Weird science?
Jun. 21st, 2023 08:43 amI've often played with the idea that there isn't just *one* way to do things. So, for example, there may be several different ways to achieve FTL. Ditto for weapons tech and maybe defenses like shielding.
But the other day, I gave it more serious thought than I had in the past. I tried to picture a setup where the "other side's" tech isn't magic (except in the Clarkean sense) but is essentially incomprehensible to "us".
basic idea is similar to that in one set of Turtledove's stories where early on there's a crucial experiment or discovery that leads you in a direction that leads away from the sort of things we discovered.
But unlike his setup (where most races discovered antigrav and hyperdrive early, but never really got a handle "regular" physics), I want a more "even" result.
So both sides can do equivalent things, but their science behind said things is just so much gobbledegook to the other side.
But trying to *write* something like this looks like a *major* headache.
But the other day, I gave it more serious thought than I had in the past. I tried to picture a setup where the "other side's" tech isn't magic (except in the Clarkean sense) but is essentially incomprehensible to "us".
basic idea is similar to that in one set of Turtledove's stories where early on there's a crucial experiment or discovery that leads you in a direction that leads away from the sort of things we discovered.
But unlike his setup (where most races discovered antigrav and hyperdrive early, but never really got a handle "regular" physics), I want a more "even" result.
So both sides can do equivalent things, but their science behind said things is just so much gobbledegook to the other side.
But trying to *write* something like this looks like a *major* headache.