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Worldbuilding

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    $\begingroup$ If you fail to take account of the relative positions of mechanically linked components, that's your own lookout really. $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 26, 2020 at 13:29
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    $\begingroup$ But neither cars nor electron microscopes are specifically designed to be easy to replicate without special knowledge. I don't know much about electron microscopes, but I am sure that it is possible to create a car engine in a much more "idiot-proof" design than that of an average modern car. $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 26, 2020 at 14:53
  • $\begingroup$ @Philipp That's an interesting point, but let's counter it with why car engines aren't idiot-proof. (a) Government regulation requiring components for (e.g.) emissions control that are not necessary for the operation of the engine. (b) Engine components that enhance power (e.g. turbos) that are not necessary... (c) Engine components that improve diagnostics or operating efficiency (e.g., sensors) that are not necessary.... My point is, it's almost never desirable to design something that's idiot proof. It's therefore a bad assumption that Clarketech would be or even should be. $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 26, 2020 at 20:49
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    $\begingroup$ Ironically, a car is a bad analogy here. You can make a really badly-tuned engine that still runs. You don't even need anything fancy for fuelling - early cars just blew air over a little tub of gasoline. Getting modern performance is hard, but getting something which kind of works is easy. The reason it took until late-Victorian times isn't the concept, it's simply the quality of steel you need. As an engineer, I'm well aware everything I do could be copied - my protection is simply that it's not worth the time commercially for what I do. $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 26, 2020 at 22:39
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    $\begingroup$ @JBH But that's the whole premise of the question: The sufficiently advanced aliens designed the FTL engines with the explicit goal to be easy to replicate by less advanced intelligences. Being efficient, compact, fast, commercially competitive, maintainable or fulfill some intergalactic government regulation is not on their requirements list. Perhaps if the aliens tried, they could travel lightyears in seconds instead of days using a device which fits in their pocket instead of the size of a truck. But there is no way the lesser lifeforms could replicate that technology. $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 27, 2020 at 8:55