# Star Wars questions that have probably been asked before **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 21, 2014, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860 "2014-12-21T23:39:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/21 "2014-12-22T10:11:59Z")
Was that a valid marriage? He was not allowed to wed, being a Jedi and all. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/22 "2014-12-22T10:15:27Z")
Probably not in the Jedi Council’s eyes, but I think Anakin was past caring. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/23 "2014-12-22T10:24:16Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Was that a valid marriage? He was not allowed to wed, being a Jedi and all. I don’t think that effects whether it was legal or not, pretty sure a catholic priest could get legally married even if the church forbids it you know. There was an official of some kind officiating the ceremony in the movie. I’ve started to think based on The Clone Wars show this no marriage or relationships thing is not as serious as people assumed, more like frowned on by the Jedi but they aren’t going to immediately kick you out. Even Obi Wan had a old flame, I assume the Jedi know their members are only human(or alien) and understand. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/24 "2014-12-22T23:00:24Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > What I don’t get is if Force-sensitivity is heritable, why do the Jedi lead seemingly celibate lives? Shouldn’t they be encouraging mating within their membership? Keep in mind, this is the same group waiting on chosen one to bring balance to the force, rather than trying to keep status quo where there were two sith and all sorts of jedi > [@grude](#): > > I don’t think that effects whether it was legal or not, pretty sure a catholic priest could get legally married even if the church forbids it you know. > > There was an official of some kind officiating the ceremony in the movie. > > I’ve started to think based on The Clone Wars show this no marriage or relationships thing is not as serious as people assumed, more like frowned on by the Jedi but they aren’t going to immediately kick you out. Even Obi Wan had a old flame, I assume the Jedi know their members are only human(or alien) and understand. Ki Adi Mundi (probably spelled wrong, but he’s the coneheaded jedi) was allowed to marry, because of a population issue on his planet. Or because the EU had already married him before Ep 2 came up with the no marriage thing. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/25 "2014-12-22T23:24:17Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > What I don’t get is if Force-sensitivity is heritable, why do the Jedi lead seemingly celibate lives? Shouldn’t they be encouraging mating within their membership? When midichlorians can produce virgin births, and when nobody bothered to mention this fact about Luke’s father to him, the only things that’s clear is that the reproduction process of Jedi is not very consistent in the Star Wars universe. Any other explanation is like trying to justify the accidental use of parsecs as a measure of speed. ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Barking\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Dog)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/26 "2014-12-23T00:27:59Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > What I don’t get is if Force-sensitivity is heritable, why do the Jedi lead seemingly celibate lives? Shouldn’t they be encouraging mating within their membership? Because they’re monks of a religious order, and just like any other group of monks and nuns and priests they think sex makes you impure and messes up the flow of whatever mystical wassname they happen to believe in. ---
**Author:** ![Lemmytheseal2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/82dd89/32.png) [@Lemmytheseal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemmytheseal2)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/27 "2014-12-23T00:51:05Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > As an aside, my biggest problem with the original SW film universe, is that they elect teenagers into the Senate for no particular reason. That has more to do with who her (adoptive) father was. There are those other questions that get on my nerves. People think they’re so clever: “Blah blah blah sound in space!” No, it’s in the pilot’s headphones. There are radars today that do that. Brian Daley nailed that in the radio drama. “Lasers not acting like lasers…” They’re usually called blasters, and they’re more like particle beams. “Fire in space…” There’s concentrated oxygen in the ships, for the crew. You’ll notice that the flame only lasts briefly. “_The Millennium Falcon_ is making banked turns…” Han and Lando often fly that way. “How did they get to Bespin…” The role-playing games have backup hyperdrives, which are like spare tires. One can limp into port. And no, most of the Stormtroopers aren’t clones. