Why is everyone so worked up over Star Wars weapons being lasers?
• The nature of Star Wars weapons has remained one of the oldest in this debate. For a time, it was accepted that, despite the presence of “laser” in the name, they are not laser-based weapons. However, this conclusion has been called into question by other sources, and there is a growing number of people who think some (not all) of the weaponry may be laser-based. Whether it is or isn’t, however, is really immaterial; what matters is the weapon’s destructive capabilitites, not the means it uses towards those ends. 5. What about Outrageous Okana? Lasers won’t even get past the navigational deflector! • If you are unfamiliar with this argument, the episode of the Next Generation “Outrageous Okona” has Riker saying that lasers wouldn’t get past the Enterprise’s navigational deflector. In other words, it is claimed that Federation ships are immune to lasers. Since Star Wars weapons are called “turbolasers” and “laser cannons,” it is argued by some that Star Wars weapons will have no effec
