Tech in Equestria

[Starfox64x]

Soooo I thought to myself 'why aren't there TV's and internetz in Equestria yo?" Just like that, verbatim. And i began to think "Hey! This must be before the information era! No tech whatsoever!"

But then i recalled Twilight basement filled with apparently advanced gear... They still used that paper with the holes in the sides to make continuous strips, so i thought maybe it was kinda 1960's, on the verge of technological advancement sorta thing... they DO have sewing machines, headsets for microphones, vinyl record players, and camera's, although they also have MANUAL printing presses and conveyor belts, and although they have trains, no cars or trucks to speak of...

So my point is, why the hay is wrong with the tech in Equestria? some of it seems pretty advanced, and yet other things seem almost backward... why would they have such advanced medical equipment and yet they still write with a quill and inkwell?

IRL thoughts: The people making the show want to avoid promoting games, TV, cell phones, social media, etc to kids because it has a tenancy to take over vulnerably minds. So they just bring up what they feel is needed for the time being...

In show thoughts: Ponies are naturally strong creatures, so vehicles to carry stuff hasnt really been need, and pony power to move convener belts has never been a big issue for them. Medical tech needed to advance so that earth ponies could tend to medical needs when a unicorn wasn't around or couldn't. Basically some things didn't really NEED to advance, so they didnt.

[SirShadowdeath]

There really is no specific age of technology, and we are all overthinking this. I highly doubt there really is a specific era that they are in. They seem to have it whenever it is convienent. I'd assume there are at a age similiar to the late 20th century, but technology depends on which part of the world you were in.

[DrMaxwell]

Entertainmentwise, ponies seem to have much simpler tastes, rendering things like television/internet rather pointless, when the ponies are more likely to be at social gatherings. There were videogames in hearts and hooves day, but whether or not theyre canon is not for me to say.

And ponies do seem to use electricity, their dam has electrical doohickeys sticking out of it.

Their tech seems to be a mix of necessity and convenience that evolved to suit pony needs.

[MyLittlePonyTales]

Wasn't TV originally invented just to like, spread news? There aren't a lot of world events going on that Equestria needs to know about, and if there is, word of mouth or newspaper does the trick.

In show thoughts: Ponies are naturally strong creatures, so vehicles to carry stuff hasnt really been need, and pony power to move convener belts has never been a big issue for them. Medical tech needed to advance so that earth ponies could tend to medical needs when a unicorn wasn't around or couldn't. Basically some things didn't really NEED to advance, so they didnt.

This last sentence seems so right. Ponies believe in doing things, in contributing to the community. This is unlike humans, who want to advance and make life easier. By everypony working together and contributing somewhat equally, and by many being self employers (Applejack, Rarity), they can take breaks and vacations whenever they need to.

[elsporko]

It seems like technology is inconsistent. Out of show context is that writers and animators throw in whatever based on what helps the story, makes an interesting visual, or makes a joke. In show explanation can be that they are in a period of rapid development but without rapid implementation. Technology seems far more advanced in the first season where there seemed to be few modern items and even trains ran on horse power. Second season we are seeing alot more technology but things like video games are still public, you aren't seeing alot in the home. My thinking is that through magic ponies can make and run high tech items but there is not enough manufacturing or infrastructure to bring it to the average pony. Twilight has some advance scientific gear but she is Celestia's personal student so she is an exception. Most advanced items are for use of the public or something that is expensive and rare like the cider machine

[Starfox64x]

Wasn't TV originally invented just to like, spread news? There aren't a lot of world events going on that Equestria needs to know about, and if there is, word of mouth or newspaper does the trick.

I gotta disagree with you on that... from what we've seen, no one seems to know (or at least remember) any of the mane six... I mean, They had a huge celebration after beating Nightmare moon, and i'm sure plenty of ponies would want to know why the night lasted an extra six hours.

Discord turned the entire world topsy turvy, and i'm sure that some rock farmer would want to know why their rocks looked like jawbreakers

Any pony living within within sight of Cantelrot would probably want to knwo about that giant forcefeild during the wedding and why there was an explosion that sent hundreds of pony-ish beings flying across Equestria...

Basically i'm saying that a lot DOES happen, and i'm sure they would want to know... in fact, i KNOW they would want to know. the school paper got sent around by the hundreds over some petty gossip, something about Rainbow Dash made it all the way to cloudsdale, and apparently it was bad enough to make her look bad. i'm sure if they had TVs and they put 'Royal Wedding taken over by shapeshifting creatures." on the news, they would be selling like hotcakes. If they were to invent a way to get news to others instantly, ponies would use it without hesitation. now, that may not be something they NEED to know, but it's surely something they'll WANT to know.

Lots of stuff happens, and it's apparent that ponies have an interest in it, so why wouldnt someone find a way to make that information more accessible? it's obvious word of mouth doesnt work THAT well, one instance being bon bon ignoring Fluttershy in the episode with Iron Will. If i saw fluttershy i would gladly step aside for one of the six ponies that saved equestria... but apparently she didnt know that because information didn't get out well enough.

now, as for the people working on the show goes, i can only imagine that if everyone knew about them saving the world, than half of the conflicts wouldnt happen... so there's that... but i'm just talking about in their world...

