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

[Glike 487]

We also have to remember, Ponyville is somewhere between suburban and rural. Add to that maybe technology isn't the most affordable in their world, then it makes sense we haven't seen much technology. I do believe they do have advanced technology in Equestria though.

[Jeric 46,853]

This thread does make me wonder where humanity would be technologically if 1/3 of us could fly and control weather, 1/3 could use magic, and 1/3 had a magical connection to agriculture and mining.

 

The trajectory would be crazy different.

Edited May 17, 2014 by Jeric

[Kay Dreamer 884]

I'd place their level of technology at around the 1920's level. Early cruise ships, coal-powered trains, hot air balloons and zeppelins, electric lighting becoming commonplace... There are a few random exceptions pushing out to 1960's-1980's tech, but those could be hand waved as 'advanced magic', and certainly not all that common.

 

Dash's comment aside, the most advanced type of firearm we've actually seen has been bows and cannons. At most, they may have a simple form of early flintlock pistol. I have a hard time imagining any type of gun in Equestrian society, though. It's way easier to imagine swords, jousting lances and arcane magic.

[Nit Pick 247]

If I may point out, a bullet can also be used by a sling.  You know?  The thing that slain Goliath in David and Goliath?

 

I thought that Equestria being a utopia, they contribute their abilities for all to share since Pegasi make rainbows and all that.  I would think unicorns have more advanced technology while Earth Ponies use clockwork and candle lamps.

 

I pictured unicorns having oscillating magical gyroscope things that holds concentrated mana; which acts like a power source for the more privileged ponies of Canterlot.

Edited May 17, 2014 by Nit Pick

[Ace O. Jade 122]

For example, in one episode (I can't actually remember exactly which one, maybe "May the best Pet Win), Rainbow Dash mentions something about flying as fast as a bullet, so could this mean they have guns in Equestria ?

 

To add to this, Rainbow Dash has also said the line "Time to break out the big guns" (or some slight variation thereof, i.e. 'bring' instead of 'break'). I can't remember which episode (MAYBE Dragonshy? Maybe?), but she's said it before.

[Nature's Spell 526]

The writers are so vague and use human expressions often enough that it's hard to pinpoint an analogous time to use. However, it would appear their world is vaguely similar our 1870s to about 1900.

[Kel_Grym 1,917]

I think Equestria is pretty technologically advanced, however I don't think they do mass production technology much, or they regulate the hell out of it.

 

Also, technology incorporating magic comes into play. It may be possible that all those arcade games are just run by a little gem, and there may be no power plants as we know the in Equestria...so in a way there technology is actually a little more advanced

[Nulln 755]

I don't think they really need much technology, since they have magic.  The technology they do have they seem content with.

[MLPFanatic34 3,234]

That would be funny if ponies started typing on computers and using Facebook haha, but yeah magic is obviously their preferred choice of doing stuff, still imagine Twilight using a computer in Ponyville, it'd be like when she used it in Equestria Girls, lol.

[Kel_Grym 1,917]

I don't think they'll develop computers. Hooves. Can't type much.

 

In daring don't you can see a typewriter though, in the background. It has only two keys.

 

I can only imagine how hellish coding would be for ponies.

[ThePreciseClimber 97]

I don't think they'll develop computers.

 

Uh, sure... Oh, and about the typing bit:

[EquineWhoDoesStuff 49]

I have to agree with the majority of the thread, the FIM universe's technology level seems to be early to mid 1900's. I believe when the show writers were questioned about stuff like the heart monitors it they just said basically 'Magic', noting how the device wasn't actually plugged into anything. Whenever they want to add some tech that doesn't quite fit the rest of the theme they just explain it away as magitek. 

 

It's all fairly internally consistent, at least with magic taken into account.

 

Except of course for this one little cameo in Rarity Takes Manehatten that basically blows it all out of the water.

 

A telephone!

 

 

RIght there on the desk is a rotary telephone! It's the only evidence of long distance instant communication in Equestria besides Spike and other magic like that. Seeing a telephone raises so many questions.

 

The only explanation I could think of that didn't turn everything on it's head is that it's only a local landline. We've seen guards with radios and security with headsets, like when the goats talked to Iron Will. So we know there's short distance radio headset style communication. The only issue with that is that every other technology in FIM behaves like it's earth counterpart, so it doesn't really make sense for the telephone to not work like a phone. 

 

 

[Discordian 6,015]

I think Equestria is pretty technologically advanced, however I don't think they do mass production technology much, or they regulate the hell out of it.

 

Also, technology incorporating magic comes into play. It may be possible that all those arcade games are just run by a little gem, and there may be no power plants as we know the in Equestria...so in a way there technology is actually a little more advanced

Yeah they definitely don't have a need for a lot of technology due to their natural abilities. Aside from certain high societies they seem to make everything based around an as-needed basis. Money doesn't seem to be a huge deal in Equestria. Even stuff like Rarity's career and Diamond Tiara's thing for social popularity seems to be more about the fame than anything else.

 

Technological advancement is often fueled by three things: The need for money, the need for the product and/or the passion of an individual. Since Equestria doesn't have much need for copious amounts of money or specific products most of the more advanced (aka realworld "modern") technology seems to be born purely of passion and thus is few and far inbetween.

Edited May 18, 2014 by Discordian

[Quill Waver 1,408]

I would imagine that they are in the late Renaissance Era in terms of military science (weaponry and so forth), but more towards the Modern Era in terms of many other implementations.

