How does the Sonic Screwdriver work?

[Skellington]

The question reminds me of something that a Star Trek writer or technical advisor was once asked with regard to the transporter:
"How does the Heisenberg compensator work?"
"Very well, thanks."

 

[David cgc]

But the thing that got me was what it didn't do this week. It didn't open a locked door. When "Guido" barricaded the door to his home prior to detonating his stores of gunpowder, the Doctor couldn't open it because it was "bolted" not dead-locked, just bolted. Does the screwdriver have trouble with wood? I don't see how a metal bolt would be any harder to pick than handcuffs for the sonic screwdriver.

Actually, back in "Silence in the Library," the Doctor specifically pointed out that it "doesn't do wood." I'm sure I could bullshit something up to explain that, while it didn't have any problem with the iron gate earlier in the episode, or a modern deadbolt, or those "Push to Open" deals, but I don't care that much.

And the Master did win at the end of "Last of the Time Lords" by not regenerating.

He did more than that; he kicked the Doctor's ass up and down the universe. He prevented the Doctor from saving Utopia (which he no doubt would've done had Professor Yana not had his nice-ectomy), he inflicted untold suffering on the Earth, he corrupted the Joneses, particularly Martha, who is now second only to Jack as the most violent, ruthless modern companion, he successfully assassinated a world leader, and, yes, he denied the Doctor his one chance to save the Time Lords from themselves, at least symbolically.

Also, in retrospect, those rockets and spheres probably would've been extremely helpful when Davros planted the Earth in the Medusa Cascade. One wonders if the Master might've planned a more practical use for his giant death fleet than he let on.

 

[diankra]

One wonders if the Master might've planned a more practical use for his giant death fleet than he let on.

The Master never seems to think beyond the next victory (tactical genius, staregic mess-up).
He wants to rule the uiniverse, but he knows he wouldn't know what to do with it.

 

[Cutter John]

All I can figure is that somewhere along the line he spent a good deal of time studying on a planet whos technology was based on manipulating sound waves.

 

[DWF]

One wonders if the Master might've planned a more practical use for his giant death fleet than he let on.

The Master never seems to think beyond the next victory (tactical genius, staregic mess-up).
He wants to rule the uiniverse, but he knows he wouldn't know what to do with it.

I don't know in The Last Of The Time Lords he seemed intent on bringing Gallifrey back.

 

[Psion]

But the thing that got me was what it didn't do this week. It didn't open a locked door. When "Guido" barricaded the door to his home prior to detonating his stores of gunpowder, the Doctor couldn't open it because it was "bolted" not dead-locked, just bolted. Does the screwdriver have trouble with wood? I don't see how a metal bolt would be any harder to pick than handcuffs for the sonic screwdriver.

Actually, back in "Silence in the Library," the Doctor specifically pointed out that it "doesn't do wood." I'm sure I could bullshit something up to explain that, while it didn't have any problem with the iron gate earlier in the episode, or a modern deadbolt, or those "Push to Open" deals, but I don't care that much.

Ahhh! Thank you very much. I thought I vaguely recalled something about wood, which is why I mentioned it. Although I wasn't sure how Guido's door was constructed and it sounded metallic when he bolted it, I suppose we can simply accept the door's lock was wood.

I like that ... if you really want to trap the Doctor, lock him behind a a wooden door and latch.

 

[Ratteler]

I joined just to add my answer to this question.

Ok...The Doctor LOOKS human, but all (should) know that he's not.

There is no reason to assume that either his eyes of ears are within the limited range EMS range of us lowly hairless monkeys.

I assume that the Doctor's perception head off way into other areas of the electromagnetic spectrum.

The SS works for him because he can see the sympathetic harmonic echoes. When he's looking at the SS to see the results from a scan it could be akin to us looking at the vibrations of a tuning fork.

Wood, being naturally occurring result of highly randomized Fibonacci sequence might in fact be to difficult to get to "ring".

 

[Brent]

I joined just to add my answer to this question.

Ok...The Doctor LOOKS human, but all (should) know that he's not.

There is no reason to assume that either his eyes of ears are within the limited range EMS range of us lowly hairless monkeys.

I assume that the Doctor's perception head off way into other areas of the electromagnetic spectrum.

The SS works for him because he can see the sympathetic harmonic echoes. When he's looking at the SS to see the results from a scan it could be akin to us looking at the vibrations of a tuning fork.

