilized (and thus avoids unneccessary nit-picking).

And avoids unnecessary actual explaining of anything whatsoever.

Light and plasma could both be argued to be forms of energy, anyway.

I generally think of the "energy" as being perhaps electrical.

So it is constantly moving electrons, then. That would require an awful lot of power to push them through the air, which is not a good electrical conductor at all.

Creating a contained "arc-loop" of intense electrical energy (think ARC welder in blade form)

Electrical arcs follow the path of least resistance, usually an approximately straight line from electrode to electrode. Do you propose a way to extend this path?

I never said that the design required a field that could "cap off" I actually stated that that IS impossible (that's why the plasma idea doesn't work, and why lightsabers CAN'T be made with plasma)

It's also the reason why your proposal doesn't work.

This whole discussion is basically theoretical technology at this point, so nothing within reason can be discounted wholely.

Our side of the discussion is theoretical. Your side of the discussion is just making stuff up.

 

[manic_depressive13]

No but I think it might be possible to make a heavy saber.

[sub][sub]Yeeeeeeeeeeeeah[/sub][/sub]

 

[kiwi_poo]

http://www.letmewatchthis.ch/tv-2717125-Sci-Fi-Science-Physics-of-the-Impossible/season-1-episode-8

it can in theory be done as this episode explains

 

[Guffe]

If I don't remember wrong there was a thread maybe 6 months ago were some British scientists actually had already made a lightsaber of some sort. The "blade" was very thin but also extreamly dangerous (in both the sense of splitting and heat).
It would be cool thou with Star Wars Lightsabers, I am not denying that.

 

[Trippy Turtle]

You kind of need the force to use them effectively as a weapon. Wouldn't be a bad power tool of course.

 

[ProtoChimp]

Could one be made 700 years from now?

 

[funguy2121]

snip

Oh yeah. Got one of these in an internet auction. Got me into some trouble, though. French chicks dig beam katanas

 

[honestdiscussioner]

It's understandable how it would seem undoable. There's the issue of creating a laser powerful enough to actually cut through things instantaneously, and then you have to figure out how to limit the extension of the laser.

Two issues one being able to create a strong enough laser to cut through anything like you said.

Even if you did manage to focus a great deal of energy into a laser blade (it is possible), there would be extreme health risks involved in using it.

The question is, why would you want to limit the beam? If you have a laser powerful enough to cut through flesh, and a power source small enough to be practical, why wouldn't you just use it as a gun?

Due to the laser traveling in continous line until it reflected or absorbed; it would be quite easy to cause friendly fire. Now it would be practical if the laser was fired in bursts and not a continous beam.

The problem is everyone keeps calling it a "laser". Lightsabers are NOT laser swords. Nor, despite their name, are they made of light. If either of these were true, when you hit one against the other, they'd go right through each other. If you think they are incorrectly named, well take it up with Lucas but I'd remind you that a Ford Mustang isn't exactly made from horses, despite the name.

A lightsaber is TOTALLY possible. The only problem we have is power supply.

A lightsaber blade could not be made of plasma, as there is no way to contain the plasma at the end of the blade length, ie: "cap it off"

Unless it is done like a like a fountain. Notice when a lightsaber turns on, it take a second or two to emanate from the hilt to full length. As soon as it comes up, it's feeding back into itself, so it isn't losing power. The plasma is constantly going up the blade and then back down into the hilt. Despite what Overload said, plasma can be affected by electromagnetic fields, so that is a possible method to direct\form the blade.

As I said, the only thing holding us back is power supply. We'd need an entire powerplant to maintain one. Soon as we figure out fusion cells . . . someone will invent a lightsaber.

 

[Sylveria]

If I remember correctly they have in fact made them in real life they are heavy and not recomended for any type of dueling.

If by heavy you mean several hundred tonnes and the utilizing machinery the size of a large warehouse, yes you are correct.

 

[Agow95]

Even if you could, it would also have to be attached to a very large, very heavy battery, that you would have to lug around, also, if the laser is intense enough to cut through nearly anthing then it would blind everyone within seeing distance every thime you used it. so in short, we might be able to make a tool which works like a Lightsaber in the distant future, but we couldn't use it without also bringing large power sources and special protective gear.

 

[FreakSheet]

http://graphjam.memebase.com/2011/06/04/funny-graphs-i-cant-see-anything-with-the-blast-shield-down/

Sadly, no.

