Unobtainium Why?

[hazabaza1]

It makes lightweight, durable, nice looking hats.

 

[blalien]

That's 20 million in 2154 dollars. That's probably like 50 cents today.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

Because of its ridiculous magnetic properties. Something like that could be used to build matter-anti matter annihilation engines for space craft, which could reach upto 92% the speed of light.

EDIT: Also it could be a superconductor. one of the holy grail's of science is finding a cheap superconductor

But... it's not cheap.


It looks like borg cube in the movie, so maybe it can self repair?

 

[Hurr Durr Derp]

Well, they made a big point out of how Earth was all fucked up, so I guess it's either something they need to 'fix things' back on Earth, or it's a great source of energy to replace our used-up natural reserves.

Considering the tone of the movie, it's probably the latter.

 

[Falseprophet]

EDIT: Also it could be a superconductor. one of the holy grail's of science is finding a cheap superconductor

This, according to the Avatar wiki [http://james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Unobtanium].

 

[Avatar Roku]

I just don't understand why they named it unobtanium. That's hardly a positive outlook.

Cameron's more self-aware than he's given credit for.

 

[Hurr Durr Derp]

In the movie Avatar, unobtainium is a naturally-occuring room temerature super conductor. The properties of said object would be 1) the ability to transfer electric current with 100% effieciency (as opposed to current high-voltage wires which have ~50% effieciency over long distances.) and 2) levitation in a magnetic field. Which is why you see the floating islands, and the floating rock in Selfrige's office.

It sounds logical, but if the unobtainium was responsible for the floating mountains, then why didn't they mine those? And the unobtainium cache they were after all along didn't float at all.

 

[milkoy]

If you've seen Avatar you know that the corporation was their to mine for a shiny substance, unobtanium. The thing is that it is never explained (in the movie) why this shiny metal is so damn valuable. So I ask you, what do you think unobtanium does to make it so valuable? I personally think it's a cure to some form of disease, or maybe cancer.

Edit: Unobtanium is worth 20 million dollars a kilogram.

Cameron stated that it is a room temperature superconductor, something that will fixed the broken economy of earth, as stated by Jake as he is leaving the drop ship at the beginning.

 

[scornedbythenine]

If it's anything like smurfberries, it'll be a great source of energy.

sp lol

but no unobtanium is an element that is created in hyper-disi-thermonuclear reactors
A.K.A
SUPER SUN

its virtualy indistructable, hyper conductive and is an extreme sorce of energy when used as a magnetic conductor ...
its hat we need to develop warp drives.....

only problem is (as its name sates...)
it is unobtainable

 

[sagacious]

In the movie Avatar, unobtainium is a naturally-occuring room temerature super conductor. The properties of said object would be 1) the ability to transfer electric current with 100% effieciency (as opposed to current high-voltage wires which have ~50% effieciency over long distances.) and 2) levitation in a magnetic field. Which is why you see the floating islands, and the floating rock in Selfrige's office.

It sounds logical, but if the unobtainium was responsible for the floating mountains, then why didn't they mine those? And the unobtainium cache they were after all along didn't float at all.

It is probably the movie's one big plothole: why didn't they mine somewhere else and avoid a war? I don't know. But as far as the unobtainium cache they were mining not floating: it could be that the magnetic field in that area isn't very strong, which would also explain why the human's electronics work fine in some areas, but not around the floating mountains.

EDIT: I know why they couldn't mine the floating mountains. they wouldn't be able to get mining equipment up there... or something...

 

[Olikunmissile]

Because the writers we're lazy.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apostrophe

OT. Because it's shiny. Duh.

 

[G1eet]

According to the movie guide (give me a break, I work in a bookstore), it's a room temperature superconductor.

 

[messy]

Because of its ridiculous magnetic properties. Something like that could be used to build matter-anti matter annihilation engines for space craft, which could reach upto 92% the speed of light.

EDIT: Also it could be a superconductor. one of the holy grail's of science is finding a cheap superconductor

specifically one that works at room temperature as well

 

[Baby Tea]

It's not about demand. Trust me, if it where physically possible to make diamond windows or diamond knives and blades, people would want them.

What about synthetic diamonds? Since they are man-made, couldn't they be made to certain specifications?

More on topic: I thought it was a funny name for a floaty rock.
I didn't really care about what it actually was. All I had to know that it was valuable and wanted, and I knew that.

 

[FranzTyphid]

maybe it cures AIDS?
but why does it really matter.

 

[ziggy161]

Probably because it's so rare...I mean it's...unobtainable?

That or it hypnotises even the sexiest women into thinking it's holder is the best thing on legs...

 

[DogofRaw]

Or the craziest idea, what if it's a monopole? That would be CRAZY AWESOME!

Maybe that'll go towards explaining those floating mountains. Seriously WTF?

My theory is that the huge gas giant that pandora orbits is pulling the mountains up with it's gravity.

Ahh, the general ignorance of basic physics in that theory is heartwarming. What happens to the mountains when they rotate with the moon away from the gas planet? Or when they are standing on the top of one how come don't float off? The monopole idea is better because they haven't been discovered/don't exist and so fall under 'artistic licence'. As for the Unobtainium, I say its Crystallized Religion, and the fundamentalists at home need it to get church attendance up. And thats why its all under the giant tree, with its resident religious hippie cats. QED.

 

[RagingMetrosexual]

If unobtainium is actually unobtainable how the hell did they obtain it in the first place?

Also how the fuck do those mountains float?!?

Gah that film annoyed me. Twas pretty though

 

[brodie21]

i read on the wiki that it is a substance that is a great superconductor that they use in making electronics and magnets for maglev trains. and since the earth is highly industrialized, superconductors are in high demand for connecting all corners of the world and making computers, and i think even the ship that brought jake to Pandora.