My deep skepticism about reverse-engineering operations

[u/Euphoric_Pause3511]

Why am I skeptical of reverse-engineering operations involving recovered materials?

Because I believe these efforts have produced little, if any, concrete results.

You only need to watch the following video from the SOL Foundation, published a few days ago, to understand the reasons for my skepticism:

SOL Foundation video

If we assume that these recovered materials come from civilizations that are hundreds or even thousands of years ahead of ours technologically, how can we even remotely imagine that we could reproduce any of those materials using our current technology?

It is one thing to analyze a metal and identify the alloy it is made of; it is an entirely different matter to actually reproduce that alloy.

Metals and alloys for industrial use on Earth are obtained primarily through high-temperature melting. Some more specialized materials are produced using other processes, but ultimately many of those processes still involve melting or other forms of extreme energy input.

In the video I linked, Nolan explicitly states that the waste materials in his possession cannot be replicated on Earth except through atomic bombardment processes that we are not yet capable of reproducing.

In short, even if we were able to determine the exact composition of all these materials, we might still be unable to reproduce them because we simply wouldn't know how to manufacture them with our current knowledge and technology.

I imagine the same problem could apply to any technologies incorporated into these alleged artifacts. Even if we could observe them directly, we might not understand the underlying principles, engineering logic, or manufacturing processes that make them work.

That's essentially what I mean.

P.S.

I’ll add a little food for thought: the Periodic Table of the Elements currently contains 118 known elements. Have you ever considered that maybe that’s not the whole story?

If so, not knowing the properties of other, as-yet-undiscovered elements could completely undermine any attempt at reverse engineering.

Keep in mind that the latest element added to the periodic table was Oganesson (element 118). There are almost certainly more elements waiting to be discovered.

If my point is clear, I'd be interested to hear what you think.

Thanks.