[Justin_Case001 4,896]

Equestria definitely has random technology when the plot demands it.  (e.g. the instructional video in Hurricane Fluttershy, and Twi's mad scientist basement in Pinkie Keen)  However, if we disregard that, I would agree with the majority of this thread, that it looks like probably early 1900's.  Now, I'm going to have to pay attention, but I thought they didn't have electric lights.  I thought they used a lot of candles and lanterns and stuff.  If it's pre-electric light, that would put them about mid 19th century.  But of course, as has been pointed out already, you can't really directly compare them to humans.  Actually, I think their technology would be most similar to that of the Black Jewels universe, if any of you have ever read those books by Anne Bishop.  It's a fantasy universe with, I'd say sort of Victorian age technology.  At first you think it's going to be LOTR, but then they make references to things like modern plumbing and such, and you start to wonder exactly how advanced they are.  The author actually does a great job at never specifically describing it, because the technology isn't relevant to the story, and it's better left up to the reader's imagination.  The Black Jewels universe seems to be pre-electricity, and they use magic for lighting.  Witchlight, they call it.  Equestria and MLP in general actually reminds me of Black Jewels quite often.

 

Here's another thing to think about: Discord.  So, as we all know, he's Q, which means he can probably travel through time as well.  He could introduce any technology to Equestria that he wanted, just to violate the Prime Directive and screw with em.  In fact, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't we see Discord driving a modern car during his glass-of-water song?

 

While we're on the subject of technology, I think a SPECTACULAR crossover would be a ponified version of Cave Johnson, and an Equestria version of the 1950's Aperture Laboratories from Portal 2.  That would be amazing.

[Stone Cold Applejack 381]

Well they have phones because in Sisterhooves Social when Rarity asks Sweetie Bell what she's going to do with her Sweetie Bell starts to name stuff off the last thing she says is TEXT.

[Cosmonaut 76]

I'll agree with their tech being about 1920s-1950s, but we did see an arcade cabinet in "Hearts and Hooves Day".

[silvadel 1,393]

It varies... 

 

You are extremely safe instituting any (not banned -- there are a few things like phones that they do not seem to have) tech you want in a fanfic that is from the 1920s or earlier.  Quite safe for individual devices from the 1930s.  Fairly safe from the 1940s.  You might get a few complaints if you draw from the 1950's, and anything from the 1960's or later tends to get scoffed at.

 

IE I put a tape recording device in a fic...  The one I patterned it off of was from the 1930s.  I have an elevator in the chapter I am writing, with the manual stop system that the OLD style elevators used to have and a pony that tends it.  In general ponies seem to NOT have devised technology that removes ponies from doing things. 

[ARagY 1,152]

Granny Smith's black-and-white moment definitely seemed like a late 1800s to early 1900s feel, if she was around 100, it would put this around the 90s or so (wasn't DJing popular during this period?) Not to mention the video games are arcade-style, which seems very 90ish. Now before you say "they still have those now" I know, I know..but it's not like you'll find kids on them now as they were back then. The fact that they have cranes and things you'd generally expect halfway or more through the 20th century indicates to me that this is somewhere between 1980 and 1999. 

[Poncebora 91]

Im guessing that its around the mid 1950s and early 1700s. and with some 1990s and 1980s mixed in. which i belive its 1967 or the mid 1990s.

Edited July 15, 2014 by Poncebora

[AppleLover 146]

I like to think that their more of into the industrial revolution, but it hasn't really started out too much. Like they have the technology to build cars and stuff, but they find it useless or they have no idea to power them. But than you see things like radios and the such, and you wonder how far they are. It's hard to answer. 

[Anneal 2,197]

I like to think that their more of into the industrial revolution, but it hasn't really started out too much. Like they have the technology to build cars and stuff, but they find it useless or they have no idea to power them. But than you see things like radios and the such, and you wonder how far they are. It's hard to answer. 

You do have to note that ponies aren't like humans; a car would be relatively difficult to control in Equestria. Carriages, however, are perfectly fine, though we haven't seen any auto-"carriages" in the show yet. It would be interesting to see how it works out. (They DO have assembly lines, however...)

 

For the most part, it'll feel like early 20th century technology, though there are few things that do contradict that. Like what Silvadel said, mentioning these things such as arcade games would stir up a lot of controversy if you try to write a fanfic of it (unless it includes Button Mash, strangely). 

 

But this is just Ponyville. We still don't know what the other parts of Equestria looks like; we've only seen a few. 

[Malinter 3,064]

@,

 

"Auto Carriage". Wouldn't that contraption of the Flim-Flam Brothers not count?  

[cuteycindyhoney 13,307]

It varies... 

 

You are extremely safe instituting any (not banned -- there are a few things like phones that they do not seem to have) tech you want in a fanfic that is from the 1920s or earlier.  Quite safe for individual devices from the 1930s.  Fairly safe from the 1940s.  You might get a few complaints if you draw from the 1950's, and anything from the 1960's or later tends to get scoffed at.

 

IE I put a tape recording device in a fic...  The one I patterned it off of was from the 1930s.  I have an elevator in the chapter I am writing, with the manual stop system that the OLD style elevators used to have and a pony that tends it.  In general ponies seem to NOT have devised technology that removes ponies from doing things. 

They have motion pictures with sound. It's a safe bet that they'd also have tape recorders too.

[Pastel 7,630]

Nah the show doesn't need more steampunk, it's fine the way it is.

Regarding the tech level I'd say early 20th century.