Now... how to post pictures...

 

[someonehairy-ish]

Depends.

If you want to use plasma and contain it somehow (electromagnetic field?) you coould probably come up with something that looks and acts a bit like a lightsaber.

However, if you want the blade to actually be made of light as in, a laser, how do you limit the blades extension? You could have a piece of metal or something in place to limit the length, but if you want a lightsaber that can cut anything, surely the metal limiter would be cut too?
Laser weapons would probably be more practical as long range weapons than close combat blade type affairs.

 

[Not Lord Atkin]

Yup, perfectly possible. Maybe not right now (the power source is a *****) but definitely within 50 years' time. I gave a presentation on that topic a few months ago.

Dr. Michio Kaku has been trying to construct one in his show, 'Sci-Fi Science'. It's quite interesting to watch as he goes through all the possibilities of how it can be achieved and describes all the needed technology in detail.

 

[Serving UpSmiles]

If I remember correctly they have in fact made them in real life they are heavy and not recomended for any type of dueling.

Wait what? a source of this would be useful so I know it's not from Fox News.

 

[F4LL3N]

I wouldn't use lasers, I'd use heat.

It would have a handle with a button. When you pressed that button, a thin balloon type casing (made of metal) would expand and fill up with heated gas that's XXXX degrees. Which would glow red and cut through most things.

Then simply press the button again to extract the gas and the thin metal casing back into the handle. The gas would heat by fusing with some other form of gas/chemical and cooled by separating it.

I think it's practical. All you need is a new form of metal that's thin, durable, and a good conductor of heat that can expand and retract (like a long ballon). And a gas/combination that can be heated and cooled with ease.

EDIT:

Depends.

If you want to use plasma and contain it somehow (electromagnetic field?) you coould probably come up with something that looks and acts a bit like a lightsaber.

However, if you want the blade to actually be made of light as in, a laser, how do you limit the blades extension? You could have a piece of metal or something in place to limit the length, but if you want a lightsaber that can cut anything, surely the metal limiter would be cut too?
Laser weapons would probably be more practical as long range weapons than close combat blade type affairs.

Actually that could work, I think. You could have a piece of metal stronger than the laser, then all you'd need is a magnetic field that pulls and pushes it to the length you want. You just wouldn't be able to stab through anything.

 

[Jegsimmons]

with actual light...no.
with weaponized plasma? yes if you can control the heat to not burn your own hands.
the ones shown in above picture with a rod going through or beside it? more than likely.

 

[Reyalsfeihc]

People have already came up with modeled designs, our technology just isn`t quite there yet (in terms of a plausible power source). The idea is a telescoping rod that`s resistant to plasma is charged by polar energy where a fan blad pushes heated plasma upward, the plasma being drawn to the rod by magnetism yet being repelled by a weaker force so it doesn`t burn through the physical "sword". It`s a cool concept, just don`t have that sort of power in a small battery yet.

 

[Drizzitdude]

In a poular science Artible, you can find what can be the equivelent of a mini lightsaber, it is a knife with superheated plasma and it is made as a medical tool to perform cuts while cauterizing the wound. Google it. It's nothing like a real lightsaber of course but hey its soemthing.

If we were going for a lightsaber in the laser sense, the 'No More Heroes' version seems the most plausible with an infinite loop lasers. Now how do to this is the tricky part, first off it wouldn't need to be a continous stream if you made the laser loops truly infinite, you would need to fire it off once and there you go, you have the equivelet of one cut because it would interrupt the beam. Then flik the switch again and pop out another one. While a continous stream may sound better to that plan the problemw ith that comes with the fact that you would probably fry your power source.

Also, another trick is the fact that in this situation where you have a super condensed high heat laser being reflected infinitely you would NEED some kiind of high quality material for the mirror, If you want a laser that can more or less cut through anything you need a material that can withstand that kind of heat. Normally this wouldn't be a problem with everyday lasers today, they are nowhere near that powerful. But believe it or not even though the light is being reflected off the mirrored surface it is still HITTING it. and in the situation that it is in a continous loop, it would be hitting it CONSTANTLY.

also, your light sabers would phase through one another, no dueling. The only reason that works in star wars is ebcause it is the electromagnetic field holding the blade in that shape that is hitting it (HIGHLY IMPROBABLE Btw)