Let’s talk about one of the many questions that pop up when we dive into the world of Star Wars: how could Boba Fett, or anyone for that matter, sleep soundly in a bacta tank without getting water up their nose?
After all, if you’ve ever tried to sleep with a stuffy nose or dipped your face in water, you’d know how uncomfortable it can be. And why would those breathing devices only cover the mouth?
But don’t worry, there are actually a few ways to explain this, both within the Star Wars universe and with a bit of real-world logic.
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1. Mouth Breathing Does the Trick
First off, let’s focus on the obvious: the mouth-breathing device. When you’re using something like that, the idea is pretty straightforward if your mouth is covered and you’re breathing through it, the nose doesn’t really need to be involved.
Most people can go underwater and breathe through their mouth without needing to hold their nose, as long as they’re not moving around too much.
You can also train yourself to not breathe through your nose when submerged. This kind of control isn’t unusual, especially for swimmers who are used to blocking their noses naturally.
Plus, if you’ve ever had a cold where your nose was completely blocked, you’ve probably noticed that your brain automatically switches to mouth breathing, even while you sleep.
So, if Boba’s using that mouthpiece, he’d likely be fine even in his sleep, as long as his nose wasn’t actively drawing in water.
2. Pressure Balance Keeps Water Out
Now, let’s dive a bit deeper into the physics of it. When you’re in a tank full of liquid, whether it’s water or the healing bacta fluid from Star Wars, there’s this balance of pressure happening between your body and the liquid around you.
The body’s internal pressure pushes back against the external liquid pressure, which is why you don’t just “fill up” with water when you’re submerged.
In other words, as long as Boba is stationary in the bacta tank and not actively breathing through his nose, the liquid wouldn’t just rush in.
The pressure inside his body keeps things balanced.
He’s not diving deep underwater where the pressure changes dramatically; he’s in a controlled tank environment, where his respiratory system can do its job without needing to engage the nose.
3. What If Bacta Is Like Perfluorocarbons?
For the real-world tech enthusiasts out there, there’s another potential explanation.
In the real world, scientists have developed something called perfluorocarbon, a liquid that can hold oxygen and allow creatures to “breathe” underwater.
Yes, that’s a real thing! Rats have been submerged in perfluorocarbons and were able to breathe without drowning.
While this technology isn’t ready for humans yet, it’s not far-fetched to imagine that bacta in the Star Wars universe could work similarly.
