The other day I was watching some Star Wars video on YouTube, and it occurred to me that there are some physics problems with the lightsaber. Of course, there is a large amount of pseudo-science surrounding
physics, construction and use of the lightsaber. The lightsaber is purported to generate an 'arc wave energy field' and has an infinite cutting edge.
Apparently, "Other than emitting a colored light, a lightsaber blade was a massless form that neither radiated heat nor expended energy until it came into contact with something"
[Ref], which stinks of bullshit. If it is emitting light, it is, by definition, expending energy. It is emitting light energy. The 'arc wave energy field' apparently emits that buzzing sound you hear in the movies. Isn't that sound energy? Wait. I think I have more plausible explanations for all of this.
First, the lightsaber is purported to have an infinite cutting edge. We can deduce that it is no smaller than the atomic level, as a swipe of a lightsaber doesn't incite nuclear reactions/explosions by splitting the nucleus of an atom. Since the lightsaber doesn't expend energy unless it comes int contact with something, it is reasonable to assume that the energy being emitted, such as the light energy, and the crackling sound energy comes from the 'arc wave energy field' coming into contact with molecules of air (nitrogen, CO
2, oxygen, etc.). The crackling noise is probably due to molecules of air being ionized by the lightsaber beam, just like high voltage power lines crackle when molecules of air come in contact with them and become ionized.
This brings me to my next point: if the lightsaber is ionizing air, then it is necessarily a source of environmental pollutants and health hazards. Think about it. High voltage power lines produce ozone. Ozone is a major lung hazard, decreasing lung capacity, causing emphysema, and other problems. Ozone in the environment causes decreased metabolism and reproduction in plants, which will effect crop harvests and kill vegetation. Those farmers near a Jedi training ground should beware.
Of course, high-voltage power lines contain much less energy than a lightsaber (just ask any Star Wars fan). Perhaps rather than simple ionization of oxygen, there is enough energy to ionize the nitrogen in the atmosphere as well. Most of the atmosphere is nitrogen, so many more molecules of nitrogen get hit with one swing of the old lightsaber. Ionization of the nitrogen will produce nitric oxides like those found in car exhaust (NO
x gasses, like NO, NO
2 and N
2O
4). These are much more acute toxins and many times more damaging to the lungs. These are the brown gasses that give smog its color.
So what does this mean? Well, you'll be able to smell when a Jedi was around. The whole place will probably smell like Los Angeles on a good day, or perhaps a room with one of those ozone generators sold by Sharper Image (also known as the Ionic Breeze). It also means old Luke probably has emphysema and perhaps a bit of lung cancer.
Where's the evidence for this you ask? Take a look at Yoda. There's a reason Yoda moved into the woods: he needed more oxygen and his emphysema was too bad to continue screwing around with that lightsaber. Then Luke comes along, he turns on the lightsaber to train him, worsening his lung problems by more exposure to lethal gasses, and then he expires a short time later.
And what about Darth Vader? Some of his breathing difficulties are probably due to breathing in so many pollutants over the years, in addition to that nasty wound on that volcanic planet. And I'd bet a dime to a dollar that his breathing device has an ozone filter on it.
Perhaps new lightsabers need to come with a label: "This device is known to produce chemicals known to the state of Kalifornia to cause cancer."