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/28 "2014-12-23T01:25:06Z")
> [@Lemmytheseal2](#): > > “Blah blah blah sound in space!” No, it’s in the pilot’s headphones. There are radars today that do that. Brian Daley nailed that in the radio drama. Except that, in the movie, we frequently hear sounds in space when there’s no viewpoint character, and the sound is relative to the position of the audience, not an individual ship. If the camera is sitting on an asteroid, watching TIE Fighters fly overhead, and dopplering as the get closer and then further away from the camera, then we’re pretty clearly not hearing a pilot’s headphones, we’re hearing environmental sounds. Also, we never hear any of the other sounds that should be coming over a pilot’s headphones, such as other pilots, or system warning sounds, or the like - unless the camera is actually in the cockpit with the pilot. In which case, we almost never hear sounds off of any of the other ships. > [@](#): > > “Fire in space…” There’s concentrated oxygen in the ships, for the crew. You’ll notice that the flame only lasts briefly. Except that, canonically, TIE Fighters are not pressurized ships, and do not have any oxygen in them when they’re in space. > [@](#): > > “_The Millennium Falcon_ is making banked turns…” Han and Lando often fly that way. So are the X-Wings, and the TIE Fighters, and just about every other non-capital ship in the series. It’s not just those two guys, it’s every pilot in the universe, flying their ships like they’re in an atmosphere. I’m not a big physics guy, but I’m not sure it would even be possible to “bank” a craft in a vacuum - you need something to bank against. > [@](#): > > “How did they get to Bespin…” The role-playing games have backup hyperdrives, which are like spare tires. One can limp into port. Yeah, that’s in the RPGs. Not in the movies. But it’s pretty much necessary to assume, otherwise the movie breaks completely as soon as they get out of that asteroid field. (Which, btw, is _waaaaaaaay_ denser than any actual asteroid field we’ve ever observed.) > [@](#): > > And no, most of the Stormtroopers aren’t clones. I’m with you on that one, and the blasters. But if you want to fanwank away the flaws in Star Wars, you’re going to have to do a much better job than that. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/29 "2014-12-23T01:35:55Z")
I also believe Lucas has said that Jedi can have sex (they’re not celibate), they just can’t get married, or have attachments of that sort. So basically friends with benefits type of situations. ---
**Author:** ![Lemmytheseal2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/82dd89/32.png) [@Lemmytheseal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemmytheseal2)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/30 "2014-12-23T01:42:05Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Except that, in the movie, we frequently hear sounds in space when there’s no viewpoint character, and the sound is relative to the position of the audience, not an individual ship. If the camera is sitting on an asteroid, watching TIE Fighters fly overhead, and dopplering as the get closer and then further away from the camera, then we’re pretty clearly not hearing a pilot’s headphones, we’re hearing environmental sounds. Also, we never hear any of the other sounds that should be coming over a pilot’s headphones, such as other pilots, or system warning sounds, or the like - unless the camera is actually in the cockpit with the pilot. In which case, we almost never hear sounds off of any of the other ships. The viewer gets a mix, you might say. We hear some of the chatter during the Battle of Yavin, for example. > [@](#): > > Except that, canonically, TIE Fighters are not pressurized ships, and do not have any oxygen in them when they’re in space. But what’s being pumped into the pilot’s suit? > [@](#): > > So are the X-Wings, and the TIE Fighters, and just about every other non-capital ship in the series. It’s not just those two guys, it’s every pilot in the universe, flying their ships like they’re in an atmosphere. I’m not a big physics guy, but I’m not sure it would even be possible to “bank” a craft in a vacuum - you need something to bank against. Might that be a necessary technique at speed, in order to prevent an organic pilot becoming incapable of visually following what even their own ship is doing? > [@](#): > > Yeah, that’s in the RPGs. Not in the movies. But it’s pretty much necessary to assume, otherwise the movie breaks completely as soon as they get out of that asteroid field. > > (Which, btw, is _waaaaaaaay_ denser than any actual asteroid field we’ve ever observed.) Certainly, but it’s another galaxy’s asteroid field. > [@](#): > > I’m with you on that one, and the blasters. But if you want to fanwank away the flaws in Star Wars, you’re going to have to do a much better job than that. With your help, I am working on it. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/31 "2014-12-23T03:58:58Z")
“Star Wars isn’t hard science fiction” is the appropriate answer to the endless debates regarding sound in space and so forth. ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Barking\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Dog)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/32 "2014-12-23T04:56:36Z")
Exactly. It’s a movie where the hero becomes a space wizard that moves things around with his mind. I don’t really think strict adherence to the normal rules of physics is really that important. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/33 "2014-12-23T05:52:01Z")
> [@Lobot](#): > > “Star Wars isn’t hard science fiction” is the appropriate answer to the endless debates regarding sound in space and so forth. > [@Barking\_Dog](#): > > Exactly. It’s a movie where the hero becomes a space wizard that moves things around with his mind. I don’t really think strict adherence to the normal rules of physics is really that important. I hate this type of argument. That because something has elements of fiction anything is excusable. The argument for a lot of this stuff, of course, is that it’s **so much cooler** when you have big loud flashy explosions in space. I’m not going to give unrealistic or illogical nonsense a pass just because the work of fiction deliberately breaks from reality at other points. I **will** give it a pass if those breaks from reality provide a better cinematic or narrative experience. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/34 "2014-12-23T06:53:59Z")
