Unobtainium Why?

[gim73]

I like the explaination about unobtainium that 'the core' gives us. It's a material that gets stronger as it gets more stress added. It also apparently generates electricity from heat directly. As an engineer, I hate that movie, but as a science fiction fan, it's pretty fun to watch.

 

[Lord George]

Maybe its used to make wonderflonium.

 

[Mr.Squishy]

Or the craziest idea, what if it's a monopole? That would be CRAZY AWESOME!

Maybe that'll go towards explaining those floating mountains. Seriously WTF?

My theory is that the huge gas giant that pandora orbits is pulling the mountains up with it's gravity.

....off-topic, but wasn't the Borderlands planet thing also called pandora?

 

[Deathman101]

I hear that Unobtanium is a theoretical superconducting metal.

 

[soapyshooter]

I'm assuming it's super-oil.
But it could just as well be phlebotinum, solidified fairy dust, magic metal, tree brains, or just plain and simple nutrients that can keep a fully grown man going for days, weeks even, solidified into a rock.

Because of its ridiculous magnetic properties. Something like that could be used to build matter-anti matter annihilation engines for space craft, which could reach upto 92% the speed of light.

EDIT: Also it could be a superconductor. one of the holy grail's of science is finding a cheap superconductor

Aaah yes, 20 million dollar per kilo cheapness, it's practiacally a bargain!
Sorry.

i see the sarcasm. Its supply and demand. Its 20 mil now, but they use it to power engines of the spaceship so they can get more mining equipment to pandora, more equipment = more unobatinum=more fuel to bring more mining equipment. Its a supply loop, economics 101. so its expensive now but will be cheaper.

 

[jackyjack13579]

It obviously the only substance that schnozzberries will grow in and everyone wants to grow some schnozzberries! Because schnozzberries taste like schnozzberries!

 

[Jark212]

Unobtanium
Unobtainable

Did anyone notice this???

 

[Premonition]

If you've seen Avatar you know that the corporation was their to mine for a shiny substance, unobtanium. The thing is that it is never explained (in the movie) why this shiny metal is so damn valuable. So I ask you, what do you think unobtanium does to make it so valuable? I personally think it's a cure to some form of disease, or maybe cancer.

Edit: Unobtanium is worth 20 million dollars a kilogram.

Probably because of its unobtainable nature. Seeing as they have to mine it on another planet and the company has a monopoly on it.

 

[Resonantscythe]

Some sort of super efficient clean burning fuel source, or alternatively, an Über strong yet surprisingly light metal. Also, a really weak joke.

 

[GamingAwesome1]

Because something has to drive the plot.

 

[DancePuppets]

Also it could be a superconductor. one of the holy grail's of science is finding a cheap superconductor

Technically not true, superconductors aren't necessarily expensive, for example lead is a superconductor at 7K. The main issue that we're currently having with superconductivity is creating what we call high temperature superconductors, ie. superconductors which exhibit superconductivity at temperatures of above about 77K (the boiling point of nitrogen at atmospheric pressure). So far the best we've got is at a temperature of 138K or around -135 degrees celsius. Sorry for correcting you, its just I am doing an astronomy PhD and this was covered in the 3rd year of my undergraduate physics course and I thought it was interesting, most probably because I'm weird.

 

[LiquidGrape]

It's the one thing in this universe which could possibly expand Cameron's already bloated ego.

...... HA

Seconded XD

Dude, respect, please. This is the king of sci-fi you're talking about.

The one king of sci-fi is Gene Roddenberry.
You all know it to be true.

 

[soapyshooter]

Also it could be a superconductor. one of the holy grail's of science is finding a cheap superconductor

Technically not true, superconductors aren't necessarily expensive, for example lead is a superconductor at 7K. The main issue that we're currently having with superconductivity is creating what we call high temperature superconductors, ie. superconductors which exhibit superconductivity at temperatures of above about 77K (the boiling point of nitrogen at atmospheric pressure). So far the best we've got is at a temperature of 138K or around -135 degrees celsius. Sorry for correcting you, its just I am doing an astronomy PhD and this was covered in the 3rd year of my undergraduate physics course and I thought it was interesting, most probably because I'm weird.

Well i guess i should've said a cheap superconductor at room temperature as many people have been pointing out.

PhD is astronomy huh? know anything about Project Valkyrie spaceship designs? Reading about those give me nerdgasms. haha

 

[FROGGEman2]

It's the one thing in this universe which could possibly expand Cameron's already bloated ego.

...... HA

Seconded XD

Dude, respect, please. This is the king of sci-fi you're talking about.

The one king of sci-fi is Gene Roddenberry.
You all know it to be true.

Sorry, what I meant to say was, "The living king of sci-fi".

 

[Daniel Cygnus]

A fossil fuel of sorts I guess, or at least a metaphor for a fossil fuel.

That's what I think. It sounds the most reasonable to me, and it would explain why people from a "dying world" would want it so badly.

 

[hudsonzero]

If you've seen Avatar you know that the corporation was their to mine for a shiny substance, unobtanium. The thing is that it is never explained (in the movie) why this shiny metal is so damn valuable. So I ask you, what do you think unobtanium does to make it so valuable? I personally think it's a cure to some form of disease, or maybe cancer.

Edit: Unobtanium is worth 20 million dollars a kilogram.

in the game its reveled to be required for dark mater engines

 

[Brnin8]

They were planning on rebuilding the Annumidium, but were foiled by the blue skinned locals...

 

[Daffy F]

If it's anything like smurfberries, it'll be a great source of energy.

Of COURSE! Smurfberries! That's why my potatoes haven't been growing properly. Thanks, Figment of my imagination!

 

[PinkAngelKitty]

Because it's unobtainable?

That was a stupid aspect of Avatar. Unobtainium is an old chemist's joke.

 

[Veylon]

This entire thread is a failure on the part of Mr. Cameron. No one who's seen the movie should harbor doubt about unobtanium. It's nature is crucial to the plot. And yet, why, precisely, people want the stuff so bad is never explained within.

It's as though we went through the entire Lord of the Rings without the One Ring receiving any explanation or why it must be thrown into Mt. Doom, or if J.K. Rowling never explained why Voldemort keeps trying to kill Harry, or if the Phantom Menace never explained what the Trade Federation was getting out of conquering and occupying Naboo. It's just like that.