What a lightsaber would really do to us ...

[scifidude79]

I covered it in my previous post. It's magic. There's no other explanation. Star Wars is Fantasy, not Science Fiction. Science Fiction is named such as it is scientifically based and you try to explain how you do stuff using real(ish) science. Fantasy is completely make believe. I'm sure you've noticed the mostly lacking attempts to scientifically explain anything in the actual Star Wars universe in any film or TV show, hence it being Fantasy.

[Obese Wan Kenobese]

Star Wars categorically limited as science fiction is like when my 20-something students say they aren't into 'space stuff' when asked if they like Star Wars. They just don't know what it is.

[DarthProdigal]

I feel like I'd like using a "real lightsaber" more if it had mountains more damage dealing capacity... I think I'd watched this vid previously or one very similar. If it blows people up, that makes a "lightsaber throw" now a seriously insane technique. Dodge it or you blow up! Yeah, that's a super Sith weapon right there. If I'm correct the part about the power supply being so potent that if you rupture it it'd take out a large area with the resulting explosion, that'd also be a great explanation why people wouldn't routinely just aim for each other's hilts while dueling... self preservation. Also it'd give a "loser" in a fight a good motivation or way to try and take down their opponent as well. Imagine wars in SW where damaged lightsaber hilts are detonating left and right, that'd be one terrifying battle!

[nunya]

i'm glad this thread was reactivated with fresh comments or i probably would never have seen it.  point for that!

now for the theory about how one would spontaneously combust after activation of the blade - i posit that the containment field around the plasma blade would prevent the heat from escaping (for the most part).  maybe the heat is somehow converted to light energy. 
And exploding Qui-Gon, well, the invisible containment field will persist through (almost) any object so that, once it is breached (metal door, wrist, etc.), its form is retained thus preventing plasma leakage and also preventing the heated material from expanding past the field.  Place two strong magnets on either side of your hand - similar idea - the field does not change or disappear.
the tiny explosions the dude in the video mentioned happen within the containment field iterated along the path of the blade's movement.

in any case, that is my fantastical theory.

[DarthProdigal]

For some reason the original video was just a link not embedded so I reposted it here:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRAyIXgWBWc&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRAyIXgWBWc&amp;feature=youtu.be</a>

i'm glad this thread was reactivated with fresh comments or i probably would never have seen it.  point for that!

now for the theory about how one would spontaneously combust after activation of the blade - i posit that the containment field around the plasma blade would prevent the heat from escaping (for the most part).  maybe the heat is somehow converted to light energy. 
And exploding Qui-Gon, well, the invisible containment field will persist through (almost) any object so that, once it is breached (metal door, wrist, etc.), its form is retained thus preventing plasma leakage and also preventing the heated material from expanding past the field.  Place two strong magnets on either side of your hand - similar idea - the field does not change or disappear.
the tiny explosions the dude in the video mentioned happen within the containment field iterated along the path of the blade's movement.

in any case, that is my fantastical theory.

I agree with you on this point, the field around the blade stops the wild effects of the blade on all surrounding matter. I mean this is from people who have ship based and even planetary sized shield capability... So it's in my mind a phase shield that fluctuates in intensity as it comes into contact with a target. So it doesn't create uncontrollable doomsday effects on the user all the time. It's like he says, it'd do unspeakable damage in micro seconds, so even a momentary fluctuation gauged and regulated could result in a desired effect instead of exploding everyone or making everything spontaneously combust.

[nunya]

Thanks for embedding!  Even though i disagree with his overall assessment (as previously stated using in-world theories), the humorous delivery makes the video worth watching.

[DarthProdigal]

Thanks for embedding!  Even though i disagree with his overall assessment (as previously stated using in-world theories), the humorous delivery makes the video worth watching.

No problem, and I agree. From either the pure fantasy debate standpoint, or a "tech way over our heads" ideology it's still arguable. Until you can stabilize and replicate that level of technology, saying "definitively" what would happen is speculative and theory. The current level of scientific and conceptual physics just isn't at hyperspace travel, kilometer spanning stable energy shield tech, or stand alone hand held plasma weaponry. So whatever leaps or gains would need to be made to make those things "practical" or achievable could be arguably radical enough to break current logic.

All that said, yep he's entertaining and well informed for sure anyway. He's done his research and presented his arguments well. In a format that makes them easy to digest. So it was a fun video to watch, glad the OP shared it. I just hoped to keep it circulating easily.