Anything is excusable as long as a work of fantasy adheres to its own set of rules. Not only does Star Wars not take place in our own galaxy, it doesn’t even take place in our own universe. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/35 "2014-12-23T07:24:29Z")
One of the Star Wars novelizations has a throwaway line about an “etheeric rudder” whining as a ship banked. My fanwank is that the ships behave like atmospheric craft because they have a magic rudder that gives them drag when it’s useful, like rapidly changing direction while conserving thrust. It’s lame, but I’ve had to do much to reconcile a world with giant penis worms that have mouths open to hard vacuum and atmospheres in their throats. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/36 "2014-12-23T09:41:04Z")
As far as sound in space goes, it can be argued that there is sound in space. The human ear isn’t equipped to hear it, but objects moving through the thin ionized gas that fills space do produce shockwaves that propagate through space just as ordinary sound does though air. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/37 "2014-12-23T15:24:44Z")
At the beginning of TPM we see Obi-Won and Qui-Gon use “force speed” to get away from some battle droids on the trade federation ship. Why didn’t Obi-Won use this “force speed” to catch up to Qui-Gon when he was fighting Darth Maul around those laser shutter things? He shouldn’t have been ‘too tired’ to use it since he just got a breather while Qui-Gon was stuck in the middle of the shutters. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/38 "2014-12-23T16:15:05Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > One of the Star Wars novelizations has a throwaway line about an “etheeric rudder” whining as a ship banked. My fanwank is that the ships behave like atmospheric craft because they have a magic rudder that gives them drag when it’s useful, like rapidly changing direction while conserving thrust. Creating a ship that operates exactly the same in outer space and on the surface of a planet would actually be incredibly useful. For one, you ensure that you don’t need separate squadrons of “space pilots” and “planet pilots.” ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/39 "2014-12-23T16:31:25Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Creating a ship that operates exactly the same in outer space and on the surface of a planet would actually be incredibly useful. For one, you ensure that you don’t need separate squadrons of “space pilots” and “planet pilots.” Although I wonder if that is practicable. We have different types of craft for land, sea and air on earth, because of the differing environmental conditions. Why should fighting in an atmosphere be the same as fighting in space, anymore than fighting on sea in different than fighting on land? ---
**Author:** ![Lemmytheseal2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/82dd89/32.png) [@Lemmytheseal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemmytheseal2)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860/40 "2014-12-23T16:46:52Z")
> [@Lobot](#): > > “Star Wars isn’t hard science fiction” is the appropriate answer to the endless debates regarding sound in space and so forth. Then I can’t suspend disbelief and enjoy it. Hence the explanations above, and it’s not like I’m the first one to do so. See my mention of Brian Daley. > [@Barking\_Dog](#): > > Exactly. It’s a movie where the hero becomes a space wizard that moves things around with his mind. I don’t really think strict adherence to the normal rules of physics is really that important. That’s a different category than the technological and scientific matters. > [@Jragon](#): > > I hate this type of argument. That because something has elements of fiction anything is excusable. > > The argument for a lot of this stuff, of course, is that it’s **so much cooler** when you have big loud flashy explosions in space. I’m not going to give unrealistic or illogical nonsense a pass just because the work of fiction deliberately breaks from reality at other points. I **will** give it a pass if those breaks from reality provide a better cinematic or narrative experience. …as long as there’s an explanation of some kind. > [@Lobohan](#): > > One of the Star Wars novelizations has a throwaway line about an “etheeric rudder” whining as a ship banked. My fanwank is that the ships behave like atmospheric craft because they have a magic rudder that gives them drag when it’s useful, like rapidly changing direction while conserving thrust. > > It’s lame, but I’ve had to do much to reconcile a world with giant penis worms that have mouths open to hard vacuum and atmospheres in their throats. The space slug has very slow, strange metabolism, and that asteroid had some sort of air/grav pocket. Personally, I would have cut that scene. I’m from that part of the fanbase that grew up devouring the West End Games Star Wars RPG books. We’re often part of that element (along with some of the EU authors) that sees SW as more of a serious war story, and less of an homage to pulps and serials. Lucas made that comment about SW not being _The Terminator_, but thankfully he’s semi-retired! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-questions-that-have-probably-been-asked-before/707860.md?page=3)