The Science of Star Wars by Jeanne Cavelos

“The science is there to give the movie verisimilitude and to allow them to get around things,” says physicist Lawrence Krauss, who wrote “The Physics of ‘Star Trek’” and other books explaining the science within science fiction.īut strangely enough, there are some things that seem, well, less unbelievable now than they did in 1977 when the first “Star Wars” movie came out, says Jeanne Cavelos, an astronomer and author who wrote “The Science of ‘Star Wars.’” And passengers aboard starships don’t have to trouble themselves over the effects of zero-gravity. Weightless hovercraft swoop a couple of feet off the ground as if they were wheeled vehicles. The winged fighters bank and pirouette in space just as they would in Earth’s atmosphere. As a result, spaceship engines scream - even though there is no medium to transmit sound in the vacuum of space. (May) FYI: The Science of the X-Files has been nominated for a 1998 Bram Stoker Award in the Nonfiction category.For example, director George Lucas patterned the space chases and races after dogfights in World War II epics, motorcycle chases and chariot races. Caveloss engaging style makes this book a treat, with no science background necessary. Can the force be with you? Physicist David Bohm posited a quantum potential force that would interpenetrate and bind together everything in the universe, but only Yoda knows if we can direct it with our minds. The Wookies keen sense of smell, for example, would give them an alternative means of communication so that they might need to vocalize only with grunts and howls.

Most of the Star Wars aliens fare equally well. Could a planet form around a binary star? Yes, but due to gravitational forces only if the stars were very far apart or very close, so as Luke gazes out at his two suns setting, he sees an accurate portrayal of a binary system. When Star Wars first came out, scientists doubted the existence of planets in other solar systems, but since 1995 several have been found. The author examines five major areasplanetary environments, aliens, droids, space ships and weapons, and the Forcein sufficient detail to satisfy even knowledgeable fans. Timed to release with The Phantom Menace, this book follows in the tradition of The Physics of Star Trek and Caveloss own The Science of the X-Files.

The opening in May of the new Star Wars film has hardcore fans in a frenzy.

The Science of Star Wars by Jeanne Cavelos