As many of you know I’ve used this forum for my technology and science related inquiries in reference to Star Wars. I’ve been told time and time again that Star Wars is not about technology and science; it is science fantasy not science fiction. Yet I can’t stop putting these two things together. My therapist doesn’t know what I should do and my OCD meds aren’t working well enough obviously. I’m pissed I can’t shake this obsession. I miss the days where I was obsessed with Force powers (c. pre-2011) which IS something Star Wars is all about; “magic”. Magic not nanites. I honestly don’t know what to do. Part of OCD is about chanting certain phrases or sayings to help me feel better. Does anybody have an opinion on my science and tech in Star Wars obsession. Some words of wisdom you can say to help me get over it. I want to move on and focus on the STORY, not the stupid science.

I can't really help you, all I can say is that Star Wars, while not "science-fiction" per se, is inextricably linked with technology. Thinking about science in conjunction with Star Wars is natural, but can get irritating when everyone just says "space magic" at anything they can't quite explain. There is a lot of hand-waving certain things, but nothing (I've encountered/remember at least [and no, I'm not asking for suggestions]) that isn't explainable in-universe.

I don't know what to tell you other than that I sympathize with your issue and hope you are able to get past it. The technology is part of the story, and the story is (sometimes) about the technology. If you want to totally ignore the tech, I'm not sure that it is possible to watch and think about Star Wars without thinking about the tech. As far as the science goes, all I can say is try to ignore it, if seeing things that don't make sense bothers you.

1 hour ago, Leia Hourglass said:

Part of OCD is about chanting certain phrases or sayings to help me feel better. Does anybody have an opinion on my science and tech in Star Wars obsession.

Well, if you want some phrases to chant.

"Your ancestors called it Magic, but you call it science. I come from a land where they are one and the same." - Thor (Film), 2011

"If you showed a caveman our technology, he would think it was magic. And if you showed modern man magic, he would think it was technology." - Outlast (Video Game), 2013

And my personal favorite, Clarke's Third Law:

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Arthur C. Clarke, Profiles of the Future (revised edition, 1973)

Is Star Wars Science Fantasy, and not Science Fiction? Well. Technically yes. But like Thunderbolt said above -

21 minutes ago, P-47 Thunderbolt said:

Thinking about science in conjunction with Star Wars is natural, but can get irritating when everyone just says "space magic" at anything they can't quite explain.

The point I'm getting at here, is that if any form of magic exists, then there is an explanation for it. There is a difference in individuals, those that enjoy thinking about it, and those that do not. If a mage creates a fireball, then unless the laws of physics are explicitly stated to be different in that world (which barely any fantasy setting does), it's safe to assume he's somehow causing a chemical reaction of a fuel source with atmospheric oxygen. Similarly in Star Wars, if the Force exists, then there is something that causes it to work this way. Anyone that tries to just hand wave it as 'magic' hasn't done their due diligence or doesn't care to. The prequels introduced midi-chlorians in an official capacity, and Lucas himself explains that he was going to make the sequel trilogy about microbiotic beings called 'Whills'. Seriously.

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Whills_(community)

The point I'm trying to make here, is that it's not about being hung up on the technology. It's not about being hung up on that is has to be magic, either. If someone feels the need to point out it's not supposed to be explained, they're probably missing the point too. In Star Wars, and every other Science Fiction, Fantasy, or any other genre, these aspects are just tools. Explaining something is awesome. Leaving it vague for the audience to theorize about is awesome too. If you want to put Science Fantasy and Science Fiction together, go for it, the trick is just using them in the right way - as an engine to move the story forward. As far as it matters for the actual plot, as long as you don't go crazy with it for things like plot armor, deus ex machina's, etc., you can think up whatever you want for it.

Don't get me wrong, I love theorizing about how things works, but when it isn't important to the story, remember Clarke's Third Law. As humans, there are many things we still don't understand, and so sometimes if you can't come up with a scientific explanation for it, you've got to move on. The focus should always be on the story first, and the explanation second. Because a good story is what we strive for. As a species, we crave drama, and we crave fiction. To quote one of my favorite youtube videos-

"When you're sitting alone and texting, it's because you're bored. Our imagination is our greatest gift, and our greatest curse. Because we're bored, all the time. And that's what fiction does for us. It gives us a sort of simulator for bigger stories and bigger emotions. That's what Lord of the Rings is, that's what Phantom of the Opera is, that's what Goodfellas is. That's Everything. It's us watching, and feeling. The human capacity for empathy through imagination. That's why we have stories. . . . That's what we all want. From Long John Silver to Perseus to Neo to Walter White. We love watching people grow, change, struggle. Good people, bad people, we don't care we want to see it. We need entertainment and we need it now."

2 hours ago, Leia Hourglass said:

I want to move on and focus on the STORY, not the stupid science.

Without getting at the core of why you're obsessing over the technology, I don't know how much any of that can help, but I can try to offer one last piece of advice.

Science, Magic, Fantasy, and Fiction are the Artists brushes. But the story itself is the work of art. What good are your brushes if they don't serve the painting?

On 10/18/2019 at 8:37 PM, Leia Hourglass said:

As many of you know I’ve used this forum for my technology and science related inquiries in reference to Star Wars. I’ve been told time and time again that Star Wars is not about technology and science; it is science fantasy not science fiction. Yet I can’t stop putting these two things together. My therapist doesn’t know what I should do and my OCD meds aren’t working well enough obviously. I’m pissed I can’t shake this obsession. I miss the days where I was obsessed with Force powers (c. pre-2011) which IS something Star Wars is all about; “magic”. Magic not nanites. I honestly don’t know what to do. Part of OCD is about chanting certain phrases or sayings to help me feel better. Does anybody have an opinion on my science and tech in Star Wars obsession. Some words of wisdom you can say to help me get over it. I want to move on and focus on the STORY, not the stupid science.

Check out the book The Science of Star Wars . That should help you get your "fix".

😋