How Advanced is Equestrian Technology? Is There an Equivalent Time Period?

[Lunastep 34]

They have a full stereo system + DJ system (vinyl scratch used)

[I used to be a stranger 7,988]

As far as I know, it's supposed to be quasi-primitive sort of medieval, fitting in with the "Fantasy Princess with her Knight in shining armor" motif, but exceptions apply all over the place. And to that end, a lot of the time the explanation is "wizards wizards wizards wizards wizards wizards wizards w"

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

I honestly think they have early 60's technology. They don't seem too advanced, because they don't need to be. They have electric light, and they have a stereo system, so that would put them around early 60's...

[pinkiefan1287 610]

Here is an odd thing I just remembered about an episode. In the episode "Over a Barrel" the 6 are on a train and it is being pulled by 4 ponies. Which must be very hard. Seeing as they did that all night and day. What are they on?

 

Then in season 2 in the episode the "Last Round Up" they then have a pony being a conductor.

 

So did they just discover what that part was for or what?

Edited August 27, 2012 by pinkiefan1287

[silvadel 1,393]

Something tells me they ran out of coal or something for their steam engine, OR they needed extra horsepower for the grade. Usually when they show a train it is puff puff puffing along without any added pony power.

Edited August 28, 2012 by silvadel

[Bronyforever21 2]

The technology in Equestria can range from multiple periods of time. Ranging from disk gramophones, to DJ tables; mid 1960's era reel to reel cameras, to vacuum tubes. And Presumably, Edison bulbs.

It is apparent that the ponies can also send telegraph messages to each other (Hence the telegrams that ponies receive in various episodes) I myself prefer the late 19th and early 20th century lifestyle, seeing how their clothes often have a Victorian-era style to them.\

 

Off topic: It also ticks me right plumb off with the fact that the main six ponies are the ones that are saving everyone's haunches, but they never get recognized for it. Such as Fancy Pants not even recognizing Rarity when she ran into him. or not receiving any discounts or anything!! And one more thing, if i may. 

Did anyone else hear Rainbow Dash call Discord "Dick-ord" in the episode 'Keep calm and Flutter on'?

[FoxyCryptid 4,327]

We've seen early style arcade games, so I'd say they're about on par was us as we were in the late 1970s, with some minor differences in tech evolution.

 

I would guess it's just do to them having a culture where there wasn't a interest in tech past the basics. The development in entertainment seems to have leaned more towards social enjoyment with others, explaining why they have things like movies theaters and arcade machines, but no home TVs or computers.

 

And magic meant no need for communication devices because they can just teleport messages and things.    

[silvadel 1,393]

What do you expect from a society where they invented the pastry before they invented the wheel?

 

Magic changes the equation by reducing necessity.  We come up with solutions to problems because we need to.  If magic can bypass a problem then they never get the technological solution and it slows things down.

 

As for where they are, 1600s in fighting technology/governance through 1980s for the video game that looked like space invaders in smile smile smile.  Personally though, I think they have ACCESS to a lot more tech than is shown, they just do not have the need for it so it languishes in laboratories and on paper.

[Scootalove 10,684]

Well, since when technology was first made most people are grateful for it and others take advantage of the things that we have. Unicorns use their magic to help solve issues so I think, that they have no need for electricity unless it is for lights. I really do wish what they have in Equestria, that we could have here. Sadly, we haven't evolved in evolution to have horns.

[GrifCannon 102]

Some people seem to forget that the lantern's we've seen in the show are "powered" by fireflies. My key examples being in Read it and Weep, and Sleepless in Ponyville. Although, didn't the night guards in Read it and Weep have flashlights?

[Betez 1,734]

I think this is true. I mean they are ponies, so they probably aren't as technologically inclined as we are. I mean, the houses are built to suit ponies, but with everything else, I'd agree that it's around the 1950's.

[Prismatic 49]

If I recall correctly the night guards used magic to power their flashlights (i.e. their horn).  As for the level of technology I always felt of it being nonexistent unless it's needed for the plot but generally right around the end of the 19th century or so.  Magic enables things that even our technology does not (weather control) and the locomotives they used are I believe coal powered.  I do wonder what their airships are made of (clouds? lol).

 

My OC uses technology of the fictional 22nd-26th human century but that's just for my nonsensical plots.

[Toa of Ponies 259]

Theres a Train that works and stuff, So I'd geuss they're reaching the Industrial revolution? 

But as other people said theres plenty of other things From different eras.

 

In Short, Its an alternate universe!

[poniesforfun 716]

The most advanced technology I've seen was the parade vehicles in Bad Seed and the apple cider making machine by Flim and Flam.

 

[Harmonic Revelations 8,833]

Their technology seems primitive. So I'm going to go out on a limb and say they just have whatever is cool. Although there is one thing I'd say about it...

[Stalliongrad 982]

Someone said that land vehicles in Equestria are imbued with unicorn magic. Which seems believable until they need to be pulled like Princess Twilight's chariot. But then again that's probably more ceremonial.

