# C-3PO, human-cyborg relations. What cyborgs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 23, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/c-3po-human-cyborg-relations-what-cyborgs/565232 "2010-12-23T23:02:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/c-3po-human-cyborg-relations-what-cyborgs/565232/1 "2010-12-23T23:02:20Z")
Are droids cyborgs? Could Darth Vader be considered a cyborg? Is Luke a cyborg after getting his artificial hand? Why would cyborgs need to have a lame-ass droid as intermediary with humans anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/c-3po-human-cyborg-relations-what-cyborgs/565232/2 "2010-12-23T23:19:31Z")
Luke and Vader are cyborgs in the textbook definition but I don’t see how there would be some intermediary needed between cyborgs and humans. Don’t forget though that 3PO is programmed for protocol and ettiquette. With all the different species throughout the galaxy plus the binary droid languages, there’s a big need for an interpretter. Still, “human/cyborg relations” doesn’t sound quite right when going by textbook definition. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/c-3po-human-cyborg-relations-what-cyborgs/565232/3 "2010-12-23T23:26:08Z")
At least one definition of “cyborg” includes computers with the capacity for humanlike thought. In which case C-3PO might himself be considered a cyborg. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/c-3po-human-cyborg-relations-what-cyborgs/565232/4 "2010-12-23T23:42:32Z")
It seems to me thatC-3PO is able to speak all “human” languages, while R2D2 is able to interface with all computer systems. As a combination, they offer some interesting potential as a story element. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/c-3po-human-cyborg-relations-what-cyborgs/565232/5 "2010-12-23T23:49:43Z")
I always figured since he was a protocal droid it was a PC term nobody ever used for droids. Droid is to Cyborg as Janitor is to Sanitation Engineer. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/c-3po-human-cyborg-relations-what-cyborgs/565232/6 "2010-12-24T00:16:24Z")
[Lobot](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lobot) (Lando’s majordomo on Cloud City…the one with the wraparound headphones) was an actual cyborg. So was [Dengar](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Dengar), one of Vader’s bounty hunters\*. However, I’m pretty sure all the phrase means is human/machine relations…remember that 3PO said he could speak with not only binary droids, but the vaporators on the Lars farm. \*On the other hand, another one of the bounty hunters was [an actual droid](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/IG-88). ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/c-3po-human-cyborg-relations-what-cyborgs/565232/7 "2010-12-24T01:03:28Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > With all the different species throughout the galaxy plus the binary droid languages, there’s a big need for an interpretter. Still, “human/cyborg relations” doesn’t sound quite right when going by textbook definition. Despite being a translator C3PO rarely translates (he does with the Ewoks). I always found it interesting (and liked it) in the Star Wars series that each race spoke its own language to others and everyone just seemed to understand. There are numerous times where another race is babbling unintelligbly to us but those in the movie all understand fine and respond in English which the “alien” (quotes because c’mon…everyone in the movie are aliens to each other) likewise gets just fine (e.g when Dooku is handed the plans for the Death Star he understands the languages around him just fine). Hell, Luke seems to understand R2D2’s bleeps and bloops often enough. Although why the hell R2 couldn’t be given a voice synthesizer in that day and age is beyond me. R2 can reprogram the Death Star but can’t say two words? Bet there was a Radio Shack on the Death Star they could have nabbed one from. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/c-3po-human-cyborg-relations-what-cyborgs/565232/8 "2010-12-24T01:08:09Z")
I imagine it went something like this Lucas, Hmm, C-3PO, interpreter? no, public relations, hmm, human relations, human droid relations, human robot relations, hey how 'bout human cyborg relations. Flunky 1 Ooh, cyborg relations, that’s cool. Flunky 2 Well, technically, that isn’t the proper use of the term cyborg, besides wouldn’t ease of communication be something you’d design into a cyborg? Lucas Oh grow up! ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/c-3po-human-cyborg-relations-what-cyborgs/565232/9 "2010-12-24T19:18:21Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Despite being a translator C3PO rarely translates (he does with the Ewoks). Also for Jabba. Luke had a translator built into his X-Wing. You can see words scrolling on it when R2 talks. Outside the X-Wing, I think he was generally interpreting R2’s tone, not literally translating into Basic. R2 was fairly expressive, after all. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/c-3po-human-cyborg-relations-what-cyborgs/565232/10 "2010-12-24T19:36:06Z")
You also have to remember that R2 and 3PO weren’t typical for droids, either. The SOP for droids was to regularly wipe their memories, thus ensuring that they didn’t start to establish a personality of their own. “Our” droids had somehow managed to escape that fate, and then they were firmly established as kind of “family” to the principals of the Rebellion, so they escaped it thereafter, as well. Most droids didn’t have anywhere near the personality that R2 and 3PO did. That hinders communications. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/c-3po-human-cyborg-relations-what-cyborgs/565232/11 "2010-12-24T22:46:00Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > [Lobot](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lobot) (Lando’s majordomo on Cloud City…the one with the wraparound headphones) was an actual cyborg. So was [Dengar](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Dengar), one of Vader’s bounty hunters. Don’t forget [General Grievous](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Grievous) ---
**Author:** ![Lightsaber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Lightsaber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightsaber)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/c-3po-human-cyborg-relations-what-cyborgs/565232/12 "2010-12-24T22:59:42Z")
He was taller than I expected. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/c-3po-human-cyborg-relations-what-cyborgs/565232/13 "2010-12-24T23:38:29Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > Flunky 2 > Well, technically, that isn’t the proper use of the term cyborg, besides wouldn’t ease of communication be something you’d design into a cyborg? R2D2, Gonk, FX7, etc aren’t exactly “android,” either. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2010, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/c-3po-human-cyborg-relations-what-cyborgs/565232/14 "2010-12-25T04:24:09Z")
I think it’s similar to Lucas using “parsecs” as, apparently, a measure of time instead of distance (and, yes, I know, various tortured “explanations” of that have been created in the years since). My suspicion is that, in both cases, Lucas wanted a cool-sounding word, and one that the viewer would recognize, but he wasn’t too worried about it being terribly accurate. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/c-3po-human-cyborg-relations-what-cyborgs/565232/15 "2010-12-26T07:59:20Z")
I think “cyborg” was used in the same way as was “parsec” which is to say, very very very loosely. Which is also to say, with a generous helping of fanwank. Yes, Luke and Vader are cyborgs in the conventional sense, but C-3PO is an android in the conventional sense. Usually in ‘real life’ cyborg implies some amount of biological material in addition to mechanical/robotic. But Lucas probably meant it in the same sense that “android” is usually used, meaning “completely mechanical robot with some sort of humanistic aspect such as AI or body shape”. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/c-3po-human-cyborg-relations-what-cyborgs/565232/16 "2010-12-27T17:19:12Z")
Heh. C3-P0 just wanted something fancier to introduce himself with than “butler” or whatever. He probably considers himself a more refined white collar worker than most droids.