Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.
Well what do you have to say about that video games?
Wort wort wort.
Hello internet, welcome to game theory where to answer all your questions one
more time the red in the logo is not a reference to the Xbox red ring of death.
Why would I do that? As some sort of weekly warning against the hubris of
game console manufacturers? As a loving reminder of all those times you had to
cuddle your xbox 360 under a blanket in a last-ditch effort to get it
to function? Nope it's just a reference to my other channel film theory which has
red in that part of the logo.
Oh it makes so much sense now.
And lately on film theory I, like the rest of the internet, have been covering
a lot of star wars which means my mind has been swimming in Jedi battles and
galactic terrorism as of late. Which leads us to today's episode because as I was
researching the physics of the lightsaber,
I couldn't help but think about another iconic weapon, one we all know and love
from gaming, the Halo energy sword, and once I really started thinking about it
I couldn't shake how similar these two weapons actually are.
I mean seriously these aren't just two iconic laser sword weapons they're more
like brothers from different mothers but as it is with all twin brothers now that
they've finally been reunited we're gonna have to decide right here and
right now
which one would win in a fight. Right?
that's a thing that siblings do? I'm an only child so I don't really know.
I'm assuming that's a thing though and before we get too far I want to make it
absolutely clear that this theory is exclusively focused on the weapons alone
not the characters who wield them. Were we to open the door to that
well then we'd have to talk about midi-chlorians and no one wants to talk
about midi-chlorians. Not even star wars apparently, so in order to start
comparing the weapons and decide which one would win in a fight we need to
understand how they would potentially work in the real world. When it comes to
the energy sword, Halo has already done most of the work for us.
According to the Halo encyclopedia, the blades of the weapon are made of plasma
contained around the edge of the sword by magnetic fields. Now we've talked
about plasma before on Film Theory since its the closest real-world basis for all of
Dragon Balls energy attacks, but just to catch everyone plasma is the most
abundant form of matter
making up ninety nine percent of the universe
but what is it? You know how when you heat up a solid it melts and becomes a liquid and
then you heat it up a bit more and it becomes a gas. Well if you heat the gas
even more it becomes plasma. We're most familiar with it in the form of
lightning, stars and fluorescent bulbs but basically by heating the gas the
electrons in the atoms get so excited that they break away.
This creates a soup of negatively charged electrons floating around
alongside positively charged ions. The Halo energy sword then at its most basic
level takes this soup and controls it using magnets, shaping the superheated
gas around the blades of the weapon but what's an energy sword without energy?
Well it's actually just a sword.
Yeah. And that's why batteries are included. Haha, puberty.
And that's why batteries are included in each new weapon, suck on
that Mattel,
the future is now. Changing a gas to a plasma takes a lot of energy so the
battery enables this to happen by shooting an electric current through the
gas allowing it to change its state in much the same way that a plasma
cutter works and thus you have your battery operated death sword. A pretty cool
thing to look forward to in the future right?
Not really, plasma blades are something being rolled out in medicine for things
like surgery as we speak
so this idea isn't so much science fiction as it is just plain old science.
Explaining the lightsaber though is actually a bit trickier since,
well, it's neither light nor saber. Let's take it one at a time, light is made up
of particles known as photons,
they're constantly flying all over the universe they have no mass and generally
don't react with one another.
That's why you can cross flashlight beams with no difference in the light
that's being produced.
Sure I suppose you could shoot light through a cloud of super cold rubidium
gas which gets the photons to act more like molecules creating a new state of
matter called photonic molecules but it's a fringe case that's still being
tested by science and seriously who do we think we are? German experimental
physicist Gustav Ludwig Hertz come on, we're not.
The other problem with lightsabers made of light is that currently science has a
hard time telling photons when to stop moving. So if a lightsaber were truly made
of light and without a mirror or something at the end of the sword to stop the beam,
it would extend a much longer distance than a few feet.
I guess in that case you wouldn't have to compare sizes though.
And I see your sword is as big as mine.
