# "That's no moon.." **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 1, 2015, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-no-moon/729602 "2015-09-01T13:40:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-no-moon/729602/61 "2015-09-03T20:23:36Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > I don’t have the decent cite that was thrown at me at the time, but it was on this board that it was shown to me that the explanation for the use of the word parsec was just a straw-grasping after the fact explanation and that it truly was a mistake on Lucas’ part to begin with. > > That said, it was a truly artful straw-grasping after the fact explanation. Always made perfect sense to me. You talking about the “Han was bragging” explanation or the “traveling through a network of black holes and navigating by the shortest route” explanation? > [@Miller](#): > > He’s also just identifying it by sight, not from instruments or charts or anything. He calls it a small moon because it looks like a small moon. It looks like a small round planetoid without a discernable host planet to be orbiting. That’s the point being made here. Technically, it’s only a moon if there’s a host planet to orbit. Otherwise, it’s some other word. > [@silenus](#): > > What gravity the Death Star had would not only be minuscule, but fairly evenly applied. I mean, for any point inside the sphere, there is going to be mass all around you. The imperceptible tug from the fusion core will be off-set by the imperceptible tug from the hyperdrive, etc. None of it would have any effect worth noting. If there’s any gravity to detect, it would be different depending upon distance from exterior, layout of things like large hangar bays versus densely packed living quarters and heavy bulkheads in security, etc. But artificial gravity presumes the ability to negate the natural gravity distortions. > [@](#): > > No, the thing I want to know is the actual mechanics of getting the artificial gravity to center at the south pole, and does said gravity increase as you move down deck levels. Depends upon the technology and how it works. Is it a single field source point, or is it something layered within the decks and adjustable at a local room or even panel level? I would surmise the latter, which would allow, for instance, turning it off in one room for zero g combat training (or sex), or changing orientation in different rooms just for grins. Have to be careful with that, though, as someone opens a door and carelessly steps into a room and falls 3 stories because gravity is to the left. Anywhere else I would trust safety interlocks and whatnot to mitigate that, but this is a vehicle with huge gaping chasms spanned by narrow walkways without any railings at all, etc, so I’m not sure I trust their version of OSHA. > [@Miller](#): > > Except that, right after Han says that line, the shooting script says: > > “Ben reacts to Solo’s stupid attempt to impress them with obvious misinformation.” > > From [here](http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Star-Wars-A-New-Hope.html). Wow, great find. Still doesn’t prove Lucas knew he was abusing the word parsec, but it does lend plausible deniability in that he likely didn’t care, it just increases the obviousness of the misinformation. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-no-moon/729602/62 "2015-09-03T20:32:13Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > No, the thing I want to know is the actual mechanics of getting the artificial gravity to center at the south pole… It doesn’t look to me like it’s centered at the south pole, more like the lines of force are parallel to the north-south axis. That would support **Irishman** ’s contention that the artificial gravity is applied at individual decks rather than a single point affecting the whole station. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-no-moon/729602/63 "2015-09-03T20:34:22Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I like to picture Darth Vader participating in the tournament, and just really blatantly using Force telekinesis to cheat, and nobody having the balls to call him on it. “You don’t need to see my scorecard.” “We don’t need to see his scorecard.” “This isn’t the windmill you’re looking for.” “This isn’t the windmill we’re looking for.” “I can go about my putting.” “He can go about his putting.” “Move along.” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-no-moon/729602/64 "2015-09-03T20:38:51Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > That would support **Irishman** ’s contention that the artificial gravity is applied at individual decks rather than a single point affecting the whole station. Which really makes the most sense from a design standpoint. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-no-moon/729602/65 "2015-09-04T00:12:42Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Which really makes the most sense from a design standpoint. “Gravity plating” was Star Trek’s way to get around why people aren’t floating around the Enterprise (or even inside the little shuttlecrafts). Basically magic floor tiles that produce 1G. Simple. Works best if the Star Wars universe has a similar magic floor tile. ---
**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:** [September 4, 2015, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-no-moon/729602/66 "2015-09-04T00:20:10Z")
Anti-grav in Star Wars is, apparently, incredible cheap and compact. Compact enough that you can build one into a [two-seater groundcar](http://i.imgur.com/yNxBiml.gif), and cheap enough that even a dirt-poor son (well, nephew) of a moisture farmer can afford one. I’m guessing artificial gravity is pretty much the same thing as anti gravity. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-no-moon/729602/67 "2015-09-04T15:52:42Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Except that, right after Han says that line, the shooting script says: > > “Ben reacts to Solo’s stupid attempt to impress them with obvious misinformation.” > > From [here](http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Star-Wars-A-New-Hope.html). That _is_ a good find–although the fact that it’s headed “Episode IV” and “A New Hope,” neither of which were even thought of on January 15, 1976, makes me a bit skeptical as to how authentic it is. I do wonder if “obvious misinformation” means, “That’s not what a parsec is,” or simply “No ship can go that fast; you’re bullshitting me and we both know it.” To me, Alec Guinness’s eyeroll has always read as not a reaction to a misuse of the word “parsec,” but just as a reaction to hearing a blowhard bragging about his totally bitchin’ ride. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-no-moon/729602.md?page=3)