Board Thread:Warhammer 40k General Discussion/@comment-7232811-20130518221156/@comment-6078851-20130519161618

in regards to the imperiums scientific knowledge:

given how much bio-engineering takes place - servitors, bionics, astartes and other modified humans, dreadnought interment etc - i would think that the imperium has extensive knowledge on biology, at least those who work in such fields would have extensive knowledge but i doubt the common people know much more than "we get it on and a baby comes out."

as we all know very few people (relatively speaking) have any understanding on how the majority of technology works, but even with that understanding they lack the knowledge to create the technology. the creation process is in the hands of dark age technology that isn't understood and can't be replicated but simply maintained, but when they finally break down (as they will, and are) then it doesn't matter how well the tech is understood if their's no knowledge on the processes that make the tech.

the mechanicum obviously knows more than they tell but even they still rely on processes that predate the emperor and as far as i'm aware emps was the only person (post-dark age) who understood any of these ancient technologies. given the mechanicum's veneration of dark age tech means that they will never be reverse-engineered to try and recreate them and so will never be understood. in fact wouldn't such a thought actually be considered heresy?

while tech can be utilised effectively i'm not sure anyone really understands it, it seems to me more a case of a "you plug this in there and it works" type of mentality.

when it comes to sub-atomic physics i don't think anyone in the imperium has a clue, the tau should given the speed of their technological progress and the necrons probably know everything about physics in the material universe.