And again, just like high-powered flashlights or lasers, a lightsaber of
light would'nt actually clash with another lightsaber they would just pass through
each other and you would shine it in each other's eyes hoping to cause like
night blindness.
Pew, pew pew. Shine it in your eyes! Oh its so bright! Ow ow ow!
So anyway, it's not a lightsaber nor is it a laser saber,
then what is it? Well more likely than not it's a plasma saber but again not a
saber either since a saber is a calvary sword with a curved blade and one
cutting edge. Curve, nope.
Only one cutting edge? I dare you to touch that thing
so more like a short sword. No that's not right.
Plasma woo swoo sword. Plasma eppé? Plasma rapier? Plasma katana.
You know there's really no sword like equivalent to a lightsaber
honestly it's more like plasma bludgeoning stick.
But why plasma well currently the same system operating the energy sword makes
the most sense for the lightsaber. A magnetic field shaping a super heated
tube of gas.
Midi-chlorians or no the behavior lines up, in Star Wars Episode 1 - The Phantom
Menace qui-gon jinn uses his lightsaber to melt through a blast door, meaning the
lightsaber is getting above 2500 degrees Fahrenheit or thirteen seventy degrees
Celsius
now look at the temperature of plasma. Even quote unquote cold plasma is
several thousand degrees celsius so it would have no problem accomplishing this
task.
What about different colors of lightsaber? Well the different colors of gas
used to form the plasma could create the rainbow of colours you see in
lightsabers, helium for Mace Windu to produce his purple color, argon for Darth Maul
and his dark red sabre and CF4 Luke Skywalker's heroic blue and because
plasma is an actual state of matter
unlike a blade of light here the Sabres would clash.
Just like you see throughout the iconic sword battles in the movies and games.
This idea is also supported by theoretical physicist and all-around
scientific badass
Dr. Michio Kaku and if you needed any further proof
although the movies don't ever mention plasma the games do. To quote Star Wars:
The Old Republic the weapon consists of a blade of pure plasma energy emitted
from the metal hilt and suspended in a force contained field.
Boom! Decades of cannon for this classic film series and yet it's the
games where we get the most information about how these iconic weapons would
work.
Video games for the win, long story short when you actually look at the science
the lightsaber and energy sword are one in the same
so if they're basically the same device which one would win?
Well as similar as the tech behind them is these blades could'nt be designed
anymore differently
unless your name is either kylo Ren or Darth Maul the lightsaber blade tends to
be a relatively thin and modest rod of variable length while the energy sword is
actually two triangular blades with an opening that runs down into the center
towards the quote unquote hilts.
So which design comes out on top? Because lightsabers have a more basic and
variable design it opens up a lot of different fighting styles and since the
blade is plasma all the weight is in the hilt.
According to the now legendary article called fightsaber from issue 62 of the Star
Wars insider and the jedi academy training manual we know that there are
seven main styles of lightsaber combat. Each style has its own emphasis on
specific tactics or defensive techniques but one commonality across nearly all of
them is an emphasis on amputation moves strokes that will sever limbs, most
notable of these is the cho mai strike which single-handedly resulted in so
many single hands in the Star Wars universe.
Badum ching.
Even the Wampa, come on! The Wampa! Poor thing. For the energy sword it's a
bit more complicated because there's so much less information on the way elites
actually use it to fight but we can put together a good guess based on history
and its design.
Firstly let's look at the gap between the two sides of the blade, the gap
always narrows almost to the point of touching just before you get to the area
where your hand is, as if the opponent's blade is meant to slide right into that
slot and that's exactly right.
This split structure allows the fighter to trap their opponents blade so the
elite can twist it either disarming the enemy or leaving them open for the
killing blow.
It's an idea that's been proven throughout history, most notably by the
parrying daggers from the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance.
For instance take a look at this 16th century German
trident dagger who's blade springs open in to 3 precisely because trapping
the opponent's blade is such a good idea.
Like a Schick razor commercial, why have one blade when you can have seven? No one
suspects the trident dagger or look at the sword breakers which had small
teeth like a cone near the hilt where an opponent's sword would slide in and get
stuck.