 

I think the train is how most people get around in Equestria. At least those of us not gifted with wings.

 

[poniesforfun 716]

Eh? Pinkie Pie or Applebloom don't know how to use magic... and the train is moved by coal as seen in the Mmmmystery Express. Unless we're going to go Final Fantasy style and have tech powered by magic now. >_<

[Buttonmash1973 1,024]

What I think that Equestria is in the 1980s at those times.

 

Rairty's house is having a smoke alarm, 3D cinema is shown and Pinkie Pie has a mixer.

 

Maybe in S4 there will be TV and modern cars like in My Little Pony Tales.

[Nohbdy 4,108]

Technology is all over the place in MLP. In "Read It and Weep," for example, we see advanced equipment such as x-ray machines, but the lantern that Rainbow uses is lit by insects. At the same time, they seem to have modern flashlights. In other episodes, we see archaic cameras, phonographs, conveyor belts, megaphones and microphones, steam trains, helicopters, and alarms.

 

There isn't much that goes past the 1950s, but it's interesting how they don't even have basic telecommunication or computing technology.

 

A YouTuber has kindly put together a pony tech collection:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0fAPyLAEXA

 

Possible (tongue-in-cheek) explanation:

 

 

Equestria is a crapsaccharine dystopia in which science and technology are heavily regulated. Advanced technology comes from highly developed foreign nations. Effective communications or transportation is restricted. Alicorn power and immortality are the result of cutting edge foreign technology. To the rest of the world, Equestria is a backward, oppressive rogue state whose citizens have never known democracy.

 

[hawkflame 3,308]

I think it's a futile effort to try and estimate the level of technology in Equestria. Simply put, it's whatever suits the needs of the story, and whatever doesn't make sense? It's magic.

[Fivefs 38]

So I came upon this well looking into any restriction of what tech the ponies don't have and I had to create an account to throw my two cents in. So here it is, in Equestra there is no real NEED for any technological advances. So no advance is fueled by necessity, not even the train that is used. It is just a luxury connivence of faster effortless travel, all the ponies we've seen enjoy travel and society moves at a much slower pace, mail, dragon's fire and telegram are perfectly quick enough to communicate.

 

So if there is no necessity for it why does it exist? Because of ponies being defined by there special talents. As we saw in the recent finale when the cutie marks got switched even though they were horrible at the new roles they felt compelled to try and work towards their talent. So the exceptionally brilliant ponies would of course obsess over perfecting or performing their craft to the highest level. So with a creative genius plus magic basically no invention is beyond their reach. Predecessors or even key components to a device don't even need to be created before the actual item.

 

I imagine is it like sevant syndrome on crack, the pony gets the concept in their head and just starts to work slowly figuring out how the pieces fit together or even instantly knowing how to build it. The problem with this is they would be horrible at explaining to others how to build the invention themselves. But that's not much problem when magic should be able to keep even the oldest things in good condition. I mean the train runs to the crystal empire, that's the crystal empire that disappeared a thousand years ago. Which begs to ask how old the train and it's tracks are.

 

This would explain all the random descripancies in tech usage, in highly concentrated areas trivial but interesting things would build up and tech would evolve as ponies with similar talents try to mimic them. But the would only advance as far as they are convienant, who needs a record player when a DJ or symphony is playing right down the street. Pretty much tech becomes toys to ponies in big city and trivialities or sentimental treasures to smaller population ponies.

 

So in my personal opinion they are a modern society with tech available all the way to current inventions, but the older it is the more likely you are to find it. If only because the society doesn't feel the need to keep advancing, and so the more advanced inventions take longer to spread if they even spread at all. Equestra is almost utopian, all advancements are only made basically for fun or because they can.

[Mr. White 71]

Technology in Equestria is based on a complex system called WTWNATM (Whatever the writers need at the moment), it's never really well-defined. While they do have seemingly primitive machines, they also have Night vision goggles, who who knows, really.

[Nature's Spell 526]

I think it's a futile effort to try and estimate the level of technology in Equestria. Simply put, it's whatever suits the needs of the story, and whatever doesn't make sense? It's magic.

It's pretty much the answer for everything that can't be answered about the ponies. The writers do and show what need to show.

[Okie Dokie Lokie 24]

What year would you say that the cartoon My Little Pony :Friendship is Magic is set in? Even if you think it's not set in Earth, what year would you say it's the closest to?

I would probably say sometime between 1920s to the 1980s maybe. Cause they don't have cell phones mobile phones.

Share you thoughts below

Edited June 2, 2013 by Okie Dokie Lokie

[Adente 1,000]

Nope, they have video games in Equestria. MLP is a majorly anachronistic stew, they have had 80's styles (Like with Cheerilee), but they also have things in Canterlot that are more suited to the 1800's. There's no real way to pin down the time period for MLP.

 

Exhibit A

 

Exhibit B