[Kendrick]

Isn't the axiom that sufficiently advance technology is indistinguishable from magic?

And of course we have the corollary: Sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.

The short answer is, of course, that they have whatever they need for the plot of a given episode to work.

Incidentally I found this on here so I may read it and get more ideas.

But I agree with the differing desires/needs of Equestria over humans. Not everypony needs gizmos to feel complete or happy. We seem to think we do.

And there seems to be a lot of regional flavor to it as well. When AJ ran away it was very "old west." Manehatten, however seems very early 20th century.

[elsporko]

It seems like more rural regions have less technology then urban areas

[Ashton]

The official explanation is that Faust wanted to keep the series mostly "magic" with as little tech as possible, but once she stepped back/down the writers added whatever they wanted...

There *are* a lot of oddball things, such as video game *cabinettes* (seen in H&H day during the song where SB sings "This one's too young" the colt is playing a game and we see others) also several of Twilight's devices have screens capable of displaying data. (wheather these are in true color or are monochrome is uncertain) likewise we've seen a hydro-electric power plant and electric lights, fans, and other devices. There has been no explanation for things like the wireless headsets, which obviously are far beyond the supposed Tech Level of the rest of the series (in fact they appear to be bluetooth or similar since Iron Will is seen wearing his outside of the 'stage show' implying he's still using it for something... (thought realistically, it's probably just part of his model and the artists didnt bother to remove it after the stage show)

One amusing theory is that FiM takes place After The End and Equestria is a Scavenger World so some human tech survived and has been adapted/reverse-engineered while other has not.

My personal take is that technology is close to modern level, but is extremely expensive, so most ponies still rely on older analog tech and/or magic to get the job done.

[MyLittlePonyTales]

So Equestria is like, a post apocalyptic land like in Adventure Time?

[Kendrick]

One amusing theory is that FiM takes place After The End and Equestria is a Scavenger World so some human tech survived and has been adapted/reverse-engineered while other has not.

Oooo I like that. thinking that the ponies are what replaces us after we nuke ourselves to oblivion is actually kinda optimistic. Beats the horrors from the deep you usually think of. And it looks like they are doing better than we are most of the time.

[SirShadowdeath]

Oooo I like that. thinking that the ponies are what replaces us after we nuke ourselves to oblivion is actually kinda optimistic. Beats the horrors from the deep you usually think of. And it looks like they are doing better than we are most of the time.

I don't think they would replace us. I think that humans would die out, and over the years a mixture of evolution and radiation would make animals more human like. To think that all humans became ponies because of a nuke is just illogical.

[Ashton]

So Equestria is like, a post apocalyptic land like in Adventure Time?

I'm gonna mention this any time it's relevant.

I'm getting this odd vibe that you like Adventure Time lol

[weesh]

To think that all humans became ponies because of a nuke is just illogical.

Obviously. Everyone knows that would turn us all to kittens.

[frostfauna]

I was just digging around the archives and found this neat little doo-dad, thingamajig, whatchamacallit, whosamajaggit. I like it, so I'm gonna go ahead and post on it, maybe breathe a little life into an old topic.

For starters, they have self-propelled vehicles now. We saw them in One Bad Apple. You know, all those parade floats. They've also got turntables and stereo systems. We saw those in the season 2 finale. There were arcade games in the hearts and hooves episode of season 2 as well. Not to mention Flim and Flam's Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 and the dam from the Mare-Do-Well episode.

There's a bit of a complication, though. We have to consider whether or not the MLP comic series is canon. I don't know for certain, myself. If so, then they most certainly have television. If not, then that idea is out. Lol.

Perhaps Equestria is advancing in tech as the show advances over time. That's what I'm going with here. Anyone else have any input on this?

[shadowrush]

from what I've seen in many episodes, as of season 5,  they are in an early magical industrial era. so advanced machinery and metalworking. no knowledge of combustion or mass media yet. why I say that is the rainbow factory in cloudsdale, pinkie's party cannon (doesn't matter it doesn't use gunpowder, it still a cannon), steam trains to canterlot and appleloosa, and if you remember in the Apple Family Reunion episode they used sewing machines to finish the quilt.

[MidnightMask]

I've been thinking about the tech problem for a while. I think it's a lack of the industrial corporatized mindset caused by the individual manifestation of cutie marks and little in the way of need or desire for mass manufacture.

When you get a family of farmers, like the Apples, they might all work together on some massive task, but try to think about getting ponies to sign up for am assembly line. Geargrinder and GreaseMonkey pony might be all about it, but I think it'd be hard to find enough ponies whose special talent was repetitive labor to stick around long enough for it to work.

On the other hand, cutie marks give a sort of mystical advantage when it comes to accomplishing things in a related area. Pinky is just about genius as long as it involves throwing a party and making people happy, with a variety of canons and other devices. I assume most technological jumps are derived from the work of luminary ponies associated with a skill set or ability, with the minority being advances written in books and passed down.

Just my guesses though.