The most expensive number in engineering
Grossly increasing the factor of safety is a subtle way that science fiction stories connote a feeling of very advanced technology.<p>For example in the JJ Abrams movie Star Trek Into Darkness we see the Enterprise operating at depth in an ocean, then dramatically zooming away into space. Then later another ship falls from orbital height and plows through San Francisco without losing its hull shape.<p>In Star Wars the Millenium Falcon is constantly doing things that would seem to be outside a normal design for a spacecraft, and it survives (aside from the radar dish).<p>Even as far back as the movie 2001, the monolith is made out of a material that humans can’t dent or cut. Why so strong? It’s basically just an automated radio.<p>The idea is: this advanced civilization has such command over physical technology, that they can effortlessly engineer unnecessary strength without losing any of their designed performance.