So it's an offensive weapon that also has defensive properties but the other
benefit of the energy sword is that both sides of the blades extend almost
completely around the wielders hand. Even extending down beyond the wrist into
sharpened points, in a battle with a straight lightsaber used mostly for
disarming or should I say dis handing the opponent this design detail
is a huge benefit to the energy sword. It almost makes it seem like the energy
sword was designed specifically as a counter to the cho mai strikes of the
lightsaber.
So when it comes strictly to design the win has to go to Halo.
So then that's it right? It would look like the Halo energy sword is the winner
based on its design.
Well there's one big issue we haven't explored yet. Better check your CNET
review score on that new plasma sword my friends because just like most
other portable electronics in the end it comes down to the battery life.
You heard that right! Break out the charging stations for your beam swords
these things need some energy sources.
Deep in the extended universe floor it's revealed that during the ancient history
of Star Wars, lightsabers had to be powered through an extension cord that
was connected to a bulky battery pack worn on the Jedi's belt.
These would go on to be known as protosabers and man, can you think about how lame
battles in the movies would be if they were still using these guys? I mean just
cut the cord or force grab the battery pack and all your opponent is left with
is a handle. Eventually the design evolved into what we know today with the
power source moving into the hilt and now you've got fights like duel of the
fates from Phantom Menace where Jedi are fighting for what seems like several
hours at a time but even still Padawans wanted that protosaber.
According to the jedi academy training
manual a member of luke skywalker's Jedi Order actually went on to revive the
protosaber.
That's right it's the definition of the Jedi hipster. Oh, ah the retro way was so
much better
let's bring this thing back even though it's clearly inferior to what we
currently have. This could potentially even show up in the new movies
this character was an order of Luke's Jedi Order after all
wouldn't that be just, just so weird I hope he also wears like, flannel robes and
thick rimmed glasses that don't actually have a prescription in them maybe some
tight Jedi leggings leggings. Jeggings.
Anyway that said even the most poultry battery life of a lightsaber would
trounce that of the energy sword which lasts as all you Halo fans know ten
whopping swings before your left weaponless holding the equivalent of a
weird alien shake weight. So that makes it case closed then right? Despite
design superiority the lackluster energy supply of the ironically named energy
sword losses to even the most low-tech of protosabers.
But hold on to your rat's tail Qui-Gon because after doing the research
ten swings may be more than enough time for our elite to finish off a saber
wielding Rey. Remember our ground rule at the beginning, that in this contest no
consideration will be given to any force powers
we're talking strictly design and function of the blade and though a ten
swing battery might sound like it sucks, in the real world without force powers
or respawning when two people fight each other with swords the fight only ever
lasts a minute or two and most of that time isn't spent swinging swords around
frantically it's been poking each other at a distance.
Just think about fencing, you guys clearly watch those right? I mean
they're pretty awesome so you should especially during the Olympics they're
incredible.
Anyway let me tell you, in fencing matches rarely if ever are you getting to
10 swings.
Contact is made within one or two jabs usually, in fact most experts out there
today believe that most actual sword fights never even get to the point where
someone would try to do a two-handed swing because of how completly
dangerous it is to do. It leaves you wide open.
Instead fights, if they did happen had one or two clashes of Steel at most
before someone was on the ground bleeding out
and in this situation under these rules in the argument of light sabres vs
energy sword it's actually Halo that comes out on top.
Yes the battery life might suck but design superiority wins the day,
although let me be clear I love them both. Don't pull a death battle and rain
down a lot of hate on me this is really just meant to be a thought experiment
where I could teach you about plasma, light energy and sword design. Not saying
that one is like, cooler than the other or whatever I'm saying in the battle
between two fictional swords that are basically the same but designed slightly
differently
this one functions slightly better than this other one.
Ok I'm still gonna get a lot of hate for this episode aren't I? But hey that's
just a theory
a game theory! Thanks for watching.
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Next theory is Undertale by the way, spoiler alert.