Is the Green Lantern ring possible with the technology we have now?

(Mods, if this is the wrong forum you can move it - I thought about Grey Area and Skunk Works, but I'd like to get the scientific perspective on this.

Also, I did do a search, and there were pages of Green Lantern related items - but I didn't see one asking this question. If anyone has a link to a thread/or this is a duplicate, you can link me there and delete this! Thanks!)

Okay, so this topic came up between some friends. It started as "What superpower would you want.." discussion, and ventured into Green Lantern territory.

One person in the group stated emphatically that we have that technology now. And no, he's not a person that believes the military is about 20 years more advanced than we know. He believes it is possible with technology that we are aware of.

He could only link to a wikipedia article that basically said harnessing enough energy and turning it into mass is a concept that could be used in the future - but he used that as fact that we can do it now.

So my question is, is it indeed possible? What would be the science behind something like that? Something that could literally take anything your mind could think of and turn into an actual physical force that could inflict damage.

What would be the mechanics of it? Would you have to know the workings of a device before you could create it (i.e. a gun - would I have to know the individual parts of the weapon and how they operated to produce it in my mind?)

Do we have the technology now? (I know our military has the heat ray weapon
, but it isn't a physical manifestation of an oven or fire, or something similar - just heat, so I don't consider that the same thing.)

Any and all thoughts on the matter are appreciated!

The Green Lantern's weakness is the color yellow.

Yellow.

What good would the ring do if you're crippled by a bottle of mustard?

reply to post by jacktorrance


The capabilities that the ring has could probably be manifested...but not from a ring.

I mean, let's look at the ring and some of it's functions:

1) A force field

Telegraph: Star Trek Force Field Being Developed by Scientists

2) You can summon the ring from a distance

Fox News:Science teleport matter


3) A universal translator

4) It gives off electromagnetic radiation of different frequencies.

Loads of devices can now give off EM radiation at different Hz. It's the case of getting this all in a ring (which I don't think will ever work)...but on separate devices...definitely

reply to post by DaTroof


Good point and no disagreement here. But if the weakness wasn't an issue - or at least that weakness - would the tech be possible now?

reply to post by BlackPoison94


Thank you.

I agree with you, that we may have different elements now that function on separate devices, but to harness all of that into a ring .. I mean I can't even imagine what kind of power source that would require. A portable power source at that.

reply to post by DaTroof


Well as long as Parallax is not in the central batttery we'll be good.

I know I'm a geek.

Originally posted by DaTroof
The Green Lantern's weakness is the color yellow.

Yellow.

What good would the ring do if you're crippled by a bottle of mustard?

Mustard is nasty stuff.

Good observation

ROFL

NO!

What size ring!

P

Originally posted by jacktorrance
(Mods, if this is the wrong forum you can move it - I thought about Grey Area and Skunk Works, but I'd like to get the scientific perspective on this.

Also, I did do a search, and there were pages of Green Lantern related items - but I didn't see one asking this question. If anyone has a link to a thread/or this is a duplicate, you can link me there and delete this! Thanks!)

Okay, so this topic came up between some friends. It started as "What superpower would you want.." discussion, and ventured into Green Lantern territory.

One person in the group stated emphatically that we have that technology now. And no, he's not a person that believes the military is about 20 years more advanced than we know. He believes it is possible with technology that we are aware of.

He could only link to a wikipedia article that basically said harnessing enough energy and turning it into mass is a concept that could be used in the future - but he used that as fact that we can do it now.

So my question is, is it indeed possible? What would be the science behind something like that? Something that could literally take anything your mind could think of and turn into an actual physical force that could inflict damage.

What would be the mechanics of it? Would you have to know the workings of a device before you could create it (i.e. a gun - would I have to know the individual parts of the weapon and how they operated to produce it in my mind?)

Do we have the technology now? (I know our military has the heat ray weapon
, but it isn't a physical manifestation of an oven or fire, or something similar - just heat, so I don't consider that the same thing.)

Any and all thoughts on the matter are appreciated!

That isn't actually how any ring would work in real-life. Energy to matter conversion would be akin to a Star Trek replicator. Of which your talking huge, huge, huge numbers to even create a few grams of matter. So this would never work in real-life for the way you are thinking.

The only way to approach creating a power ring would be to base it as a holographic projector. It projects whatever you want, then you turn said hologram into what's known as 'hard light'. Simply put, the light from your hologram has now became solid & can physically interact with the world around it.

Fact is that we don't have the technology to transform ourselves into GL's, but there is no doubt it will be possible in the future.

reply to post by jacktorrance


if science took psionics seriously or/and/if there is research into psionics and other fields relating technical communication.

Originally posted by Ausar
reply to post by jacktorrance

 

if science took psionics seriously or/and/if there is research into psionics and other fields relating technical communication.

If there was a hint of it being anything other than bunkum, then it would be taken seriously.

reply to post by pheonix358


I didn't think so either.

reply to post by big_BHOY


Thanks - hadn't thought of it that way.

Originally posted by DaTroof
The Green Lantern's weakness is the color yellow.

Yellow.

What good would the ring do if you're crippled by a bottle of mustard?

LoL

Oh the truth in this!

I really hope you see it!

The Green Lantern, like the green light? Aka Venus/ Lucifer, with a magic ring? LOL!!!!!!!

Oh but then again this is nothing new as Saturn is the Lord of the Rings

Watch out Watchmen!

Eye see you LoL



PS

I suggest you read some aleister crowley and realize where the inspiration for most all mainstream comics come from.

Your technology can also be found in the Keys of Solomon or Abramelin.

Originally posted by jacktorrance
reply to post by big_BHOY

 

Thanks - hadn't thought of it that way.

It's the only feasible way to create such a thing! Going down the "energy to mass" route isn't feasible for multiple reasons. Why you need is the 'hard light' method, technically speaking it isn't a hologram but more a 3d projection. This way you could project something in front of you & turn it solid. Once your done, turn the device off & it instantly disappears. Even in the future if it's ever invented, I seriously doubt it would be anywhere near as small as a ring though.

let me put it this way, if the universe was able to create us and anything else within it's entirety, then yes.

but with the tech we have now? no not this moment, in a decade or two possibly, I won't deny it.

first step is to reverse engineer the natural process in a step by step basis within a comparable environment.