aark (12/20/82)
At the end of The Empire Strikes Back, we saw the innards of Luke's new prosthetic hand. It had springs and levers, made a clacking sound, and was obviously electromagnetic -- signals from Luke's nerves are amplified and drive solenoids which pull wires which move the fingers, etc. Surely a civilization that could produce hyperspace drives, blasters, and light sabers could develop a better prosthetic hand -- based on polymer muscles that directly respond to nerve signals, just like organic muscles. So why an electromagnetic, mechanical hand? Obviously -- Luke's new hand is the "other hope!" Or more precisely, Murphy's law in connection with the hand is the other hope. Relays, solenoids, and all things mechanical are notoriously unreliable. In the final, apocalyptic battle between Luke and Darth Vader, perhaps because of some freak effect of the Force, or maybe because of electromagnetic interference from the light sabers, just as Vader is about to chop Luke's head off (no messing around with just a hand this time!), one of the coils in Luke's hand will short out, causing it to jerk unexpectedly, thus sending Luke's light saber's beam neatly through Vader's body in a way Luke, with his imperfect mastery of the Force, could never have done consciously. I can't wait! Alan R. Kaminsky Bell Laboratories, Naperville, IL ...ihps3!ihuxe!aark