12 Tech Inventions From Star Wars That Already Exist Today
3. Blasters
There are two options for real world blasters. The first is weaponry that utilises lasers or other electromagnetic radiation. This iteration of a blaster gun is very much a reality today. High intensity lasers that are capable of blinding, burning or pretty much disintegrating people can be built with relative ease and a whole lot of money. However, Lucas ruined everything in 2004 when he changed the already altered Cantina scene to depict Han Solo dodging Greedo's initial shot. Apart from causing uproar amongst people without any bigger fish to fry, he also drew enormous attention to something that pedants had been moaning about for years; you can't dodge something that travels at the speed of light. You can't even see it coming. So, despite the fact that we can make laser weapons at the drop of a hat, we're back to square one in terms of staying true to the movies. The Star Wars extended universe went on to describe the workings of blasters in more detail in order to explain why they don't move at lightspeed and yeah, the technology that was described is a little beyond us right now. I'll get back to you when we can encase superheated ionized gas inside a particle shield using an electromagnetic coil. Until then, laser weapons have the same effect, only quicker.
Peter Austin initially joined WhatCulture as an occasional contributor to our Film, Gaming and Science sections, but made the mistake of telling us that he'd been making videos in his bedroom for over a decade. Since then he's been a vital member of our YouTube team and routinely sets the standard for smart-casual wear in the office.
