Science-fiction novel research; How would they do it?

[MSC]

Will probably post questions in this thread in relation to a science fiction novel I want to get to writing more. 

While it is science fiction I would like to get input from the community about how an effective technology I want the antagonist to have might work on some grounds in line with what we actually know about physics, science and engineering etc

So my first question; How would a technogically advanced race render all human projectile weapons beyond bows, nuclear weapons etc inert and unusable? So far all I've got is computer viruses, EMP and nanobot swarms. But is there some kind of process gunpowder could undergo to be denatured enough to be useless, from a distance? Quickly and on mass? Planetary wide? Trying to build a world that has as much scientific accuracy as it's possible for science fiction to have while still being awe inspiring.

[TheVat]

1 hour ago, MSC said:

But is there some kind of process gunpowder could undergo to be denatured enough to be useless, from a distance? Quickly and on mass? Planetary wide?

You may want to read Dies the Fire by SM Stirling.  Read it about twenty years ago, enjoyed his exploration of that same idea.  I don't recall any pausible explanation of how explosives were nullified, but many details of the book elude me atm.  Being a pointed sticks guy (i.e. humans can't really be trusted as a species with anything beyond pointed sticks), I will follow your inquiry with interest.

 

1 hour ago, MSC said:

Trying to build a world that has as much scientific accuracy as it's possible for science fiction to have while still being awe inspiring.

Sounds like the Hard SF end of the spectrum.  Good place to be!  I  notice, when browsing the fiction section of a library, that there is a cluster of really good hard SF authors under the letter B.  Stephen Baxter, David Brin, Gregory Benford, Ben Bova, Greg Bear, couple others.  And of course Arthur C. Blarke!  🤔

[MSC]

16 hours ago, TheVat said:

You may want to read Dies the Fire by SM Stirling.  Read it about twenty years ago, enjoyed his exploration of that same idea.  I don't recall any pausible explanation of how explosives were nullified, but many details of the book elude me atm.  Being a pointed sticks guy (i.e. humans can't really be trusted as a species with anything beyond pointed sticks), I will follow your inquiry with interest.

 

Sounds like the Hard SF end of the spectrum.  Good place to be!  I  notice, when browsing the fiction section of a library, that there is a cluster of really good hard SF authors under the letter B.  Stephen Baxter, David Brin, Gregory Benford, Ben Bova, Greg Bear, couple others.  And of course Arthur C. Blarke!  🤔

Thank you! Yeah I'm going for something similar. It'll be an alien invasion story but with some key differences as intergalatic law and beaurocracy play a key rule in the MO of our would be invaders and the human protagonists have to figure out a way to save ourselves via multiple fronts and with a few choices of ways.

Submitting to intergalactic law we never had a say in the creation of and fight an underdog war where both sides are destructively limited and have to wade a fine line between acts that would bring victory but break intergalactic law(drawing worse consequences) is option 1.

Technologically overcoming the tech limits forced (Also breaks laws) to get our edge back with our modern weapons as option 2. 

Learning this new set of laws and try to find precedent that would force a court to order our invaders to stand down so we don't lose our planet is option 3.

That's basically the gist of it. 

[TheVat]

Cool.  Well, I recalled a little more about Stirling (looks like he wrote about fifteen more novels set in that universe, and they leaned more towards fantasy, which is probably why I just read the first one) and it seems he really ducked the scientific aspects.  I did give some thought to how one could implement a planet-wide deactivation of ballistic weapons.  Seems like you would need some kind of "bloodhound" nanotech that would permeate the atmosphere and sniff out the relevant chemicals to denature them.  Kind of like an artifical airborne virus that quickly infected all stores of explosives.  In response, you would have people trying to improvise other chemical alternatives that could provide enough bang to propel a bullet or shell.  E.g. say someone might try to devise a gasoline gun (though I think its heat of combustion, and volume and rate of expanding gases, would only provide a weak explosion, too weak for ballistics).  But say there were chemicals that would work, then the nanobots would have to sniff them out, also.  Also, IIRC charges in munitions are compounds which are self-oxidizing, so that the reaction isn't slowed by the need to draw in atmospheric oxygen.  It's all about FAST oxidation.   I think a couple folk here are more up on that type of chemistry than I am, so they might have other ideas.