What could a scientist in my Star Wars RPG be researching?

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Maximum7

Humans came from Zhell.

Did they?

"We believe the Zhell were Humans — perhaps the original Human population that took to the stars when Imperial Center was known as Notron."
―Mesh Burzon[src]

That doesn't sound like a definite statement, and it's dubious considering that the Zhell were sharing Coruscant with another and quite different intelligent species.

[Irish Wolf]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Did they?

"We believe the Zhell were Humans — perhaps the original Human population that took to the stars when Imperial Center was known as Notron."
―Mesh Burzon[src]

That doesn't sound like a definite statement, and it's dubious considering that the Zhell were sharing Coruscant with another and quite different intelligent species.

Sounds kind of like the arguments among scholars in the late Imperial era of the Foundation novels, trying to use reason to figure out where humans came from. (And none of them had the correct world; the closest were a minority who thought humans might have originated on the planet orbiting Alpha Centauri B.) Perhaps your scientist has realized that none of the current theories regarding human origin have been properly tested yet, and seeks to track how genes have changed across the galaxy in order to find the homeworld.

I'm assuming that you're looking for your scientist character to have a ready reason to be traveling with this band of interstellar rogues and/or Jedi. Most high-tech scientific pursuits involve staying in one place, where your lab conditions can be carefully monitored; field research of one sort or another would really be the best reason to put an academic into harm's way.

[Maximum7]

Yeah I’m looking for something that is exciting sounding but can’t alter the storyline in any way.

[Phantasm]

IIRC (in the old EU) the oldest pre-Republic human populations were on Coruscant, Alsakan (both in the Core Worlds), and Tion (in the Outer Rim, who fought a war with the Hutt Empire at the time the Republic was forming, and then the Republic in its early years). Not sure about the ages of Corellia and Alderaan, but IIRC they were believed to have been colonized from Coruscant at some point in prehistory due to various artifacts (Centerpoint Station and the Killiks, respectively).

What's the scientist's focus? Biology? Geology? Chemistry? Astrophysics? Genetics? Or is he multidisciplinary (with Science! - or your system's counterpart, as SWSE has Physical Sciences - rather than a bunch of individual skills)?

[Maximum7]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

IIRC (in the old EU) the oldest pre-Republic human populations were on Coruscant, Alsakan (both in the Core Worlds), and Tion (in the Outer Rim, who fought a war with the Hutt Empire at the time the Republic was forming, and then the Republic in its early years). Not sure about the ages of Corellia and Alderaan, but IIRC they were believed to have been colonized from Coruscant at some point in prehistory due to various artifacts (Centerpoint Station and the Killiks, respectively).

What's the scientist's focus? Biology? Geology? Chemistry? Astrophysics? Genetics? Or is he multidisciplinary (with Science! - or your system's counterpart, as SWSE has Physical Sciences - rather than a bunch of individual skills)?

Multidisciplinary

[Maximum7]

My scientist could be working on anything in any field. He can even be working on something on social sciences.

[Lord Azagthoth]

A scientist in my campaign was researching a strange, self-regenerating material they found on a backwaterwater planet.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Maximum7

Yeah I’m looking for something that is exciting sounding but can’t alter the storyline in any way.

This is kind of working at cross purposes. Its very difficult to make something with no effect exciting. What kinds of effects are acceptable?

[Maximum7]

Originally Posted by ericthered

This is kind of working at cross purposes. Its very difficult to make something with no effect exciting. What kinds of effects are acceptable?

It should be somewhat interesting. Just nothing that would alter the story. E.g Immortality or Lasers that can punch through deflector shield. Also no technobabble. Have basis in real science.

[Irish Wolf]

Originally Posted by Maximum7

It should be somewhat interesting. Just nothing that would alter the story. E.g Immortality or Lasers that can punch through deflector shield. Also no technobabble. Have basis in real science.

You're working in a universe that has hyperdrive, turbolasers, fighter-sized spaceships that make banking turns in vacuum, giant slug-worms that live in asteroids and generate an atmosphere in their intestines, and an order of knights that use the Force and laser swords. "A basis in real science" would seem almost a disqualifier here.