Wood, being naturally occurring result of highly randomized Fibonacci sequence might in fact be to difficult to get to "ring".

I like that explanation a lot

 

[Photoman15]

I like the idea behind the Sonic Screwdriver. A race as advanced as the Time Lords should have tools to make their job as... whatever they defined it as... easier. And it makes perfect sense that it would be linked to their TARDIS in some fashion. The problem is the name of it, it's execution (in that it has no defined limits), and how reliant the writers seem to be with using it.

The Doctor should rely on his wits and his charm first and foremost. The screwdriver should only come out in situations where there's no other recourse. Using it to get out of the handcuffs to which Amy didn't have key? Sure. Using it as a tricorder to try and figure out what's going on with the whale-ship? Not so much. Simple legwork and investigation could have gotten him the answers he needed. Boosting River's communications device simply as an excuse to whip it out? That's getting lame even if the intent was to demonstrate River's knowledge more than to showcase the screwdriver.

So yeah. If they'd just get rid of the stupid "sonic" prefix and only use it when they absolutely needed to, I'd be completely fine with it. As it stands, it's still acceptable but mildly annoying. At least it's not used as often as the all-powerful holodeck or transporters from Star Trek, though. But it is getting close.

Remember though, in TOS DW, they had 4-12 episodes to tell one story. They had the time to thoroughly investigate something. Now, they have at most 2 episodes to tell one story. The sonic screwdriver helps the story along when time would be needed to do something.

 

[SD70ACe]

It's just a magic wand. It can do anything and everything.

 

[Bones2]

It's just a magic wand. It can do anything and everything.

Yeah. But mind you, doesn't that make for excellent storytelling?

 

[SD70ACe]

Completely the opposite, in fact.

 

[marillion]

It's just a magic wand. It can do anything and everything.

Wasn't this why JNT had it destroyed in the first place? IIRC, it was becoming a bit of a crutch for the Doctor and the powers that be felt without it, the script would force the Doctor to be a bit more creative in solving problems.

A friend of mine had the old screwdriver toy back in the 80's.. The thing was twice as big as it was in the show, mostly to fit the batteries..

 

[Winterwind]

It's just a magic wand. It can do anything and everything.

Yeah. But mind you, doesn't that make for excellent storytelling?

Completely the opposite, in fact.

Hmm. Either my browser is a tad wonky or the server is. For some strange reason, it's mixed post authors between Bones and SD70ACe.

 

[Bones2]

I was being sarcastic.

 

[starsuperion]

This

There's no canonical in-universe answer, but if you'll accept speculation, he's linked to it via the TARDIS - we see the TARDIS make him a new one (and the prop designers claimed to have incorporated bits of "coral" into the prop so it "looks like it grew from the TARDIS"). It would also explain why it suddenly went wonky in The Eleventh Hour, since the TARDIS was messed up.

Would also explain why Sarah-Jane had trouble using it in School Reunion - her link to the TARDIS has faded - whereas Rose was able to get it working.

and This..

I figure there's some sort of mental interface to it. In "The Doctor Dances," he tells Rose to use setting something thousand and something to repair the fence. So I figure he more or less just thinks what he wants it to do (possibly in the form of a numeric code) as he holds down the button. I guess feedback is something similar.

Or telepathic images ala Lodger headbang and cgi from house M.D, show for organics..

 

[Thestral]

The question reminds me of something that a Star Trek writer or technical advisor was once asked with regard to the transporter:
"How does the Heisenberg compensator work?"
"Very well, thanks."

This is the correct answer.

Actually, back in "Silence in the Library," the Doctor specifically pointed out that it "doesn't do wood." I'm sure I could bullshit something up to explain that, while it didn't have any problem with the iron gate earlier in the episode, or a modern deadbolt, or those "Push to Open" deals, but I don't care that much.

I always took it as a sly nod to the original Green Lantern, Alan Scott. He has an amazing magical ring that can do almost anything - and cannot affect wood.

 

[shadowedgalaxy]

Magic.
*snort snort*

 

[starsuperion]

sigh...

how boring..

the sonic screw driver can do this or that cause it's magical..

the tardis is just bigger on the inside.. cause it is...

never ask why and you will live in harmony with the universe, kinda like the the slaves of the Kroton's ..
Only accept what the learning machines teach you..

 

[Winterwind]

I was being sarcastic.

That makes two of us.